Buy Nothing Day while in Cambridge

Caterina

Hello

I need a bit of advice here. On Saturday 28th November it is Buy Nothing Day http://www.buynothingday.co.uk/ which I tend to celebrate with great enthusiasm.

This year, before realising, I booked a weekend away with DH to Cambridge. Hotel sorted (a freebie from a previous booking, great deal, posh hotel!) and so is travel, as I have already bagged a couple of funfare tickets on the coach.

But re. food, it seems a bit of a hardship to have sandwiches for lunch and then sandwiches for dinner (in the posh hotel) too! There will be a kettle there and I can take a few bits of cutlery and crockery, but because it is a nice special time with DH I would like to make it nicer than just a slab of bread and peanut butter dinner!

What can I bring with me that will give us a treat and not feel too deprived?

I have already emailed the contact for Cambridge Vegetarians and Vegans asking if there is going to be some sort of communal feast/celebration and offering to contribute and participate, as it would be great to do this as a communal thing, but the reply was that there is nothing that they know about so far.

All ideas (for a nice vegan portable dinner) will be gratefully accepted. Thank you!

Bongedone

Would using clubcard rewards class as buying?

greenbee

Maybe you should try not to think of eating out as buying 'things' but rather as payment for a service. After all, you're away from home and have to eat. Buy nothing day is an attempt to stop rampant consumerism, so I suggest you try to restrain yourself from buying vast amounts of university-branded souvenirs (do this on Sunday if necessary), and see the meals as a necessity.

There are (or were, at any rate, and I can't imagine it's changed too much) plenty of ethical & vegan restaurants in Cambridge, so if you find somewhere appropriate that is organic/fairtrade/linked to a good cause you support (pick as appropriate depending on your ethical stance - it sounds as if somewhere that serves local seasonal food might be best), then I don't think your conscience should be too troubled by the fact that you need to eat, and that you've tried to make your DH's weekend away special.

culpepper

Ive just been reading a book called 'How I lived for a year on just a £1 a day' (kath kelly) which is an interesting but difficult thing to do if not in a city.
She suggests tourist information,library and the university (by phone or internet) for events that are free with some sort of eats involved. Also googling the name of the place and 'free' or 'free event' or 'free' and the 'date'. Also any local papers where you will stay.

Olliebeak

Not sure if you're going to be able to manage to spend absolute ZERO on this weekend but have you had a look at something like this: http://www.localsecrets.com/visitcambridgecards.cfm

Do you have a wide-neck flask that you could put one of your HM veggie delights in?

http://www.strideguides.com/ShapeWalks/

http://www.strideguides.com/cu/

http://www.visitcambridge.org/VisitCambridge/WhatsOnList.aspx?ix=1&start_date=28/11/2009&start=1&period_id=2 - some free events listed on there

This is also advertised but it says for cambridge residents (?) could be some freebies floating around there BUT could also just be 'expensive foodie' stalls - http://www.209radio.co.uk/shows/profile.php?show=flavour

Hope you manage to keep within your remit of 'buy nothing' .

Ollie xx

ps - make sure that you get 'full value for money' from the breakfast at wherever you stay . My DD made bacon toast sandwiches out of her breakfast when she stayed in the IOM one year as she doesn't eat a full cooked breakfast. Cereal and yoghurt in the dining room for brekkie and bacon toasties for lunch :drool:.

dreamyd

Have a mooch around the library - it opened last month after several appalling delays. There's a mediateque booth on the third floor which has thousands of films/docs/programmes which you can watch for free.
You could also have a punt around the Fitzwilliam Museum, which is free.

Enjoy yourselves.