Budget food/recipe blogger takes SNAP challenge.

[unsinkable]

I really enjoy this recipe blogger. She has a fun voice and her recipes are affordable ( for me ) and yummy.

 

She took the SNAP challenge and tracks everything. Her comments after each day are really valuable. She writes about how difficult it is for her, a single woman, with lots of resources, to do this challenge without being hungry.

 

http://www.budgetbytes.com/2014/09/snap-challenge-week-1-summary/

 

I also want to add: Her blog is filled with yummy recipes so take a look around! She's been blogging for years. You can spend hours looking thru all her posts.

[JustEm]

I've never been on SNAP but we do qualify.  I don't take it because I don't feel like we need it at all.  For our family of 5 we qualitfy for $700/month. I know this because we are currently on Medicaid and our caseworker continually tries to get us to take the SNAP benefit. Seeing as I spend roughly $300/month on food the amount for our family is ridiculous.  When my brother and sil were on it for a few months right after college they got $900 a month for the 2 of them(she was pregnant.)  That amount was insane.  But then I know people who have the same family number as me and roughly the same income and only get $300/month.  Now I can feed my family on that little but I work very hard to do so and it took me years to get our food budget that low.  It is no easy task and most people wouldn't have the time to do it, especially not a single mom who works full time to take care of her kids.

 

 

I'm interested in her recipes because I'm always looking for ways to keep our food budget down.  Thanks for posting.

[kewb]

I like her blog, too.  Her Honey Spiced Chicken Thighs are my dh's favorite.  I make them all the time.

 

I was hungry reading her snap challenge.  

[Scarlett]

I've never been on SNAP but we do qualify. I don't take it because I don't feel like we need it at all. For our family of 5 we qualitfy for $700/month. I know this because we are currently on Medicaid and our caseworker continually tries to get us to take the SNAP benefit. Seeing as I spend roughly $300/month on food the amount for our family is ridiculous. When my brother and sil were on it for a few months right after college they got $900 a month for the 2 of them(she was pregnant.) That amount was insane. But then I know people who have the same family number as me and roughly the same income and only get $300/month. Now I can feed my family on that little but I work very hard to do so and it took me years to get our food budget that low. It is no easy task and most people wouldn't have the time to do it, especially not a single mom who works full time to take care .

I don't understand why you turn it down if you qualify. You could feed your family easier and healthier....more vegetables and fruits. The $300 you currently spend on food could go toward making your life easier in other ways.

 

My moms dad also refused to take help. I just don't get it.

[MomtoCandJ]

I just booked marked her blog, we live on a tight budget and we don't qualify for SNAP

[Scarlett]

I also don't understand where the $4.93 a day figure comes from. Some politicians idea I guess.

 

So for my family of 3 I would get $414 per month for food allowance? I could totally do that. I often do.

[Lady Florida.]

I think it's interesting how she spoke of just wanting food/calories and whether or not it was healthy didn't matter. In fact, she craved junk food.

 

People here have been trying to point this out for years, but some just don't get it.

 

I was glad to read such an honest review of what food insecurity is like. Maybe if enough people read it they'll accept it because it came from someone who didn't have to do it, someone who could have easily said "It's cheap and easy to eat healthy and cook from scratch".

[unsinkable]

I also don't understand where the $4.93 a day figure comes from. Some politicians idea I guess.

 

So for my family of 3 I would get $414 per month for food allowance? I could totally do that. I often do.

Here is the link for the challenge:

 

http://feedingamerica.org/get-involved/hunger-action-month/snap-challenge.aspx

 

This challenge, from feeding America, uses $4.50/per person/per day because it represents an average amount for the nation.

 

Benefits are specific to a family's income and location.

[VaKim]

Interesting blog. Bookmarked.

My dh has been laid off since February this year and unemployment ran out a few weeks ago. But we don't qualify because we have more than 2000.00 in "assets," that count against it. I suppose we will have to wait until we have no money left to pay bills before we can sign up. Hopefully, he will have something before that happens though. 

