I haven't had time to read the whole thread but I wanted to comment on this:

I agree! I was a single mom for many years and was on and off food stamps for about 10 years, and I felt we got way too much. I was still frugal, shopped sales, etc. and I was getting almost $500 for me and 2 small children. I am married now and receive no government help and I feed my family of 4 for about $400 a month. (That includes a husband who eats like a horse and a growing boy!)

The one thing I can say about my food stamp allotment being so high was that it DID allow us to buy 100% juices, fresh produce etc. instead of hot dogs and Kool-Aid, which is certainly much cheaper, and I imagine a lot of families survive on meals like that because they DON'T have the money to eat better. To me, that is much sadder than a woman who gets $500/month in food stamps and somehow cannot feed her family.

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Carly
SAHM to:
DS Levi (9)
DD Abbey (7)

I think the thing that bugged me the most about the article was that 1 in 11 in the US is using them - something is seriously wrong if almost 10% of the pop qualifies for food stamps and one in 7 in the DC area.

I have known people that have food stamps and WIC and yet have seen them have fancy cell phones (this was several years ago before they were quite as popular as now), and they always were hitting fast food and Starbucks. This one mother I knew would come to our MOPs meeting with Starbucks in hand and a bag from McDonnalds - every time I saw her she had said combination - for these meetings and also at Mommy and me class. I couldn't afford to do that and she was on aid and didn't work - I don't get it. I have heard so many similar stories. I have no problem with our country helping out those that truely are trying and just can't make ends meet. I have met those to and it doesn't bother me that is what it is for. I also think that able bodied people should have to work not just get a handout - maybe have to work for their benefits or something. Abusers right now have no reason to try and get off the aid they just sit back and wait for their check - now I know this is not everyone but there are generations of people that do this and I just find this discusting. Aid should be short term to help people get back on their feet.

well, technically, they ARE supposed to be working for benefits. A group that a LOT of people kind of look past are the "working poor". I live in a very rural area and there were times that I was working FULLTIME with two small children and making much more than minimum wage as I have a college degree, but since mine was the only income, I was eligible for food stamps. And I know a lot of similar stories around here. People working fulltime and STILL not making ends meet. I think there is a big assumption that people on welfare don't work and people who do work don't get welfare. Not directing this to anyone in particular.. just saying..

And yes, I know of those people too.. women using food stamps while flashing their fancy acrylic nails.. etc. etc. I don't judge them (or at least I TRY not to) but I have to wonder how on earth they can afford it??

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Carly
SAHM to:
DS Levi (9)
DD Abbey (7)

I was thinking the same thing.

Ok, I read most of this thread & also read the article. I have NOTHING against people who need a little help receiving it. Years ago, I, myself used WIC, and, when I got a raise, took myself off WIC, even though I still had a few more years to still be eligible. I didn't see the need to take it away from someone else who really needed the help. Now, I'm in that "in-between" stage, where we don't have enough to get by, but we make too much to qualify for assistance. If someone truly needs assistance & qualifies, (like the member here with the husband with heart probs & son with a trach...) I have no problems with it at all. It's the people who make thier living off government assistance that get to me. And the single mom at the beginning of the article gets $345 for groceries, plus a free lunch daily. I can't remember the last time I got that for a month for my family of 4! (that averages out to $86 a week...)

And I'd sign up to take a "frugal shopping class". I'm beginning to sniff out some deals, but have a LOOOOONG way to go before I'm down to $30 a week for groceries!

I think the whole food stamps system is skewed. I know someone who doesn't REALLY qualify for food stamps but gets them anyways because she told the office that she and her husband are seperated, and they dont' question that at all they just give it to them. I know someone else who gets food stamps and it bothered me a lot because she wanted and tryed to use them all on energy drinks or she uses it on frozen meals and crappy food instead of learning to cook and prepare fresh meals.

I'm sorry but to say that a single mom and her 4 month old that eats nothing but cereal and formula at this point, cant make it on 280 dollars a month? Thats ridiculous, I shop for 2 adults, me and my husband who eats enough for 4 people, and I spend less than 120 bucks a month, and thats buying nice cuts of meat and fresh fruit and veggies, not junk. I literally cringe when I spend more than 50 bucks at the store. Yes, bread and milk and dairy have gone up, but the rest of groceries have not increased that much.

