Comments on: Your Take: Could You Live Off Food Stamps?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:11:39 +0000

First of all, you can buy name brand food items with food stamps. So maybe you saw them using wic or something elese. They don’t tell you which items to buy as long is it is food items.

By: jimmy37

jimmy37 — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:03:35 +0000

Ya’ know, I don’t know who or what to believe anymore. You can’t believe the government because everything they say has a political spin to it.

I, the taxpayer, am not responsible to make sure you can live your life the way you want to without being financially responsible for yourself.

You, the American, are guaranteed Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

I, the taxpayer, am not responsible to make sure you find Happiness.

Nor am I responsible to make sure you are fed, clothed, housed, transported and doctored to your heart’s delight. That’s your concern!

By: leigh

leigh — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 03:52:59 +0000

You know most people on foodstamps have a job. They pay taxes as well as you.

By: Momo

Momo — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:51:19 +0000

Although this is way off topic, I was just thinking that the bigger issue here is wage. One of my jobs is as a CNA at a nursing home… and I only get paid about a dollar over min. wage (they pay me $8.50 an hour, and won’t give me more than 30 hours… but nowadays that is a lot of places cause they don’t wanna pay overtime or provide benefits). How about a world were we can all start making what we’re worth?! I’d take that over food stamps anyday!

Also, if I make just $40 dollars more than I have been lately in December, I will then make too much money to qualify… but did you know that daycare costs over $100 a week? That’s all my 2nd job is paying for! For anyone out there who gives me dirty looks when they see my card at the store, I just want to scream at them “I’m sorry my husband’s dead! And I’m sorry my mother won’t watch my son!” People who are entitled could never truly understand.

By: Momo

Momo — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:31:45 +0000

Um…. FYI, you can indeed buy brand-name cereal on food stamps. I tend to buy store brand myself on most anything, but that isn’t the point here. The point is, either you’re confused as to what it was they were buying or you’re a complete lyer. Besides, with the right coupon, the name brand cereals can be CHEAPER. Plus, when I get paid I sometimes get $100 bills, although I usually tuck them away and reserve for my rent, and use smaller bills to buy non-food items… but once or twice I have used a large bill… Don’t be so quick to judge. I hate it when people give me dirty looks in the store. In fact, I have two jobs and even then it is hard to get by. I only get $96 in food stamps, but they are a great help for me as a single mom.

By: D

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 05:08:17 +0000

Agreed, there are plenty of upstanding hard workers that need help too… and when I could have used it my wife and I were only lucky enough to receive WIC because we had one young child under 2 and another over 4, made too much with unemployment to qualify for any other assistance. This after working my A double S off for the last 20 years. And when I had to humble myself by going to the store with my father-in-law with those WIC cards to buy some milk, cheese, bread, rice and some baby food and saw a ‘new to the U.S.’ gal pull out enough food stamps to cover for the 300+ dollars in groceries she was buying kinda miffed me a bit…

Well we are back on our feet and have been since 2003, before this recession hit and have learned a great lesson from that past experience. Do not rely on others to help you out,the government, friends, even family. That is just the way the world turns unfortunately. Everyone for themselves!

By: Kelsi

Kelsi — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 16:35:26 +0000

I am 26, one of the hardest working people many of my employers say have ever had, have a college degree and tens of thousands of dollars in student loan debt. I make a little over ten bucks an hour as a baker, it’s back-breaking, extremely physical work. Try doing a sweaty workout for about 7-8 hours at a time and you’d understand. I can’t find a job in my field (education) right now because of the economy and where I live…the university pumps out teachers and there’s a saturation. I love where I live, however, and my fiance is in school here for the next few years. I have no qualms getting $150 a month in food stamps now, because I know what it is to continue to scrape by every month and not save a dime. My quality of life and health is important to me, so I do choose to buy clean, healthy, organic foods with my benefits instead of loads of cheap ramen and other crap. Because I go the route of whole, unprocessed food, I can get a lot of beans and rice out of my money. BUT…why should other people here judge what foods people choose to buy with their benefits? How is it your place to say what people should be buying? Luckily I live in a community where I can use my benefits at the farmer’s market and it’s understood that a lot of us here are living on low incomes and that’s just the way it is.

So for those of you out there that are grumbling in the middle tax bracket, angry that there are welfare programs out there to support those that are not paid enough to do the menial jobs YOU choose not to do yourself because you have the money for convenience (housecleaning, bread baking, pizza making, retail industry, etc), be quiet. Your money grubbing and bitterness is not making the world or this country any better. Someone is always going to abuse handouts, and that’s just the way it goes. Just like there will always be those types of people that make more than enough money and choose not to share the wealth. There are plenty of upstanding hard workers that need help too.