[Scarlett]

I also don't understand where the $4.93 a day figure comes from. Some politicians idea I guess.

 

So for my family of 3 I would get $414 per month for food allowance? I could totally do that. I often do.

Edited to add but it isn't easy. Especially when two of my 3 family members are big.....ds14 is only 14 but eats more than dh.

[Lady Florida.]

I don't understand why you turn it down if you qualify. You could feed your family easier and healthier....more vegetables and fruits. The $300 you currently spend on food could go toward making your life easier in other ways.

 

My moms dad also refused to take help. I just don't get it.

 

I don't get it either but I can tell you most members of dh's family would refuse help if they needed it, or at least hold out as long as possible. I think has something to do with their cultural background and thinking that accepting charity (whether from the government or a private source) is shameful. Charity is what you do for others. You're not supposed to need it yourself.

 

I think if we needed help I'd have to work hard to convince dh to accept it.

[JumpyTheFrog]

Someone made a SNAP cookbook as well. I'll see if I can find a link.

[Slartibartfast]

Someone made a SNAP cookbook as well. I'll see if I can find a link.

 

 

This one is a free download. :)

 

https://8b862ca0073972f0472b704e2c0c21d0480f50d3.googledrive.com/host/0Bxd6wdCBD_2tdUdtM0d4WTJmclU/good-and-cheap.pdf

[JumpyTheFrog]

Here it is: https://8b862ca0073972f0472b704e2c0c21d0480f50d3.googledrive.com/host/0Bxd6wdCBD_2tdUdtM0d4WTJmclU

 

"Good and Cheap" by Leanne Brown.

[Ravin]

SNAP isn't charity. People who are able to eat healthy don't get sick as much. Food is cheap compared to health care. In the long run, someone who lives for years on a diet of mostly cheap carbs, will cost society more in their poor health than feeding them does.

 

Accepting aid in order to maintain health and nutrition for yourself and your children could be viewed in that light as a civic duty.

[JustEm]

I don't understand why you turn it down if you qualify. You could feed your family easier and healthier....more vegetables and fruits. The $300 you currently spend on food could go toward making your life easier in other ways.

 

My moms dad also refused to take help. I just don't get it.

We eat an extremely healthy diet. Grass fed antibiotic free beef, tons of fruits and veggies, minimal processed foods. My life is plenty easy and any financial strain we feel is because we've chosen to be a one family income with a job my dh loves that does not pay as well as others he could have but not love. SNAP should be used by people who are truly in need of it. We are not in need of it. Would it make life a little easier, yes. But we made the choices we made knowing we'd be struggling a bit more because of it. I'm not going to make the system worse for people who truly need it by skewing the numbers.

[6packofun]

I like her blog, too.  Her Honey Spiced Chicken Thighs are my dh's favorite.  I make them all the time.

 

 

 

That's a favorite here, too!  I make up quadruple the amount of the spice mix to have in the pantry and then just add the honey/vinegar when ready.

 

[Lady Marmalade]

The "reflections" statement on Day 3 was very telling.  We've been on SNAP in lean winters, and these sentiments are exactly what I would go through.  My card would finally be re-loaded, and I would dash to the grocery store without a plan or a list other than a few basics that we were out of.  I would tell myself that I would only spend so much, but before I knew it, the cart was full of "stuff", and just like that, I'd spent half of my benefits for the month on the first day they were available.  Oh, we'd eat well those first few days- relishing the fresh fruit especially.  But then the rest of the month I would spend trying desperately to figure out how to best use those remaining benefits to keep my children well fed.  

 

ETA: To remove the text pasted from the site per SWB's request.  

[Amira]

We qualified for over $800/month for about three years but chose not to take it.  There were several reasons why not.  First though, let me be clear that  I have zero problem with anyone who qualifies for and uses SNAP for any reason.  But I also think people can have good reasons for not using it and that's okay.

