I got caught shoplifting

[RoseBiscuitll]

I really didn't know what topic to choose for this

I'm mortified, I got caught shoplifting in boots today, I was stealing baby milk and a facial moisturiser. I'm so ashamed of myself. It was in the city center aswell. They didn't call police but they took my details, took a picture and told me I can't return to the store again

Will this picture and my details go around to the other shops near by or will it just go to the other boots shops.

I can't believe I was stupid enough to do this! I'm so embarrassed and also feel really guiltily!

Best budgeting tip for many is to learn difference between out of date and past best before date....

How am I supposed to report every single out of date item in the thousands and thousands of food banks in the UK?

Although we don't need food banks, do we? People have plenty of money to live on. If anyone is telling you otherwise, they must be buying caviar and champagne in their weekly shop.

I appreciate it must be comforting to convince yourself that poverty is a choice, but you're living in a world of make believe.

You should not eat tins that are out of date because of the risk of botulism.

So if it was just the random odd out of date tin donated by the general public surely it's your job at the foodbank to throw these so why did you say would I like eating out of date gone off food every week you implied that's all your food bank gave out which in that case you absolutely should report if its just the odd one within donations you just need to be more mindful when checking

@PaillettenBedeckt
They are perfectly safe to eat. Tinned food is fine to eat after it’s date. Jesus, in the 70s they found tinned food from the 1860s in a sunken shipwreck. They tested the food and it was still safe to eat.

Are you really trying to justify letting people in poverty eat potentially dangerous food?

Besides, why do they need to go to the food bank if benefits is enough to live on?

Either it's enough to live on or it isn't.

The levels of desperate poverty for some in this country are a fact. Not a 'narrative' of any political flavour.

Who asked you to do that? You were asked about this one food bank you keep refering to which was apparently full of out of date food, which one was it?

For some being the operative word.

Nobody on this thread knows you, so it's impossible for us to be 'coming at' you personally. But you've posted a lot of contentious stuff on this thread, so surely you can't be surprised that people are 'coming at' some of the things you are saying?

(Posted too soon, edited to add:)
Also, just because you managed with careful budgeting, that doesn't mean to say this is doable for everyone for whom funds are tight. Different people have different life circumstances.

And some folks on benefits are there through their own fault. Some through their own choice. Some it is indeed a lifestyle choice. As said, welcome to my childhood,

Genuine question, though: is it possible that your own life experiences have made you overly cynical about people on benefits in general?

You can keep asking but I won't be sharing identifying details.

If you either don't believe it happens or you believe out of date food is unquestionably fine to eat (sometimes it is, sometimes it causes food poisoning), then I can do no more. There's nothing I can do about someone's deliberate unwillingness to see the facts.

I'm not aware of any political narratives, including left-wing ones, that are attempting to exaggerate the amount of genuine poverty in this country. The issue of what to do about genuine benefit fraudsters and chancers shouldn't be conflated with the issue of what to do about the absolutely wretched conditions some people in this country are living in through little or no fault of their own. Or at least it shouldn't be, in any society that considers itself civilised.

The Tories did enough punishing of the genuine poor for the sins of the merely idle. It's about time the tide was turned.

No, as when you grow up in poverty you grow up in a community of poverty normally and know there is some who try everything to get out of it. But you also know full well there is many many who don’t.

drugs, drink, down the pub, not feeding the kids but smoking and drinking, not wanting to work, doing everything possible not to work, or working cash in hand and getting benefits.

or like the op, not working, having 800 a month disposable income and choosing to spend 250 of it on a spare room.

Given that you apparently only had enough money for either milk or food, which did you buy?

Not seeing many people try to defend stealing beauty products.

FGS, even if the money doesn't go in to your bank account, you still GET it, that's how your rent gets paid. I bloody wish I was given the equivalent of a £16.5k salary, plus all the extras, for not going out to work.

But it is conflated at its core. Because,you need to identify the genuine poverty from those in it for a lifestyle choice, in it because they don’t want to work, in it as they spend up down the pub or on fags or weed. Drugs. In it as they can’t manage their money,

the fact remains the op had she got a one bed flat would have close to 600 a month for food and bills. Hardly grinding poverty where you’re forced to steal milk or starve.

I bought cot as well for £65 from IKEA, I then sold it in immaculate, hardly used condition to a pregnant lady on eBay for £20. It can be done.

@PaillettenBedeckt

I’m one of the posters arguing that benefits are not enough. What else do I need to say? I’ve had several posts saying that they’re not enough.

OP has explained that. She has been unable to find a one-bed or anything other than a house share at present. And I've read every one of her posts and still can't see how you're conjuring up '800 a month disposable income'.

I come from a very poor town myself and have seen a lot of poverty as well as experiencing it myself at a different time in my life, I only just get by even now in middle age. Chancers exist, there's no doubt about it. But if OP was one of those, I absolutely don't believe she would be feeling the remorse she feels over her actions, let alone posting on MN about it. What on earth would be the point?

I've survived on a very low income, and wasn't entitled to benefits, so please don't assume I don't know about struggling. I ate mostly yellow stickered food and was incredibly frugal.

Including the OP. She's already expressed regret over that. What's the good of piling on now?

There's no shame in being poor, but you have to adjust your spending. Benefits should only be a short term solution, not a lifestyle choice. You're not meant to be comfortable on them.