By: Yana

Yana — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 01:06:35 +0000

elli – I guess you’re saying you can’t get food stamps because you failed to report income in the past. You should ask somebody at the food stamp office whether you can get food stamps after a certain amount of time. Other than that, all I can think of is the Salvation Army for help. The rest of your story isn’t unique, and I’m sorry that people have to suffer like that. In my opinion, the only mistake you made was to trade your truck – well, taking in people to pay your rent doesn’t sound good either, but it sounds like the truck was something good to you. See, trading it didn’t improve things. And taking in people might give you new problems. I wish I could be helpful. I’m only replying because it seems you really want input. I’ve been in dire straits before, and the only reason I ever got out of them is primarily LUCK. Not to say that I didn’t do the best I could, but the fact is that you can do everything right and have everything turn out wrong. Still, if there’s a lesson for you so far, it’s about that truck. If you have something good, don’t give it up, because later you won’t have it or anything better. If you keep it, you will at least have that one thing that’s good.

By: elli

elli — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 22:42:43 +0000

I’m scared. I was out of work for a year; I somehow managed to put something on my rent once in awhile to keep me from getting booted to the street! I never had food, and I was hungry all the time, I was in such despair, I have no one to turn to for help, I would just sit and cry all the time. I was embarrassed to go get food stamps, but I finally did it.
I couldn’t afford gas for my 98 truck which I had bought and used for my job which was maintenance, so I tried to sell it, but no one would buy it, even cheap! I had a hard time just trying to get a trade straight across for a different vehicle, one better on gas mileage. I finally did… get someone to trade straight across, my 96′gmc NICE truck for a 94′ piece of crap little Chrysler. Looked good, would hardly run: but I got a job, and it got me to work. For the short time I had the job… Talk about abuse. Abuse is absolutely everywhere… I worked for a cell phone co. and I constantly felt that I was about to get fired, even though I continued to be in the top three producers there. Only a few months was I there, and my supervisor who was clearly (to me anyway), not very bright – (along with the entire staff, 98% being of the same culture). I learned too quickly, and did too well, and I was terminated for a really ridiculous reason. I know he was afraid I would take his place! But I was making minimum wage, and I needed desperately to catch up my rent which was waaayyy behind. I was almost literally giving my check every two weeks to my landlord. I never treated myself to any toys, or conveniences. I just worked, and worked; I even worked over time, and every payday, I gave almost all my check to back rent. Almost to the day of catching up on my rent, I lost my job. There I am, no job, AGAIN! And although my rent was caught up, I had no money coming in again, and I hadn’t reported my income while I was receiving food stamps. Now I have lost my car because not being able to register it due to poverty, I was pulled over, (ON THE WAY TO THE UNEMPLOYMENT OFFICE NO DOUBT) – (IN THE E.D.D.’s PARKING LOT!!!) They towed it, and little known to me would keep it for 30 minimum, at a hefty charge daily, there was no way I would get it back. Not a felon, not a big law breaker!, But take my damned car? They condemned me! I was planning on sleeping in that piece of Chrysler crap!! I received my action notice in the mail, stating and pretty much flat out threatening me with bold and capital letters, that boy was I gonna get it! And boy, was I NOT! Gonna get food stamps anymore. I haven’t had them for months, and now I don’t know what will happen. I’ve had to take in a pregnant woman and her boyfriend to pay my rent, I hate my life and I don’t think I can take much more of the way this wicked world works. I am serious. What the hell? They are going to crucify me aren’t they? I know what I did was wrong, I knew it was wrong when I did it, I needed it, And I have sincerely lived my life doing the “Right Thing” for years because I know it is the way that God wants it to be. But I stand around STRANDED-HUNGRY AND WHIPPED BY THIS CRAPPY CITY AND IT’S JUDICIAL SYSTEM – All the while; incredibly, I watch all the thieves, drug dealers, low-lives and just plain old users and abusers just freaking PROSPER!!!! Always have a car, never work, do what they want all the time. Chopping it up on their free cell phones, eating out all the time, whatever!!!
AND I JUST DON’T GET IT!? Please tell me something… Is there any way that they will forgive me of what?

By: D

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 02:51:20 +0000

Lots of good comments on both sides of this subject here. I have been on both sides also.
A relative of ours was a mailman and saw who got food stamps and had nicer cars than our family did with a full time job. Cars could have been in someone else’s name or something. There are abuses, but there are people who use the assistance wisely.

When we were on food stamps we had more food stamps then we needed at the time. My wife is very frugal and very good at meal planning. We saved our food stamps that we didn’t use each month and after several months, bought a half side of beef to fill our freezer. During that time we got free or cheap dental and found a really good dentist that we still go to after about 20 years. I finally got a job when the economy picked back up so the food stamps were a big help to keep us going during a hard time.

