Selina woke before her alarm, the grey light of early morning leaking through the thin curtains. She lay still for a moment, listening to the quiet hum of her apartment — the refrigerator clicking, the pipes settling, the distant rumble of a bus outside. These sounds had become the soundtrack of her life.
She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stretched. Another day. Another week. Another round of financial gymnastics.
Her notebook sat on the kitchen table, open to last week’s calculations. She flipped to a fresh page and wrote the date at the top. The numbers came next — rent, electricity, groceries, petrol. She wrote them slowly, deliberately, as if careful handwriting could make them smaller.
Her income was scribbled beneath: Casual shifts at the café. A few hours cleaning offices. The unpredictable “maybe” money — odd jobs, favours, last‑minute calls.
She tapped the pencil against the page. The math didn’t lie. She would need to stretch everything again.
But she had learned how to survive these weeks. She had learned how to cook meals that lasted, meals that filled her belly and quieted the anxiety that lived in her chest.
Today she would make lentil soup — cheap, hearty, and comforting. A recipe she’d perfected over months of necessity.
She tied her hair back, rolled up her sleeves, and began chopping onions. The rhythm soothed her. Cooking was one of the few things in her life that felt predictable.
As the soup simmered, filling the apartment with warmth, Selina sat at the table and watched the steam rise. She didn’t have much, but she had this moment — a small pocket of calm in a chaotic world.
And sometimes, that was enough.
RECIPE — BUDGET LENTIL SOUP
Here is Selina’s go‑to recipe for a week‑to‑week survival meal: cheap, filling, and perfect for leftovers.
Budget Lentil Soup
Prep 10 min
Cook 30 min
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 cup
dry lentils
1
onion, diced
2
carrots, chopped
2 cloves
garlic, minced
1 tin
diced tomatoes
4 cups
water or stock
1 tsp
salt
1/2 tsp
pepper
1 tsp
paprika (optional)
1 tbsp
oil
Instructions
1
Sauté aromatics Heat oil in a pot. Add onion, garlic, and carrots. Cook until softened.
2
Add tomatoes Pour in the tin of tomatoes and stir to combine.
3
Add lentils and water or stock. Stir well.
4
Season Add salt, pepper, and paprika if using.
5
Simmer Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 25–30 minutes until lentils are tender.
6
Serve Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve warm. Stores well for 3–4 days.
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