Making the most of NOT living below the line

This has certainly been a weekend of indulgence and one that is out of the ordinary. A bank holiday weekend and my eldest's 6th birthday has meant a lot of eating. There has been lots of cake, chocolate, sandwiches, crisps - in short a lot of frivolous food, all washed down with a mug of tea.

I've calculated, that in this household we probably spend about £5 a day on food. I'm not just talking about the set three meals, there are all the other bits that get me through the day. I own a biscuit barrel after all, and then there's the odd bit of fruit I nibble on, and the occasional slice of toast when I'm that little bit extra peckish.

It's easy to use platitudes and say that we take what we have for granted, but as I try to work out my shopping list for next week's challenge and figure out where I'm going to go shopping, and what I'm going to buy, I realise that I eat a lot more than I think I do on a daily basis. 

When I signed up for this challenge, I didn't think it would be easy, but I thought it would be less difficult, I'm not that naive, but I did think - rather smugly - that I'm quite a frugal person at the best of times, so I'll manage. However, I'm now beginning to come to terms with the fact that my idea of frugality certainly doesn't extend to my eating arrangements.

And, after such a wonderful family weekend, filled with laughter, presents, cake, food, and more food I realise that I actually take a lot of pleasure out of eating. It's a social experience, I enjoy sitting down with my family, talking and...eating.

So, with just seven days to go until I exist on a fifth of my current budget, I'm going to make the most of living above the line and finish off the birthday cake!