day fourty two

i got the train home today (travelled is allowed in this challenge, particularly as i didn't fancy spending a lonely christmas in liverpool. and the train is definately a far greener way of travelling than driving). usually when i get to train station i would buy a magazine or two, maybe even a book, a boots meal deal or a baguette or a pastie, but seeing as all these things are banned i was armed with a turkey sandwich, a book from my shelf and free newspaper off the bus. i decided against taking a flask as it's quite cumbersome and irritating to carry once i've drank all the tea in it. thankfully i have never been tempted to buy tea at concourses or on the train as it's a fantastic rip off, so i didn't feel the strain there.
it's quite a journey back to ipswich. i get a train from liverpool to london euston, then 2 tube trains to get to from euston to liverpool street then a train to ipswich. this all in all takes about 4, 4 and a half hours, about the same time as it takes to drive, but far more stressful as taking a loada luggage on the tube isn't an easy task. i'd just got past the gruelling task of trying not to kill commuters with my suitcase to find my train had been cancelled and i'd be waiting for 45 minutes until the next one. this would be an ideal time to browse in the shops or buy some food. liverpool street station is like a little shopping centre in itself, but it didn't occur to me that this seemed an odd thing until i couldn't abuse this fact. i began to wonder if train stations all over the world were like this. they probably get a fair bit of business with people waiting for trains and whatnot. no retail therapy for me though, so i read a good chapter of my book.
thinking back to train journeys before this project i could probably easily spend a tenner on nothing inparticular. it's good that this challenge saves me money, but also opens my eyes to what a massive consumer i was before.

day thirty nine

today i got a kit kat in the post. now i'm against nestle products as much as the next person (if you're not sure why you should be against nestle products see: http://www.babymilkaction.org/), so much so that i have encouraged my housemate to stop buying their coffee and she in turn has stopped her mum from buying it.

but yeah, back to the free kit kat, i didn't see anything wrong with receiving it as i'm not giving nestle any money. basically i filled out a survey that took about 5 minutes in exchange for said kit kat.

recently i've also received 10 tea bags from clipper (get some too: http://www.clipper-teas.com/join-our-club) and i've got a voucher for a free milka bar (http://www.milka.co.uk/milka2/page?siteid=milka2-prd&locale=uken1&PagecRef=625).

i'm also waiting for various other free samples and am on the lookout for more.

day thirty seven

today me and my good friend elli were discussing vegetables and how its a pity you can't buy them in all funny shapes and sizes, like they actually grow. i'm aware supermarkets are now starting to sell the odd shaped fruit and veg as their economy range, but this seems ridiculous as they taste the same, if not better. this discussion came around as my housemate made a comment on the shape of the pepper i was using, it was simply a different kind of pepper, not your usual bell variety.

I work at children's holiday playscheme and we took them on a day trip to a farm where they were allowed to dig up there own potatoes and carrots. many of the children came up to me with oddly shaped carrots asking me what they were, t

day thirty four

i couldn't find my water bottle this morning. particularly bad as i had toast on the way to uni and it left my mouth rather dry. in the break i had to get a drink for fear of dying of thirst. luckily there's a water dispenser outside some of the tutor's offices so i went up there. no cups. so then i had to go to the canteen on the other side of the building (and if you know our uni building you'll know that's not so easy to do) to get a cup (which i may have stolen as i think they charge for them) and then go all the way back to the top of the other side of the building to fill it.

ah well at least i saved myself a pound and got some exercise.