Let's face it, Nigella Lawson is exactly the kind of out-of-touch rich person who Jack's schtick appeals to. She'd probably believe that the poor sell used lightbulbs and grate corned beef, because it's so far from her sphere of understanding.
These Patreons, like Nigella, won't mind that they're not getting beige recipe cards, because by funding Jack's lifestyle, they are Helping The Poor.
For anyone new, here are some pieces from Jack's original blog, long since deleted by her but kept alive by the Wayback Machine:
(A reminder: Jack quit her job in the fire service in Nov 2011. The official line is that she then spent 18 months in poverty. Here's what she said at the time.)
October 2012 - leaving her "luxury executive apartment" which, at 725/month "is expensive for what it is":
View attachment 1026948
Oct 2012: new flat found. She has adopted two cats, as you do in crippling poverty. Her first priority is buying paint:
Following on from flat hunting woes, I've found one and I'm moving. It was all very quick, after several viewings and a bit of wheeler-dealing, and a VERY nice man at Blackshaw Homes, I hold in my ...
web.archive.org
Nov 2012: in the midst of crippling poverty, Jack quits her job (job?) and becomes a self-employed crafter.
View attachment 1026964
So, I’m officially in Week Three of self-employed single mummy status. Week three? Where has that time gone? Well so far it’s gone on two exhausting but successful preview days at the Work Of Art G...
web.archive.org
Jack is not a skilled crafter, as evidenced here (that outfit in the second photo!!!):
https://web.archive.org/web/20130115204307/http://agirlcalledjack.com/2012/12/31/bread-and-jam/ Nevertheless, she has willingly left her job to pursue this.
She was also writing regular columns for her local paper in autumn 2012 - less than a year after leaving the fire service.
December 2012: Jack's circumstances have improved:
https://web.archive.org/web/2013011.../12/11/10-a-week-food-shop-shopping-list-etc/
View attachment 1026969
Contrast and compare:
Jack's 2012 blog, talking about how healthy and delicious her cheap diet is. Note above that she says she CHOOSES to spend such a small amount:
View attachment 1026977
vs 2022's version of the same events:
View attachment 1026979
There's much, much more that I can dig out of the archives. But in conclusion: Jack Monroe never lived in poverty. Jack Monroe has lied for her own gains for the past decade. Don't give her money.