 

We didn't need it because I had the time, knowledge, and resources to cook healthy food with lots of vegetables and whole grains.  I had a car, access to bulk food, a few useful appliances, and a decent kitchen.  If I hadn't had those things, we would have needed SNAP because I couldn't have fed my family from the local grocery store for $350/month.

 

Also, we were only temporarily and by choice low income those years.  Dh quit a good job to go back to school and we knew he'd get a good job afterward, which he easily did.  Our reasons for the job switch weren't financial because he would be making more now at that old job than he is now.  I couldn't see a good reason to use taxes for our lifestyle choice. I still make choices to avoid using benefits we qualify for, or to reduce the amount we use.

 

 

[Jane in NC]

Indeed her reflections were quite interesting.  Thank you for posting the link, Unsinkable.

 

Over the past year I have tried a number of Budget Bytes recipes.  None have disappointed.  Many are quick and flavorful.

[JustEm]

I don't get it either but I can tell you most members of dh's family would refuse help if they needed it, or at least hold out as long as possible. I think has something to do with their cultural background and thinking that accepting charity (whether from the government or a private source) is shameful. Charity is what you do for others. You're not supposed to need it yourself.

 

I think if we needed help I'd have to work hard to convince dh to accept it.

Oh I don't have a problem with accepting charity. I don't view SNAP as charity though. I view it as an assistance program meant for people who need it. My family simply does not need it. If we ever did I would take it like I took medicaid. We do not struggle to pay our bills or put money away into savings. We eat healthier than most Americans do and dont struggle to eat that way. we happen to have depleted our savings recently in order to purchase a minivan so now we qualify because we have less than 2000 in cash.

 

All being on SNAP would do would allow us to pay off our mortgage earlier, our only debt. I don't think that is what it should be used for since we chose the life we are living.

[prairiewindmomma]

I read her blog fairly regularly.

 

I thought her technique for the first week was ok for a single person, but there's no way that I could feed my kids the same thing every.single.day.  Making the same thing five times seems like a cheat. 

 

I really hope that she shows some greater flexibility with her meals....like using the same base component or rice or beans and swapping out the flavor profile for greater variety.  We live less than $4.50/person/day with a larger family size and I just can't imagine even stepping into Whole Foods or buying the high end products that she was....I think she has lost touch with the frugal ways she had several years ago. ;)

[unsinkable]

"Imagine going a whole month, finally getting your SNAP benefits replenished, and finally going to the grocery store. Do you think you’d make healthy decisions? I can honestly say that I wouldn’t."

 

This statement on Day 3 was very telling. We've been on SNAP in lean winters, and these sentiments are exactly what I would go through. My card would finally be re-loaded, and I would dash to the grocery store without a plan or a list other than a few basics that we were out of. I would tell myself that I would only spend so much, but before I knew it, the cart was full of "stuff", and just like that, I'd spent half of my benefits for the month on the first day they were available. Oh, we'd eat well those first few days- relishing the fresh fruit especially. But then the rest of the month I would spend trying desperately to figure out how to best use those remaining benefits to keep my children well fed.

:grouphug:

 

:crying:

 

Yes, Erika, that part struck me, too.

[JustEm]

SNAP isn't charity. People who are able to eat healthy don't get sick as much. Food is cheap compared to health care. In the long run, someone who lives for years on a diet of mostly cheap carbs, will cost society more in their poor health than feeding them does.

 

Accepting aid in order to maintain health and nutrition for yourself and your children could be viewed in that light as a civic duty.

But not everyone who qualifies and doesn't take it eats poorly. If we were eating poorly and struggling to feed our family a healthy diet I would take it in a heartbeat. But that isn't our reality.

[Butter]

Huh.  $4.50 a day times 6 people in our family times 30 days is over $100 more than I spend on groceries (including paper products and what not) in a month.  I can see where that amount would be hard for a single person, but with multiple people it's totally doable.

