Comments on: My Food Stamp Experience

By: Kristin

Kristin — Mon, 21 May 2012 16:55:42 +0000

Try having a family of 4 and only receiving 268.00! How do I feed my family on that every month? Two children under the age of 16 and a husband (and daughter) on disability. COUPONS!!! You can still coupon with your EBT card and looking up weekly sales and making a menu off of what is for sale each week, and you will make what you receive each month stretch. What you do save you can buy fresh (IN SEASON) fruits and veggies and decent cuts of meat. You can feed your family healthful meals if you put an hour into your menu planning each week. For a list of what’s in season, do a Google search and either print or copy a yearly list and keep it in your cabinet door for a resource. I have found savings better than Aldi and the dollar store.

By: Christina

Christina — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 21:23:32 +0000

Well stated Emily. I agree 100% with you and you spelled it out so much better than I ever could. I also worked at a grocery store through High School and College. After College I worked in the medical field. Like you I also witnessed wasteful spending of taxpayer money (food stamps, WIC, Medicaid, etc.). It is disgusting when you are a proud person working and sacrificing to make your own way and you see your gov. take your hard earned money to give it to those who do nothing to make a contribution to society. People on food stamps DO buy food I would never buy (and my husband and I are far from poverty..when you work for your $ you are very careful what you spend it on) I also believe we should take care of those “in true need” but only them…not all the scammers.

By: Karen

Karen — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 08:25:25 +0000

Okay, shut up. My whole life my family has been on and off foodstamps. And we always got 200 or more. It helped us so much. Stop complaining about what you don’t have, and be thankful that the governments giving you anything!
If your not disabled or injured, you can work! And you should. If you have children, you need to get a babysitter. I hate people who think it’s okay to live on the government. Not only does it mess up our economy even more, but it takes away from the people who really do need it, and that’s horrible.
For one, it is not the governments job to feed you. It’s yours. Go get a job.
It’s not hard to buy food that has to be cooked. If you buy food that has to be prepared, you can buy a lot more of it and spread it out. Stop buying 15 dollar hot pockets and complaining that their gone. But if it’s just. You CAN easily afford 90 bucks a month on food. Your problem is you just don’t want to eat sparsely or frugally.
I live in Texas, I always have. And I may have had to eat peanut butter and go to make a wish and the Salvation Army a couple times when I was younger, but I always had food.
The United States offers help in so many ways! food banks are everywhere! And if you can’t afford groceries, you should qualify for at least, some assistance.
It’s hard to live on FS, I understand. My family has for years, but it’s not THAT hard. If you learn to budget and eat less brand name food, you’ll be okay. If not, suck up your pride and ask for help.
I have no sympathy for most of you. My mom was homeless, 16, and had a newborn. She lived off $116 a month. It’s crap that someone else can’t. If you want to eat good, get a job.
It is not the government’s job to support you. It’s there to offer assistance, and it doesn’t have to. Yes, it’s strict but you can get over it. If you could buy McDonalds with foodstamps, the government would have loads of false claims. Also, last time I checked, liqour is not food.
The people that help you fill out the application and get you food stamps, work really hard for you. Day in and day out people come in their offices asking for help. Some need it desperately, some not at all. Of course they get a little frustrated! Get over it, they’re not your mommy. They don’t have to be nice to. It’s their job to help you, so if I were you, I’d be nice to them. And chances are, if you need the help, and your nice, they’ll be a little more polite.
Currently, a 32 year old women, 2 disabled children (6 and 8), a 15 year old girl, and a 68 year old man eat off of 300 a month. And we don’t get Food-stamps. But we don’t complain, we make it work.
Sometimes the systems is unfair, yes, but that’s because a lot of people who do NOT need assistance from the government, are getting it. Stop complaining about the help and complain about the ones who are taking it from you.
Some people really do need help, I agree. And foodstamps really does make all the difference for some people. My mom used to not eat for days so we had food. You act like your owed something. Your not.
Foodstamps is government assistance, not support.

By: Lena

Lena — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 23:18:31 +0000

Sorry to hear that. I also applied for foodstamps… We’ll see… Have you thought to go and live in South America? I heard you can live pretty good on your unemployment. Just a thought.

By: gwen

gwen — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 06:58:38 +0000

If I read correctly it says she receives $280 on Food Stamps (PLUS) $65 from a Federal Program (PLUS) a free lunch in Culinary School. = $345+. And can’t manage to feed herself and the kid. That’s a problem of not knowing how to manage money then other thing.

