Ten things under $27 I can live without to change the world

I've just received an invitation from Grameen to help get people thinking about how to make a difference, to help end poverty.

The Grameen Foundation's mission is to enable the poor, especially the poorest, to create a world without poverty.  The first seeds of the Foundation were sown by founder Muhammad Yunus when he made a loan of $27 to some Bangladeshi women out of his own pocket.  That small amount helped the women start their own business and lifted them out of poverty.  If we were all to do without for a little while, the money we would save could go to help someone else.  Small amounts of money can truly transform lives.

So what things could I manage without, things that cost less than $27 (approximately £16.50)?

1. Bottled water.
2. Candles
3. Coffee when out shopping
4. Instead of buying a book, use the library.
5. Newspapers - read online.
6. Clothes dryer.
7. Walk instead of drive.
8. Greetings cards.
9. Plants for the garden.
10. A glass of wine with dinner.

Sigh.  Well, that last item was hard. But when you consider that every day, women around the world are living on less than $1 a day and they have to use use ingenuity, creativity and hard work to make ends meet, sending $27 on the 27th seems the least I could do. 

One example of what a loan through Grameen can do to help is the story of Zeinab in Egypt.  With her first loan of 250 EGP (US$46), Zeinab started her business making wooden pots, crafts, and kitchen supplies. Now, she runs her own workshop from her home with three of her children.

What would you do without to change the world?