[Ali in OR]

The challenge is harder for her as a single person. We would get $157 per week for a family of 5, and economies of scale make that a much easier goal to achieve. It's a little less than I spend now, but not much. I have "extras" that I could cut (popsicles, ice cream, chips) and be able to meet that number, at least in this part of the country.

[Lady Florida.]

SNAP isn't charity. 

 

Accepting aid in order to maintain health and nutrition for yourself and your children could be viewed in that light as a civic duty.

 

 

 I don't view SNAP as charity though. I view it as an assistance program meant for people who need it. 

 

While we recognize that, I was referring specifically to my husband's family. They view government assistance as charity. It's partly their east Tennessee mountain roots, partly a specific type of Protestantism they were raised in, and partly "We don't need no stinkin' gubment help". To them, being given food, clothes, etc. as anything other than a gift on a gift-giving occasion, is charity. If you get something because you need help, they consider it charity, and they see that as something to be ashamed of. It's a mindset I have trouble understanding. I was raised believing that many of us need help at some time and we should never be ashamed to accept it.

[unsinkable]

I read her blog fairly regularly.

 

I thought her technique for the first week was ok for a single person, but there's no way that I could feed my kids the same thing every.single.day. Making the same thing five times seems like a cheat.

 

I really hope that she shows some greater flexibility with her meals....like using the same base component or rice or beans and swapping out the flavor profile for greater variety. We live less than $4.50/person/day with a larger family size and I just can't imagine even stepping into Whole Foods or buying the high end products that she was....I think she has lost touch with the frugal ways she had several years ago. ;)

I'm not sure what high-end products you mean? At Whole Foods, she bought beans, rice, and oat bran. The almonds maybe might be high end.

 

The products were organic but I thought the ability to purchase bulk (only exactly the amount she needed) allowed her to save money.

[JustEm]

While we recognize that, I was referring specifically to my husband's family. They view government assistance as charity. It's partly their east Tennessee mountain roots, partly a specific type of Protestantism they were raised in, and partly "We don't need no stinkin' gubment help". To them, being given food, clothes, etc. as anything other than a gift on a gift-giving occasion, is charity. If you get something because you need help, they consider it charity, and they see that as something to be ashamed of. It's a mindset I have trouble understanding. I was raised believing that many of us need help at some time and we should never be ashamed to accept it.

Gotcha. Yeah I don't understand that mindset at all.

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

While my husband is unemployed we are on SNAP. I was excited that SNAP is more than what we usually spend on groceries. We also are part of CSA that was already paid for prior to unemployment.

 

I choose to go to the one month food pantry before going grocery shopping with SNAP. There are a couple if reasons I do this. One, the pantry offers toiletries and other household items. This saves what little cash we have. Two the pantry offers some quality food items, and let's me choose what I need and check labels for allergens. Three, the food pantry has a few snack/treat foods, which allows me to spend SNAP on healthy foods.

 

It's nice to be able to eat healthy while dh is job hunting. I find it a huge stress relief. We may lose our house and struggle to pay bills right now, but my kids are getting enough to eat and it's healthy food.

 

 

ETA- we mostly shop at ALDI

[Um_2_4]

 

 

I really hope that she shows some greater flexibility with her meals....like using the same base component or rice or beans and swapping out the flavor profile for greater variety.  We live less than $4.50/person/day with a larger family size and I just can't imagine even stepping into Whole Foods or buying the high end products that she was....I think she has lost touch with the frugal ways she had several years ago. ;)

 

Yes, my thoughts were that she bought expensive stuff. I totally understand that is is harder for a single person than a family (ie we buy in bulk, etc.) but to be a bit more realistic I think someone on SNAP would go with cheaper stores (even for buying bulk).

Like the garbanzo beans, a regular 1 pound bag in $1 here. She paid $2.49/lb. That would have been another $1.50 for veges/fruit.

