I’ve been spending like a maniac recently. Today I paid for rent, phone bills, airline tickets and vats of cheese crackers. It means I have about $23 in my U.S. account until payday. Which I will no doubt spend on beer tonight and then coffee tomorrow or something I convince myself I really need, like tartan paint.

But tonight I was walking to meet my friend Lindsay in Union Square when I passed a homeless guy looking in a bit of a sorry state. And it hit me that it might not hurt to spend my remaining $23 on someone who needs it, seeing as I’ve been such a glutton recently.

So I nipped into Panera and bought a grilled cheese, tomato soup and water for my sorry-looking friend. They threw in an apple and chips, too, costing me around $15.

But when I walked past, he was already chowing down on some greasy styrofoam. My good deed was foiled!

But this is New York, so sadly I knew I wouldn’t be too far from someone else who might appreciate it. Less than a block along the street, I came across a sign at a guy’s feet reading ‘Need a miracle’… and while I couldn’t give him a miracle, I could give him some delicious Panera.

I handed over the bag to him and his friends to chimes of ‘thank you’s and hurried introductions. I don’t know if all three lived on the street (they didn’t look like it), but I don’t care – if you’re forced to hold up a sign begging for strangers to help you, then I’d say you need that $15 more than me.

P.s. In a bizarre turn of events, I follow a popular photography site called Humans of New York – and they photographed the same guy today. And I guess he had something to nibble on after all.