Living on FOOD STAMPS

[Kindle]

CNN news reporter, Sean Calleb, is planning on living solely on food stamps during the month of February. He lives in New Orleans, Louisiana, and will blog daily on his experience.

Currently the maximum amount of money you can received as a single person in the US is $176/month. (the proposed stimulus plan would increase this amount by 13%)

Buying groceries for one month for this amount of money, I think, will be no small task and I am interested in seeing what he buys, eats and how he fares phyically. Sean is 6'3" tall and weighs 220 pounds. His B/P is currently at 128 over 82.

On this amount of money he will not be buying name brands and meat, fish and fresh fruits and vegetables will not be abundant.

Anyone living on their own or running a home knows that if you need to save money, the easiest place to save money is on groceries. Depending on your choices, by using coupons, buying the specials, mooching meals with family and making wise selections on everything, you can curtail your grocery expenses. To do this takes careful planning and a willingness to cook from scratch, rather than buying convenience foods.

On paper and in theory, it is easy for the government to say you can live on $176 a month. In practice, how do you actually make it work?

Here in the US people can also receive free food from churches and food banks, but these are over run with requests at the end of every money and sometimes run very low or completely out.

During the Depression a generation of people learned to be very creative in managing what they had. Perhaps what they found to be sucessful would work today? What do you think?

What help do people in other countries receive?

You can follow Sean's daily experience of living on less by logging in at Show Pages - American Morning - CNN.com

[qsducks]

I have to shop at 3 different stores for the bargains, cook from scratch and am not on welfare. I steer clear of frozen meals, buy lots of fresh fruit, veggies (also frozen veggies too), canned goods such as broths, tomatoe products, etc. What galls me is when I see peeps at the store using their food stamps and buying every junk food available and yes who wouldn't it gall. They eat crap.

[Amber Sun]

I have to say that I admire the news reporter. Actually I think that gov't officials should be made to live like the lower income people for a year before they are able to run for positions. And they shouldn't be able to live off of family, friends etc., because many people living below the poverty level don't have family and friends much better off than they are, or may have no family at all.

The problem with food stamps as I understand it is that many markets etc., won't accept them. Along with this something that I have noticed is that prices rise for meats and general goods just before the middle and end of each month when cheques and food vouchers are sent out. This effects even the working people as they usually get paid in the middle of the month and the end also. So when food vouchers (stamps) are given out at the end of each month the prices on everything have gone up. I live in Manitoba now but my daughter had pointed this out to me when we lived in Vancouver many years ago. So this appears to be the trend in Canada. I don't know if it is the same in the USA and elsewhere. something else that I have noticed just recently is that the portions or weight has dropped in a box of ?????? yet the price has risen or remained the same.

It's a shame that the reporter is only going to be doing this for one month. That isn't enough time to realize exactly what is happening out there. It will also depend on what time of the month he is given those food stamps.

When a person receives a decent paycheck they pay what the asking price is and don't question anything. When a person scrimps a little as I do I very simply don't pay what the store is asking and go else where or change my planned menu. Thankfully I make everything from scratch, even my own bread, so I pay more attention to nutrition and buy when sales are on.

[Nomad]

If youre hungry youve got to be grateful for that $176.00
Some sell their food stamps for .50 on the dollar for cash so they can purchase alcohol and tobacco.

[along-for-the-ride]

I agree with AmberSun. Living off food stamps for one month is not the same as living off food stamps every month. But..........atleast we can give him credit for trying.

You're also right, Nomad. Any money for food is appreciated. It does take planning and consideration to make it feed a family for a whole month.

[Sunshine]

I have nothing against anyone needing to use the system to feed and house their familys. What irriates me are those who use the system in the way it was never designed to do. I often come across those who use the link card and drive expensive cars and dress to the nines, jewelery and all. I work my hinny off everyday for less than they get a week and still have trouble wondering which bill is the most important to pay in order to continue to live. Where are they getting all their spending money? Not legally is my guess. For those types, I am sick and tired of paying their way.

Originally Posted by Amber Sun

[...]

The problem with food stamps as I understand it is that many markets etc., won't accept them.

It's because the markets don't want to be bothered with redeeming them for cash from the gov't.

[fuzzywuzzy]

Just another form of currency to be exploited.

[scholle-kid]

I was on food stamps for a while when my kids younger ( they are all grown now so I'm talking about 17 years ago ). And if a person stays away from the microwavable foods , junk foods like chips and cookies and cooks from scratch it can be done. I have always liked to bake and cooking has always been one of my favorite things so we ate darn good one the just under $300.00 a month we received a month.

[Amber Sun]

Originally Posted by Sunshine

I have nothing against anyone needing to use the system to feed and house their familys. What irriates me are those who use the system in the way it was never designed to do. I often come across those who use the link card and drive expensive cars and dress to the nines, jewelery and all. I work my hinny off everyday for less than they get a week and still have trouble wondering which bill is the most important to pay in order to continue to live. Where are they getting all their spending money? Not legally is my guess. For those types, I am sick and tired of paying their way.

Hi Sunshine. I am assuming that by 'link' card you are referring to a 'welfare' card? Well I'm going to guess that they are the same thing until you say different.

The reason is that many collect even while engaged in some form of criminal activity because they need to be able to declare some source of income. For others the situation is different. I have known people to declare bankruptcy but a few months before hand signed or 'sold' some major articles to a family member. In this way they get to keep the article. There is also the case of the family of a destitute person (most often a woman with children) being provided with a vehicle in which to drive the children to school, the doctors etc. The car remains in the name of the family member so legally the car is considered a loan.
Then of course there are just those that are lazy and greedy at the same time and scam everyone throughout their life times.