Rice also, brown rice in a 1 pound bag is $1, buy a bigger bag and the price per lb drops. Buying from those bins is not always cheaper.

 

And the frozen veges she bought were $1.89 per package, many stores have $1/bag regular price, so I think she maybe picked expensive stores iykwim. Or that is the regular price in New Orleans??

[prairiewindmomma]

Ahh....I just checked her actual prices. She has better prices than mine (by a lot).  A 6 pk of pita here is $4....and would be sufficient to feed my family with everyone getting just one.  I make different choices because of the scale at which we are eating.

[peachskittles]

I wish my SNAP benefits were $4.50 a person.  That would be almost $200 a more a month.  As it is, we are looking to lose more from our benefits because our average pay went up.  *sigh*  I wish I could be free of SNAP, but we would starve if we did not have it.  Reading through that blog post, I seen wheat, dairy and legumes, all things I really try to avoid (food intolerances).  It is really, really hard to eat on a budget when you have food issues (to the point that I have to suck it up sometimes and make the wrong choices to save money).  Even worse is my son might be tested for problems with corn (of all foods, CORN?) and then the measly food budget would be shot (we are avoiding this one for a bit).

 

I know my grandmother and aunt are both disabled and get SNAP.  They are always hungry.  One persons disability check is rent, the other is utilities.  They thankfully have two different days they get their SNAP benefits but it is so hard to hear my grandmother say she is hungry.  She calls me to let me know what deals she scored at the store.  Some months are better than others, obviously, but hunger is a really big issue for them.

[Jane in NC]

Forgive my ignorance.  Is SNAP totally determined by family size with no variation for geography or age of children (i.e. a toddler's allotment is the same as a teenager's)?  Food prices seem to vary so much across the country.

[Angie in VA]

I have never heard of SNAP, but that cabbage slaw looks good. She had me at "feta".

[elegantlion]

I just left the grocery. I'm exhausted. - two unrelated thoughts I guess. I qualify for 189.00 per month, that's our food budget for two basically adults. Technically, ds qualifies and that is his allotment. I don't qualify because I'm a college student and not working - I get the logic, but...

 

I ended up buying a can of ravioli out of exhaustion and comfort. Plus, we had lasagna the other night (I put together the ingredients), but having the oven on for an hour to bake it damaging to our budget as well. Plus, we heated up the leftovers last night and the pan now has to be cleaned and it's still sitting there. A can doesn't require as long to heat (less electricity and, yes, I notice a significant difference in the bill if I use the oven a lot), there is one pan to clean, and it's filling although not nutritious. 

 

Buying in bulk doesn't work for us because  I can't afford to spend more on one ingredient when I have a teen that probably eats as much as two adults.  

 

It's a constant balancing act to not run out of month before I run out of money. Going to the store hungry and without a list can be disastrous. Fortunately, I have family that helps us out when we need it, but it's not just meal prep, it's the time, the electricity used, and the clean up. And it's not just about being exhausted, it's about prioritizing. Sure, eating healthy is at the top, but my school work and his school work don't get done by themselves. Those are priority because those can change the situation. 

This is temporary for us, but I can see how if you had no hope of escaping that poverty how it could seriously damage your psyche. 

[Jane in NC]

I just left the grocery. I'm exhausted. - two unrelated thoughts I guess. I qualify for 189.00 per month, that's our food budget for two basically adults. Technically, ds qualifies and that is his allotment. I don't qualify because I'm a college student and not working - I get the logic, but...

 

I ended up buying a can of ravioli out of exhaustion and comfort. Plus, we had lasagna the other night (I put together the ingredients), but having the oven on for an hour to bake it damaging to our budget as well. Plus, we heated up the leftovers last night and the pan now has to be cleaned and it's still sitting there. A can doesn't require as long to heat (less electricity and, yes, I notice a significant difference in the bill if I use the oven a lot), there is one pan to clean, and it's filling although not nutritious. 

