What a great post. I have seen people paying with a food stamp benefit card not only at the regular supermarket, but also at Whole Foods. You would not believe what I have personally heard other moms saying about that — the judgment about other people’s “food choices” is so stupid and condescending.

Good point Lisa. Maybe I do and I just am unaware.

“Food stamps” I am pretty sure are meant to *help* or supplement a family’s food budget, so, $289 a month is a pretty good supplement. I could feed my family of 3 on this, without a doubt. I think a bigger issue is the broader system in which such a high percentage of families on on this kind of assistance. The “powers that be” should be working to make the economy such that this isn’t needed…you know, jobs, industry, stuff like that. To me, feeding people in America should be no big deal. With, what, 30% of the population obese or overweight, it’s not something that seems like it should be a big concern.

Yeah, cause you know, those overweight people, they can live without food for, like, years. *rolls eyes*

Also, your location is a huge factor in how much food costs. Maybe you could feed a family of three for a month on less than three hundred bucks, but here, where even hamburger is almost five bucks a pound, that’s impossible.

Thank you for posting this.

Like CW I think there should be restrictions also. I worked as a cashier at a large store around Easter. People were able to use their food stamp cards to buy the huge Easter baskets because ‘they had food in them’. I was shocked to see that it actually went through. It actually pissed me off to see that the money being taken out of my check to provide food stamps for people was being used on Easter baskets. I think food stamps should resort back to the stamps, or use coupons like WIC which have restrictions on the tickets. I don’t see how a case of pop and a giant bag of chips is a ‘necessity’, I think people should not be allowed to buy prepared meals either (the frozen tv dinners). I think they need to reevaluate the whole system of SNAP also. I don’t see how people can afford to buy cigarettes, beer, have expensive cell phones, have their nails professionally done, can afford to buy their kids all kinds of toys, and buy video games, but can’t afford to buy food? Yea…I’m thinking they need to get their priorities straight. This is just my opinion after watching people use food stamps and see how they used them and spent their other money.

You don’t think those mini-markets would change their selection if SNAP benefits could only be used on healthy foods? Change the demand by limiting what SNAP can be used to pay for, and the suppliers would meet that demand. Plenty of healthy foods come in non-perishable forms. Okay, maybe 7-11 isn’t going to carry a wide selection of fresh produce, but they can stock canned & frozen fruits and veggies. That may not be as healthy as fresh-picked organic at the farmer’s market, but it’s a heck of a lot better than Cheetos.

I think it’s pathetic that people would prefer to pay for an entire policing structure to be built in to the SNAP system just so they get some say in what poor people are eating. Seriously, you give a shit if someone buys drinks and snacks for their work day with their SNAP card? People who buy from overpriced vending machines at work are the only ones worthy of an iced tea and a bag of pretzels? Butt the hell out! You have to be pretty damn nosey to even notice what card people are using at the store.

“If it’s paid for with my family’s hard-earned tax dollars AND more of those dollars will have to go to pay for Medicaid costs when the individual eating cr*p gets sick? You betcha.” Are you under the delusion that your family isn’t served by the tax contributions of those wealthier than you are? Do you drive on public roads? Do your children attend public schools? Do they play in public parks? Do you use subsidized utilities (most are)? Libraries? Do you attend a place of worship that is exempt from paying taxes? Think about these things, then decide if you’d like to be micro managed in your use of each by anyone who pays more taxes than you. After all, fair is fair, right?

Agree with every single thing Linda, t.o.o. is saying here.

So CW–I don’t drive, but I pay taxes to maintain the roads. I think it’s disgusting that people are allowed to drive gas-guzzling, polluting cars. Seriously, this is MY tax money going towards the roads these people use, and I have to inhale their exhaust. If people are going to avail themselves of the government assistance (in the form of roads, street lights, etc.) they should only be allowed to drive electric cars. Don’t like the strings attached? Don’t drive on the road.
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See how ridiculous that sounds?

If the government were providing me with free use of a vehicle, I’d have no right to complain that it’s a fuel-efficient Prius rather than a gas-guzzling Porsche Cayenne SUV. If I wanted the Cayenne rather than the Prius, then I’d need to pay for it myself…

You are only allowed to spend 25% of your allotment for snap on junk food anymore and repercussions will be set forth, which is different in each state, However I will add it is not being followed through . And retailers will turn there eyes to make sale percentages marks. Our government is controlled by these corporations so speak your mind with your dollar rather then for fast convenience and a few minutes of satisfaction .

Like EVERY government subsidy, SNAP benefits are abused by some people. Not all, but some. Personally, I’ve been on food stamps, and depending on where you live, sometimes it is tough to live within the budget they give while providing adequate nutrition. Fresh produce can get expensive, milk is often expensive. It only bothers me when I realize they guy loading his groceries into the shiny new Escalade in the parking lot was the guy in front of me paying with an EBT card.