Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Sweetened beverages, including soda, are among the most commonly purchased items by recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. About 10% of food budget for many recipients.
Candy, cookies, cakes, ice cream, ... all can be purchased with EBT cards
Given the diet related diseases that can develop and the cost to treat them, some pilot programs have incentivized people to purchase healthy items by adding 30% of the cost of the healthy items such as fruits, vegetables, its, whole grains, and fish back on to their card.
It preserves choice but nudges people towards healthy diets and potentially saving billions in health care costs.
Seems that everyone loves focusing on families with children on these programs. What about seniors and mentally/physically disabled? Do you want to just line everyone up and shoot everyone since, let's face it, many are not going to be able to work where and when you want them to work? Many are already volunteers and that's all they are going to be able to do in a world where jobs are being replaced with robots and the rest are reserved for those of superior STEM talent and those who can at the least be able to work in a modern fast-paced work environment.
So yeah, I guess that is what people want. Toss older people out of their independent living spaces, yank their groceries and clothing, medical care, etc.
Seriously do you have nothing better to do with your life, then worry about how often other people go shopping? I just don't get this authoritarian obsession with controlling other people's lives.
This thread has gone way off target. My original premise was whether it was a good idea to load SNAP benefits early, and tell recipients to budget to make it last for more than a month, since no more would be loaded until March, and maybe not even then if the shutdown isn't over by then. The reason that I don't think it is a good idea to load more than a month's benefit at a time is that the recipients of SNAP benefits are often in need because they are not good at budgeting. The evidence for this is, as those who work in supermarkets know, is the large number of recipients who spend the bulk, if not the entirety, of their benefit as soon as the card is loaded.
I will make a wild guess and say that you have never been poor enough to need food stamps. I'm honestly happy for you.
But, let me just add some information as far as budgeting goes. Anyone who qualifies for SNAP benefits has very little money. If they actually are able to pay their rent and keep the lights on, they're great at budgeting, because they take care of the basics first, and somehow keep afloat until the next month comes along.
Now, if they also live somewhere where they need a vehicle and are able to keep one running, being able to do that with what's left of the budget is just short of miraculous.
So, what is one way to budget your money carefully? Well, you could spend less money on gas and not drive the vehicle more than absolutely necessary. Now, what's the best way to do that? Maybe only go shopping once or twice a month.
And as far as having food delivered? No grocery delivery services will let you pay online or over the phone using your EBT/SNAP benefit card. So, even if you're seriously ill and bed-bound, you can't use your SNAP benefits to pay for groceries, and have them delivered.
The idea that poor people are poor because of some lack in character or ability or even education is just ridiculously ignorant.
And telling people what they should be able to buy to eat? Well, I'm vegan. Are you going to force me to eat meat and cow's milk?
I actually would much rather have more cash per month than be forced to spend my $169 Calfresh only on food products. I can't use it to buy toilet paper or paper towels or dog food or dish soap or toothpaste or shampoo, and sometimes I need those things worse than food, which is all I can buy with the Calfresh money. If it was up to me, I'd spend less on food - I'm vegan and am happy with my beans and rice and veggies - and would prefer to use some of that money for toilet paper.
Now you want to know what poor feels like - having a balance on your Calfresh card and needing toilet paper and being out of cash.
And by the way, yes, you did read that right. Here in Silicon Valley, CA, I get a whopping $169/month for food. How well would you budget that? I will tell you it's a lot easier when you don't eat meat or cheese...
I tend to buy stuff on sale and I also can veggies and soup. If this shutdown continues into March and beyond, and I don't get my $169/month Calfresh money, it will mean less fresh vegetables for me. I'll eat more potatoes, beans and rice and pasta with canned tomatoes, homemade sauces and soups. And if it got desperate, there are food banks and missions with hot meals. But, I expect I'd just be spending less on non-essentials, and eating a lot less fresh veggies.
Last edited by NoMoreSnowForMe; 01-23-2019 at 11:12 PM..
exactly what "luxury" perishables? humm my clients are well versed in how to make a 2 dollar meal of beans and rice and yes once in a blue moon they buy ice cream for their kids. Oh yeah god forbid a poor mother wants her kid to have ice cream once in a while.
LOL, beans and rice, yeah right. Come to my town on the 3rd of the any month and observe at the local Walmart. Carts full of sugary cereal, chips, soda pop, and expensive cuts of meat. Also, the Starbucks within our local grocery store suddenly has lines that are definitely longer than usual. Yes, you can use your SNAP benefits to purchase expensive Starbucks coffee concoctions.
I was on food stamps for awhile when my kids were little. The food stamp allotment is very generous. More than many people not getting subsidized can afford to spend on groceries in a month. The more kids, the larger the allotment.
LOL, beans and rice, yeah right. Come to my town on the 3rd of the any month and observe at the local Walmart. Carts full of sugary cereal, chips, soda pop, and expensive cuts of meat. Also, the Starbucks within our local grocery store suddenly has lines that are definitely longer than usual. Yes, you can use your SNAP benefits to purchase expensive Starbucks coffee concoctions.
I was on food stamps for awhile when my kids were little. The food stamp allotment is very generous. More than many people not getting subsidized can afford to spend on groceries in a month. The more kids, the larger the allotment.
While I would disagree that the monthly amount is very generous, your assessment of carts filled with sugary cereals, chips, soda pop, candy, cookies, microwave meals, ... is fairly accurate.
I worked with low income folks for years and there just are not many that knew how to make a stew, or a pot of beans, or cook up a pork butt, or ...
They'll buy frozen fried chicken instead of whatever chicken parts are on sale that week and frying them up.
Our agency put on cooking classes to help stretch food budgets. Printed up recipe books. Encouraged and celebrated when anyone learned to make a low-budget, nutritious meal.
But it was an uphill struggle. Most were simply not interested. They were used to and fine with soda pop, etc. and were not interested in learning to make ice tea, etc.
The amount of tooth decay in the children was astounding. Some four year-olds had silver caps on nearly every tooth.
Letting people know the their EBT card is filled early and unlikely to get any more on it for some time might spur some to stocking up on staples.
I hope so. There are some wonderful people who get SNAP benefits. Because of long term mental health issues, cognitive impairments, physical disabilities, health problems, age, poor education, wrong place at the wrong time, ... they are struggling to keep their heads above water.
Food Stamps seems the least we could do to help them out during their tough times.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