 

Buying in bulk doesn't work for us because  I can't afford to spend more on one ingredient when I have a teen that probably eats as much as two adults.  

 

It's a constant balancing act to not run out of month before I run out of money. Going to the store hungry and without a list can be disastrous. Fortunately, I have family that helps us out when we need it, but it's not just meal prep, it's the time, the electricity used, and the clean up. And it's not just about being exhausted, it's about prioritizing. Sure, eating healthy is at the top, but my school work and his school work don't get done by themselves. Those are priority because those can change the situation. 

 

This is temporary for us, but I can see how if you had no hope of escaping that poverty how it could seriously damage your psyche. 

 

I just want to give you a hug.

 

 

 

[ocelotmom]

Yes, my thoughts were that she bought expensive stuff. I totally understand that is is harder for a single person than a family (ie we buy in bulk, etc.) but to be a bit more realistic I think someone on SNAP would go with cheaper stores (even for buying bulk).

Like the garbanzo beans, a regular 1 pound bag in $1 here. She paid $2.49/lb. That would have been another $1.50 for veges/fruit.

Rice also, brown rice in a 1 pound bag is $1, buy a bigger bag and the price per lb drops. Buying from those bins is not always cheaper.

 

And the frozen veges she bought were $1.89 per package, many stores have $1/bag regular price, so I think she maybe picked expensive stores iykwim. Or that is the regular price in New Orleans??

 

Also, while she spent close to $30, she didn't actually eat nearly that much. She actually ate only 77% of what was budgeted. If she'd used the extra quarter of her food budget, would she have been as hungry? I realize an extra $6 isn't a lot, but it might have made a difference.

[December]

We eat an extremely healthy diet. Grass fed antibiotic free beef, tons of fruits and veggies, minimal processed foods. My life is plenty easy and any financial strain we feel is because we've chosen to be a one family income with a job my dh loves that does not pay as well as others he could have but not love. SNAP should be used by people who are truly in need of it. We are not in need of it. Would it make life a little easier, yes. But we made the choices we made knowing we'd be struggling a bit more because of it. I'm not going to make the system worse for people who truly need it by skewing the numbers.

 

 

And you count the grass fed beef into your monthly food buget?  I just ask because we buy a cow at a time and when I am calculating what we spend on food, I often forget to average out the price of the beef by the number of months it takes us to consume it.

[Scarlett]

We eat an extremely healthy diet. Grass fed antibiotic free beef, tons of fruits and veggies, minimal processed foods. My life is plenty easy and any financial strain we feel is because we've chosen to be a one family income with a job my dh loves that does not pay as well as others he could have but not love. SNAP should be used by people who are truly in need of it. We are not in need of it. Would it make life a little easier, yes. But we made the choices we made knowing we'd be struggling a bit more because of it. I'm not going to make the system worse for people who truly need it by skewing the numbers.

You figure your grass fed antibiotic free beef as part of that $300 a month?

 

If you are feeding a family of 5 healthy meals with plenty of fruits and vegetables for $300 per month you should start a blog. I would love to see how you do that.

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

You figure your grass fed antibiotic free beef as part of that $300 a month?

 

If you are feeding a family of 5 healthy meals with plenty of fruits and vegetables for $300 per month you should start a blog. I would love to see how you do that.

 

I would love to see your meal plans too!

[Scarlett]

I guess 'need' could be defined any number of ways. The guidelines are there for that reason. The guidelines aren't perfect for sure...but if I qualify I can't imagine not accepting it.

 

To each his own.

[Pawz4me]

You figure your grass fed antibiotic free beef as part of that $300 a month?

 

If you are feeding a family of 5 healthy meals with plenty of fruits and vegetables for $300 per month you should start a blog. I would love to see how you do that.

 

I'm guessing her kids are very young.  I don't think I could feed just one of my teenaged boys on $300/month.  And we don't eat organic or grass fed anything.