I think one reason parents in particular spend so much money on groceries is because they buy seperate things for the kids for dinner, or lunches, or snacks, because they are kids and apparently kids don't eat the same things as adults. Well why can't the kids just grow up eating what mom and dad eats for dinner instead of the dino shaped chicken nuggets, or mac n cheese. Store brand is much cheaper, and there is no need for somebody on food stamps or is needy to be spending 5 bucks on a box of cereal when they can get the same thing for less right next to it.

I realize there are people out there who do need help with groceries, and thats fine, but if you receive help, be kind enough to know what you are doing with the help you receive.

I know I currently spend well over 150 a month on formula. The only thing he doesn't constantly spit up is enfamil gentlease. And that is 26 dollars a can. he goes through 6 cans a month. Cereal is probably another 4 dollars

My youngest had the same problem. Target has a generic for the gentlease, it is about half the price, and it worked for our son. Hopefully you will get lucky and it will work for yours.

But back to the subject. I have a family of four, all tall and male except for me. Meaning all big eaters. We don't qualify for any government programs and we have had some hard months. I can feed all of us (including formula) for $200 a month in a pinch. I could probably cut that down if really pushed. Our normal budget, that includes non-food items is $400 a month. And I have special dietary needs.
The problem isn't that the people who are on food stamps need more money, its that they need more life skills. How many of the people who are crying poor mouth, have never been forced to learn how to cook, set a budget, balance a check book, clip coupons. And before budget cuts in favor of the welfare system, didn't the public schools teach home economics, a class teaching these skills. By throwing more money at the poor, we just make it a revolving system that the poor don't have the need skills to break out of. Instead of giving the poor a fish to eat for a day, shouldn't we be teaching them to fish. Yes I know that there are people who are just using food stamps to get them through hard times (like my sister), but most of those people don't whine about how its not enough.

Wait Wait wait!!!!!!!! Why are people sitting here saying that people on food stamps need life skills? You have no right to talk about them like they are some kind of worthless piece of crap because they need HELP. That is uncalled for. People on food stamps are humans they deserve the same respect as everyone else. Some times life gives us reasons that we need help may it be a sick child or a sick parent that can't work for some reason unknown to us. Who are you to say what they can and can not buy? I think children have the right to get a treat every once in a while like Tommysmommy said a box of cereal that has a pretty box. I think it is sick that people are looking down at them for that reason. Get off your high horse and stop looking down on people because you never know if you might someday be one of them. Some people can't help their situtation they don't wake up one morning and be like ya know what I think I wanna be poor today. It just happens. Have some compassion.

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I've seen that as well, and had to resist the urge to shake them and ask "WTF are you THINKING?"

I have no problem with wanting to get a package of Oreos and a gallon of ice cream for your kids. Hell, if you're a couple of bucks short after buying milk, juice, a chicken, and a few vegetables, I'll cover the Oreos for you.

But I've watched people unload buggies full of nothing but junk food - Twinkies, those nasty little fruit drinks, potato chips, Doritos, Little Debbies, cookies, Cokes - totals of $100 or more and not a piece of lean meat, a vegetable, a carton of milk, or a piece of fruit to be seen - nothing but grease, salt, sugar, and high fructose corn syrup - empty calories and paid for with food stamps. THAT'S what gets my panites in a wad, not people like Tommy's Mommy who are making an effort to provide healthy meals for their families and having a hard time making ends meet. People in Tommy's Mommy's situation are the ones that the food stamp program was originally set up to help.

I've also known people who got araound the alcohol and tobacco restrictions by buying store brand food with the stamps, then returning it without the receipt. By getting store brand food, they can be sure that the store will take it back, since they know it came from there. Most places, if you return with no receipt will give you either cash back if you show ID, or put the amount on a store gift card. They then use the cash or gift card to buy alcohol and smokes.
I have no porblem with anyone who wants to drink or smoke. But I do object to anyone who is expecting me to pay for their meals in the form of my tax dollars also expecting me to subsidize their recreational drinking or nicotine addiction.


When my daughter was still living at home, we had a grocery budget of about $200 a month. We had a friend of hers living with us, and on any given night, my daughter's boyfriend, our "other daughter's" boyfriend, and/or other friends of theirs might be with us for supper - we managed. Meals were generally very simple, and sometimes the menu didn't vary a lot, especially if there had been a really good deal on soemthing and so we had bought a lot of it, but no one went hungry.

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