Maybe there should be some more education as to nutrition and using money wisely for those on assistance who are capable of working.
It is getting harder and harder for some organizations who want to help to get information on who needs help because of privacy laws.

By: zulu

zulu — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 09:27:27 +0000

Couldn’t have said it better myself. People pay taxes but then still want to claim eveything that comes from them as “theirs”. I’ve heard comments like “I’M buying his food”…”How’s it feel to be buying that with MY money?” It’s saddening and makes me angry at the same time. Who is anyone to tell anyone else what they should be buying, food stamps or not?

By: zulu

zulu — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 09:17:21 +0000

I’m an eligibility worker for cash aid and food stamps and I can assure you, you cannot “live” off the system comfortably. You do have to work to get cash aid. You do have to work if you get food stamps, unless you have a child under the age of a year old and you’re the only adult in the home. And if you’re not the only adult, the other adult does have to work. You can only buy food products, not alcohol or household products like diapers, toilet paper, etc. Personally, I would much rather have my taxes go to food stamps than live in a country where hungry people are walking around begging for food. And what is that tax thing anyway? People who say things like that, they’re going to complain about taxes no matter where the money goes. And I can confirm that a single (or even married) person who just “doesn’t want to work” is NOT eligible for assistance. You generally have to have children or be disabled to even qualify. And quite frankly, I don’t care what kind of food a person on food stamps buys! I’d rather them buy frozen pizza’s and feed their kids that then have their kids be hungry. I wish people would stop being so judgemental and realize that the rug can be ripped out from under any one of us at any time no matter how hard working or honest or holier than thou we may be.

By: me

me — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 21:44:28 +0000

If they qualified for it, which is a very hard thing to do, then they are entitled to the benefits plain and simple.

By: sara

sara — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:54:03 +0000

I’m on food stamps. I have a newer car ( a 2000), and my family does wear name brand and designer clothing. I even have a genuine Louis Vuitton purse. I get weird looks when I use my ebt card to buy food, but so much of it is just based on perception. I bought my car for $400 a year ago. I buy our clothes mainly from thrift shops, paying 10-20 cents apiece for my son’s clothes and 20-50 cents apiece for my husband and my clothes. My purse I found while cleaning a vacant apt. for my landlord, which is part of how we pay our rent every month. My husband and I were both laid off over a month ago. Six days a week my husband works at a temp job, working over 8 hours and bringing home $40 or less a day, which is the only way we pay our bills and the rest of our rent. While he works, I walk all through our very hilly town, pushing my son in his stroller, looking for cans and scrap metal to recycle for a little extra money. The gas in our car is paid for solely by people we give rides to, and we use extra gas to put in job applications that are too far away to walk to. EVERYTHING in our home, from our furniture to my sons toys, we either buy from thrift stores or garage sales, are hand-me-downs, or we simply find on a street corner( which is how we got my son’s high chair and his bed). Obviously, we’re not living the “high life”. We stretch our food stamp budget to the breaking point because I also use it to buy cleaning supplies(vinegar and baking soda) and I make our health products(such as shampoo) and our dog’s food,all of the supplies being food products I can buy with food stamps.I use coupons whenever I can. We buy very little packaged food, the majority being simple food such as beans,rice,and produce. I could easily stretch my food stamps farther if I bought junk food such as chips instead of fruit and white bread instead of whole wheat flour to make my own, but I don’t want that crap in my family’s body. At the end of the month, when the food stamp amount gets low, my husband and I simply stop eating to make sure we can continue to buy good food for our son(who eats more than both of us combined). Normally it’s only for 2-3 days, but last month we had family stay with us for several days, so it ran out a week and a half ahead of schedule(we did get a referral from our case worker so we could go to the food pantry). There are those who abuse the system,who sell their food stamps to buy alocohol or drugs, but I know several people who sell some of theirs to make ends meet. My mother is disabled and receives a $600 soc. sec. check, which she uses to pay the rent,bills, and anything my 3 younger siblings need. She sells at least $50 of food stamps every month, receiving $25, which she uses to pay the co-pays on her medications THAT KEEP HER ALIVE. We’re not all drains on society. My husband and I pay taxes. We volunteer in our community alot. For us, our food stamps and our medicaid card are godsends. I know what it’s like to go to sleep hungry, not just one night but every night for months on end. You feel weak, you can’t sleep, and the gnawing in your stomach makes you physically ill. It’s hell. And I feel no guilt in using food stamps to make sure my son will never feel that way.

By: Eric Shea

Eric Shea — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 06:31:09 +0000

makes me sick to go to work everyday and pay for this!