A graph

I think poor Jamie might be being picked on by the press at the moment; it's swings and roundabouts is it not? One moment praised, the next knocked down!

I think I can see his point though, regarding prioritising.

I was thinking about this yesterday (but not about the size of people’s TVs).

The budget you have for food depends on what other things you spend money on. For example, if you are a regular smoker, drinker, drive a car, or have a big telly there is bound to be less money for other things, like food.

We are not poor, as luckily we are both still working, but we don’t smoke, drink (a lot), drive or have a big telly. To us, good food is worth spending money on. But we are vegetarians, grow our own vegetables (in summer), and cook “from scratch” [horrible expression emoticon]. Perhaps this one ?

It's because of this article.

Well he is promoting his new show!

I get fed up with being told to shop at my local market, I'm sure we are not the only ones who don't have one! Yes, once a month we have a 'food market' but it is not for the cash strapped!

I think he may have a point but then if people have never been taught to cook how can they learn? I hope the recipes in his new show are simple like the hairy bikers ones as the 'poor' are not going to be able to go out and buy lots of different ingredients.

On the news last night there was a piece about race issues in the US and they were interviewing black people in a food bank. One of them had a modern hair cut which was blonde right down the middle. I think this is the sort of thing he is talking about, prioritising where we spend our money.

Exactly, mal. Poor people shouldn't spend their money on treats that might make them – or even worse only make them think they – feel a bit better, should they ?

I guess the thinking is that the poor have so little to live on, they need to boost their morale with something they can enjoy. The big TV is usually on the never-never, bought from a repo warehouse, or Cash Converters. I have known people on benefit wait many weeks for reduced or stopped benefits to be sorted out, and when the backdated payment arrives they decide to splash out on a TV or Wii. Many fancy hairdos are done at home, practising on each other. Primark and Ebay are the source of cheap clothes.

I agree with Jamie to an extent, but when you have an interesting, busy life it's easy to forget what brings comfort to a boring life on little income. Cooking from scratch is healthier and cheaper, and many people on benefits do have good nutritional knowledge.

I remember some 'poor' people coming to a meeting at our house and bringing a video they had taken to show us but we didn't have a video player and had to borrow one. Amongst all the things they wanted us to understand was a film of the children of the unemployed riding their brand new bikes around the estate and throwing bricks through windows. In the discussion afterwards I mentioned that our children had second hand bikes and I was told that you couldn't expect the poor to have anything second hand as it was bad for their self esteem. I don't understand as we have always made do with what we can afford.

Very funny graph.

It's not just "the poor" that spend money on convenience foods - you only have to go into a supermarket to see that the majority of people are buying jars of sauce for pasta, ready meals, frozen food, etc. As movedalot said, perhaps some people don't have the knowledge and/or confidence to prepare a meal from scratch. I worked with a young woman who lived with her dad and all they ate was convenience meals and take-aways. Even making an omelette was beyond her.

I do think the issues he raises about eating well are important but I don't like the idea that people on low incomes should have their purchases scrutinised and criticised.

There aren't many people with that view, Moved I have seen plenty of people on low incomes with second hand bikes and suchlike. We had a second hand bike shop near one of our probation offices. He would find them on skips or abandoned in back entries and renovate them, then sell them for a song. Did a roaring trade.

What is to be done with the undeserving poor? Reminds me of Stanley Holloway in My Fair Lady.

Oh, please , don't take us back into that topic, Greatnan, not again!

Sorry - I thought we were already there - just trying to lighten the mood!

I remember someone on Desert Island Discs..Sir Stuart Rose? saying 'there is only one thing worse than being poor and that's looking poor'..hence maybe the need for symbols of affluence .....and looking really scruffy and living surrounded by heirlooms when you are stinking rich.

It is worth remembering that cooking from scratch costs money in the form of electricity or gas. It takes quit ea lot of time and skill to produce a meal that makes an oven on for an hour or so worthwhile. If you have a meter then its less likely to cut out over a microwave meal than a two hour slow cooked cheap cut

I remember that, too, Grannylin. When we were children, my mum would get Providence cheques to buy us Whit Week clothes and sandals. She would say there was no way we were joining the Whit Walks looking like we hadn't two pennies to rub together. We didn't!

Good point stansgran.

That's a very funny graph. Thanks, thatbags.

I see from the article that he is recommending that people go to their local market because produce will be cheaper there.
That's not my experience at all. At my local market (which is once a week, on a Sunday) stuff is probably fresher, and more of what's on sale is organic, but it is certainly not cheaper - quite the opposite in fact.

I wonder how many of Jamie's money saving meals will be Italian? He seems to have got stuck in a pasta and meatballs groove which is soooooo old hat now we are all going to be tapas converts

#hisheartsintherightplace

My DD2s partner had a 'poor' family background and has been a rough sleeper. He always said that it was important to look good and not appear to be poor. He was horrified to learn that I, a middle class person (!), dressed my girls from charity shops and bought second hand things for them for birthdays and Christmas and still is annoyed when DD does this!! When you have little maybe you try to be like your image of people who have! Perhaps when you have a level of financial security you have less need to worry about what people think.

PS agree that food markets tend to be 'trendy' and therefore pricier. In old markets (e.g Leeds,Brixton?) the long established stalls may be a bit cheaper but they are few and far between now!

Is Jamie a London boy, who thinks that everyone lives in a clone city to London and is just down the road from Brixton market or equivalent?

Stansgran I agree but if you put a rice pudding in the bottom of the oven, a casserole with pulses in in the middle and a tart at the top you can make good use of having the oven on. Even better if you have a freezer and make more than you need and freeze some or alternatively have something 2 days running.

He's an Essex boy.

It's a bit rich for a multi-millionaire to opine on the spending habits of the poor but he does, unfortunately, in many cases have a point.

Think he is an Essex boy Elegran

Moved Some good ideas... contact Jamie and offer to help him. Or become a family mentor (if you not already) to a few families to support their housekeeping skills. There are projects with Surestart etc who are crying out for people to help.