to be shocked that Jack Monroe

[samandi]

was on £27,000 a year just back in 2011?

This is a woman I associate with desperate poverty and yet in the space of one and a half years ? she managed to go from having a prosperous job at a pretty young age to struggling to feed her son?

At the age of 22 she had about a £20,000 net income, which is more than many people can dream about. £27,000 is way more than I've ever earned in my life and I'm over ten years older than her.

Am I being unreasonable to think this detracts a bit from her message? Or am I just living in a different world.

I can't find anywhere will sell me brains. If anyone has a recommendation, I'd be glad of it.

thanks, Jack, the main problem is that the cats like where the sun is.

Mind you, I've frozen packs of fresh coriander before and broken off bits and it's been fine for cooking, just not salads.

I guess we just have to adapt to our circumstances. And mine involves destructive furry nightmares.

LRD - actual brains to eat???

I'm quite shocked that someone might have suggested that AGirlCalledJack should have had an abortion. I haven't properly read the thread. I hope that they didn't really mean that.

I totally missed that, but am horrified if that was actually said, or even thought.

agirl - ok, fair enough. My supermarket basil dies as soon as you look at it - it's Tesco or Aldi, but I imagine local suppliers have more to do with this.

FWIW, the sees are pretty cheap, especially if you get matey with someone who can't sow the whole lot. It's also a lot cheaper to buy if you can go to a market, oviously - but TBH even if you budgeted for sil and seeds, you'd never have to spend 80p on it, and that's not worth it unless your supermarket happens to be really good as well, I guess?

With coriander you actually want to let is spread sideways, so growing in cans will tend to make it shoot - though that can be fine because the shoots are tasty. But I think coriander does best if you let the roots grow horizontally - you could do that just by putting a bit tin sideways I assume?

Sorry. I shouldn't have mentioned that. No need to go back. Just proves you can put engage mouth before brain, even on the internet.

Brains - bet you'll have to go to France, LRD. Or Ridley Road.

thecat - people who say these things are sick and should be ashameed.

mura -yes.

thecat - darn! Ah well, France it shall be.

It was the 'decided to keep her child' comments. Mind you I have had 1000+ comments to contend with on the Guardian site today so it might have been said over there - I'm shattered.

I've already been invited! Waiting for a date at the moment.

... I think there are (still) very few women in public spaces, fewer still who have a voice, fewer still who use that voice for controversial subjects ... those women (you, for example) are thus very visible.

Visible and scarce, these women (women like you) are ... pushed, really ... into carrying the weight of many, and many conflicting, expectations, wishes, desires - and, more darkly - fears and feelings of animosity.

These women (women like you) are often judged, quite a lot. And a lot more than comparable men are. And various female things are thrown into that judging.

Personally, my new year;s resolution was to cut other people, especially other women, a bit of slack.

Hope you get a good night's sleep, and an easier week. I'm sure things are going to be going better and better.

Personally, I think the fear of the Daily Mail comments page, the Guaridan comments page, the visible spectacle of what happens to visible, audible women, keeps a lot of women in their place.

Not that I've ever had a chance to check that out for myself.

Good morning everyone.

Honestly, I'm about the same age and background as Jack and until I read her blog I hadn't given much thought to the possibility that poverty could happen to me. Because, y'know, if it all went to pot then the benefits system would work, catch me and my family and support us while we got back on our feet. Her blog showed me that it doesn't and heaven help you if you've been earning a decent amount.

Since then I've paid much more attention to how the system works and why people are upset about it. I donate to our local foodbank and I also have a store cupboard at home with the bare bones of a nutritious diet for six months, just in case.

I gave up growing herbs because they just fucking die (freezing victorian terrace) so all my food tastes shit.

Another one with no room for a store cupboard (don't even have space for spare crockery). I don't have kids but I do live on 10k a year in the south east so maybe I'm allowed to know how it is?

Hi jack So pleased you are going to do your MN webchat. Am looking forward to it.

Thanks for responding on this thread Jack, you'd think that after Gia came and responded to people ripping into her husband some posters would remember that THE PEOPLE YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT ARE REAL WITH FUCKING FEELINGS. But no, apparently unless you are in sack cloth and ashes you aren't allowed to write about poverty.

The humble pie is over there ---->

I think you're pretty fantastic tbh and are a wake up call to all of us that it can happen to anyone.

Well done for keeping your private life private btw, v difficult in a world with this much media intrusion.

HopesSomePeopleAreAshamedOfTheirPostsTiggaxx

jack I read somewhere that basil needs to be watered from the roots. I've always eeked out living basil for months on my windowsill, it's quite easy to care for. It thrives in a sun trap in the garden too. Parsley usually behaves itself too. Sage is freezable and rosemary is happy outside.

Or maybe the government should come in and remove everyones herbs when they lose their job . Can't have luxuries like herbs!

I've got some lemon curd in the fridge to use up, my DSIS says you have a cakey-pudding recipe that works really well.

AGirlCalledJack

I have followed your blog from early on. I love your work and congratulate you on your achievements.

Your fish paste pasta (and some fish paste has only natural ingredients-no chemicals) is genius. A squirt of lemon and it is the brightest tasting thing I have eaten in a while. And the beauty of your recipes is that they start from a democratic base line. They do not exclude those w/ less cash but people like me who can afford a little more enjoy them too.

I have got some of my clients who have to live on benefits (I am a MH nurse) using your recipes and they have engaged more with politics as a result. So I thank you for that. It takes a great writer and an empathetic person to engage some of my clients who have been very unwell and whose medication takes its toll on their energy. They see you as another ally.

My little tip - The trays of living lettuce sold by supermarkets for around £1 is actually hundreds of little plants. If you have space in a garden or balcony, these plants can be re potted and grown on as separate plants. I have been doing this for a year buying fresh trays as needed. They can be used as 'cut and come again'. Lettuce might not be filling but it is a plate brightener and stuffs a sandwich/BLT etc really well. I wrap pieces of fish and meat in the leaves as a low carb sandwich when i am feeling a bit bloated.

for you Jack. Try not to let the bastards get you down.

Can't have luxuries like herbs!

I bet they grow them next to their flatscreen TVs, the pisstakers.

8 pages ... Oh dear, there’s no way I’m going to be able to comment on all posts now! But to address some of the points about 27K:

Personally, I think this has less to do with how you think her message is detracted from, and more to do with how unreasonable you think it is that a 22 year old is able to earn 27k

Kirjava – I don’t think it’s unreasonable to think a 22 y.o. is able to earn 27K. I think it’s unreasonable to say it isn’t a large amount for a 22 y.o. to be earning. And the stats agree. Most 22 y.o.s earn nowhere near that amount.

It does detract from the message. Personally I think she was playing at being poor for a relatively short period of time and now is making a nice living from it ... Mildly shocking but not representative at all. ...

mijas – thanks for your comments. This is kind of how I feel about the whole thing.

I was earning more than £27K at 22, wasn't a single parent, didn't have a noticeably flash lifestyle but had the grand sum of £0 in savings ... If your income went up to £27K from £20k I promise you, you would not find that at the end of the year you had an extra £7k in savings.

I can assure you I would have some savings! Even when I was earning £18000 I managed to save around £2000 - £3000. It’s prudent and sensible to do so when you are able.

Basically, threads like this make me wonder about other situations/threads where people claim to be poorer/more hard done by than they actually are.

Going back to read the whole thread!