Jack Monroe's behaviour is unethical. I came here not because I am a bully but because she is unethically pretenting she is poor. I was in a devastating financial situation, not self-inflicted. I am OK now but I am still by definition officially poor. I don't beg and I don't shout about it, I am making an exception now to prove my point and this is anonymous. I NEVER begged anyone to give me money. If I borrowed, I showed great strengh and successfully and painstakingly paid everyone back. We are talking about 100£, not more. I have NEVER accepted money from anyone who was equally poor or even poorer. I have never shared my situation with anyone who had so little money so that I would gain their pity and make them offer sth to me because I know that the poorer people are most likely to help.
If I accepted help it was from people who I had also done things for, at the time without inferior motives.
I have never displayed my poverty if not absolutely necessary. I was always the person who had "alread eaten at home/wasn't hungry.
I told someone that I had been in a tough situation a few months ago and she very recently asked if I was fine now. It would have taken NOTHING to make her offer me a wad of cash but I said I was fine and thanked her for it and told her that her offer meant the world to me. I meant it.
A while ago I was in a bad shape emotionally. Gosh, how much I would have 'deserved' a trip to e.g. Edinburgh to lick my wounds. But I didn't, because I knew bills had to be paid. I have not been on a holiday for a very long time. But I can pay my bills and I don't beg. When I looked at JM's multiple radios I remembered that I would have loved one of those, too. But even when I was in full time employment, I was sensible and used my 20 y old radio.
Everything I buy, apart from underwear, is used and I really don't mind.
Even in poor times I have handed over plates of food to others, because I could always find someone who was even poorer. But believe me- my food shop was a different one than JM's and my home-cooked food tastes lovely and looks nice.
I am here because due to my own poverty I don't believe JM is poor. I feel cheated on, offended, traited and ridiculed by her behaviour.
I still rent, btw, and until I was 30 I always lived in flatshares.
Oh, and I batch-cook, too !!!