I have for my husband and me a $50 week budget. There is this paper by the door of all grocery stores that is called WEEKLY ADS. You grab one take a min. circle only what’s on SALE, pay and go your mary way. Once home MENU PLAN around what you bought.

Here some tips:
-Shop at the Hispanics/Asian markets SUPER CHEAP chicken quarters for $7.00 a bag of 10lbs (or less), Ground beef $1.99lb, Pork Chops/Ribs $1.89 and more items.
Produce CENTS on the dollar I have got 3lbs. carrots ($1), onions 3lbs ($.69), red potatoes 4lbs ($.50), sweet potatoes ($.19lb), avocados 4/$1, cucumbers 8/$1, limes 10/$1, lettuce .$69ea. The list goes on and on.

-Dollar Stores boxes of pasta, cans of spaguetti sauce, half galon milk, bread, frozen fruits and veggies, cheese, eggs, oatmeal, spices, tins of sardines/tuna and more for, yup ONE DOLLAR.

-Check for clearance items, hunt for bargains, use coupons,price match, compare prices, stock up. DON’T throw things as you go into the cart (big mistake).

-Save scraps and bones to make stock.

- homemade, homemade, HOMEMADE.

- Buy GOOD quality fats, avocados, canned sardines/salmon, coconut milk, real butter, olive oil, coconut oil (this IS pricey).
Our brains are made of fat FEED it, no wonder we as society have become so dumb our brains are starving and can’t think properly. Good fats is what make the body think is FULL, and will avoid eating junk every two hours. That makes us overweight and sick.

-Stop making lame excuses , stop whining!!

*down my soap box*

By: jhfjdah

jhfjdah — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 16:43:37 +0000

I think the main thing you missed was she had to feed her and her baby. Therefore it’s one person vs. 2 people. There’s a difference. Depending on how much her child eats determines how much food she will need in order to feed her and her child. That could be why she said 280 wasn’t enough.

By: Leah

Leah — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 11:40:09 +0000

I never had a problem with working, especially for this need. People should be happy in the food they buy, not embarrassed, I mean, if I had foodstamps and I needed fish to eat, I will get it, mostly for nutritional purposes, but because I like it too. And cokes, why cant kids get cokes just because of fs? Their situation is not their fault and be put under scrutiny because they wanted something to enjoy, thats what makes people hate other people. And I did want to say one thing, if people here are struggling, then get on fs and quit complaining! Thats what they are there for and why we pay taxes! I dont hold any anger to those who get what they need, but im discouraged by the ABUSERS of it.

By: Leah

Leah — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 11:31:12 +0000

I dont know where you live, but that most def. Doesnt happen here in tx.! There is no option, its just swipe and the and the amount it costs gets deducted and thats it. Now, it used to be that way back in the early 90s, but not niw a days, so that must of been several years ago or a really outdated system. Just thought I would let you know that.

By: Leah

Leah — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 11:18:41 +0000

Wow, im so sorry to hear about your friend. I wish I could help her and let her know it will be ok. And Taylor seems to be an idiot on the subject, Im also a teacher, but for homeschooling, we shop at the local thrift stores and get what we need, not really what we want. My children are pretty happy and were actually fixing to have to get on foodstamps again. It really does help out, my hubby works, but it is to low for us to make it. And it was horrible the way it started, a drunk driver hit our car a few days after my husband lost his job, and you would not believe the reason if I told you lol! Non the less, were starting over and he is getting rides to work. It is a helpless feeling really, and for someone like Taylor to say those mean ugly things really lets me know that she is very ignorant and irresponsible herself to think life is easy. My husband and I also had a career in the car business, it was our own business and we made decent money, but when the recession happend, it was over. Im just thankful my tax dollars went to foodstamps so now we can use them. I can say that we paid for whatever we get! Ok, but is that not the truth?

By: Leah

Leah — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 10:57:26 +0000

Well for starters, you had access to free food at your job. Foodstamps are just that, for food. If you were already getting fed, thats the reason why you didnt need to use all of your foodstamps. I have a family of five and I will tell you, that we buy cheap and bulk so it will last such as rice, beans, pasta,meat at a meat market that charges low. I even low ball wal mart with other store ads and they honor it. Foodstamps are for people that cant afford to eat because of bills, rent, mortgage, were not all lucky to have access to made food. So, thats was a thumbs up on your part, but not for so many others. As for the homeless, they cannot cook, so ready made food should be accessible with foodstamps in my opinion. It wouldnt matter if I want this because my husband and I also pay taxes, so its basically going back to us when we have something such as foodstamps.