To think I hope this makes you think

[dontyouforgetaboutme]

But despair not. After a lovely evening with my old school friends, my best of friends, who'd travelled far and wide for our really lovely dinner in a very good restaurant in central London, I gave a beggar at Waterloo a twenty. I know she was conning me. I asked her repeatedly but she knew she was onto someone in the frame of mind to give. I told her I had to take this out of other budgets and to please spend it on food and a roof over her head. I know in my heart of hearts she won't. That she'll spend it on drugs. But AIBU to hope that some of my words sunk in and she'll think about that £20 and that as it was a sacrifice for me, she'll reconsider her options.

I'm being a dafty aren't I.

Wow OP, you are a true humanitarian and philanthropist and serve as a beacon of selflessness that we should all aspire to.

Is that the kind of response you were after?
slow handclap

I think you had too much to drink Op and that this thread might make you think!

So being charitable under the influence were you? And all she had to do to earn your £20 was to listen to a patronizing little lecture about the sacrifice you were making and how you expected her to spend it? I'm sure she thought those few minutes of mental eye-rolling were worth it. Actually I admire her restraint in not telling you to take your own advice and lay off the dinners out if your budget's that tight. If that's the worst she has to do for money this week, it's all good but don't walk away thinking you'll have changed anything about her life.

I am a bad person. I would not have given that woman £20 if I didn't have it spare. But then I don't give homeless people anything any more anyway.

Whenever I've given money or food to homeless people, something BAD always happens to/for me. So much so that I noticed and matched it up. I don't give them anything now.

I like the idea of these shoebox or rucksack appeals and always mean to do one each year but in the rush of everything/organising everything else I never get round to it.

You realise she might not actually be homeless? There a gangs that sit on the streets and her for money because you can make an awful lot of money doing it, especially this time of year.

At least the very hungover OP will realise why she's £20 out of pocket once she catches up on this thread so it has served a purpose after all. Just not the one she intended.

Pablo Escobar was making about $60m a day from cocaine sales in the 90s. Lots of that made up from random twenties and spare change given to beggars.

Are you drunk? I don't give money to the homeless anymore, I give change to the people with collection buckets instead. Next time give it to a shelter.

I give money to the homeless quite alot. Not twenty pound notes mind!

Bet the folks at Streetvet are scratching their heads, trying to figure out what's caused the sudden uptick in donations.

I asked her repeatedly but she knew she was onto someone in the frame of mind to give. I told her I had to take this out of other budgets and to please spend it on food and a roof over her head. I know in my heart of hearts she won't. That she'll spend it on drugs

Yeah, it's nice of you to give but you don't give by giving a lecture and talking to her like she's 5, what she should or shouldn't be spending it on!
Talk about patronising, bet she feels like crap as it is without feeling like someone's being snooty waving their twenty's about telling them what to spend it on.
Of course she should spend it on food/drink, but even if she did want to buy booze/cigs whatever that's up to her as a grown adult.