[ocelotmom]

I guess 'need' could be defined any number of ways. The guidelines are there for that reason. The guidelines aren't perfect for sure...but if I qualify I can't imagine not accepting it.

 

To each his own.

 

We stopped accepting them because the harassment wasn't worth it. DH was self-employed. We made very very little, but our living expenses were also low. So they investigated us for fraud. I couldn't hang laundry outside (because it was cheaper than using a dryer at the laundromat) without it being investigated for work uniforms. That is a literal occurrence, not hyperbole.

[ajfries]

I'm guessing her kids are very young.  I don't think I could feed just one of my teenaged boys on $300/month.  And we don't eat organic or grass fed anything.

 

Even so...I'm spending near twice that with my 3 young'ns. And not with grass fed beef (though our half cow should be arriving in the next week or so).

 

I, too, would love to see some of your meal plans, hjffkj. :001_tt1:

[Leav97]

I'm guessing they own property and either raise beef or have ties to someone that does.  Add in a very large garden for "free" veggies and you can get a low food budget.

[KungFuPanda]

I've never been on SNAP but we do qualify. I don't take it because I don't feel like we need it at all. For our family of 5 we qualitfy for $700/month. I know this because we are currently on Medicaid and our caseworker continually tries to get us to take the SNAP benefit. Seeing as I spend roughly $300/month on food the amount for our family is ridiculous. When my brother and sil were on it for a few months right after college they got $900 a month for the 2 of them(she was pregnant.) That amount was insane. But then I know people who have the same family number as me and roughly the same income and only get $300/month. Now I can feed my family on that little but I work very hard to do so and it took me years to get our food budget that low. It is no easy task and most people wouldn't have the time to do it, especially not a single mom who works full time to take care of her kids.

 

 

I'm interested in her recipes because I'm always looking for ways to keep our food budget down. Thanks for posting.

Good Lord, woman, take it. You could put over 3k in savings in case your car breaks down or your water heater explodes. Those are your tax dollars that you're declining. More fresh fruits and vegetables can actually save you medical expenses in the long run. You could do food gifts over the holidays. Please reconsider.

[LucyStoner]

In order to feed seven people on $300 a month and eat meat and lots of produce, I would assume one is raising or growing much of that themselves. $1.43 per day per person is highly unrealistic for omnivores eating a lot of fruits and veggies and have to buy all of their food in most areas. The equivalent budget for my family of 4 would be less than $172 a month. I easily spend that on just (inexpensive at the produce stands, some bulk and self processed, sale, mostly conventional) veggies and fruits.

[trinchick]

These challenges don't consider that SNAP is an acronym for SUPPLEMENTAL Nutrition Assistance Program. It is not intended to serve as anyone's entire food budget. Whether or not that is how it shakes out for many families, the program is intended to supplement a family's food budget not serve as the only source of food.

[AimeeM]

I wish my SNAP benefits were $4.50 a person.  That would be almost $200 a more a month.  As it is, we are looking to lose more from our benefits because our average pay went up.  *sigh*  I wish I could be free of SNAP, but we would starve if we did not have it.  Reading through that blog post, I seen wheat, dairy and legumes, all things I really try to avoid (food intolerances).  It is really, really hard to eat on a budget when you have food issues (to the point that I have to suck it up sometimes and make the wrong choices to save money).  Even worse is my son might be tested for problems with corn (of all foods, CORN?) and then the measly food budget would be shot (we are avoiding this one for a bit).

 

I know my grandmother and aunt are both disabled and get SNAP.  They are always hungry.  One persons disability check is rent, the other is utilities.  They thankfully have two different days they get their SNAP benefits but it is so hard to hear my grandmother say she is hungry.  She calls me to let me know what deals she scored at the store.  Some months are better than others, obviously, but hunger is a really big issue for them.

She isn't even my grandmother and this makes my heart hurt.