The Food Stamp Challenge
I wrote a blog entry called “Can the Poor Eat Healthy?” a while back and it got someone interested enough to write in. Very interesting stuff.
My name is James G. I was reading about the 4 dollars a day food stamp challenge the past couple of years and knew that we spend less than that on food. My mom, age 75, has been making the shopping list and I, age 47, have been doing the shopping for about 5 years now, ever since both her legs were crushed in a car accident. She can get around a little now and sometimes goes to the store with me.I decided to start keeping track of everything we buy and the total cost. I started just by making a list for each trip and storing it on the computer (I have each individual shopping list and cost for proof). After about 20 shopping trips I decided to make a combined list as well and put the food in categories. I started the list hoping to prove one could eat on 2 dollars a day. I failed.I have been sending the updated list out from time to time to various US Congressmen and Senators as well as to food banks, and people in academia. We mainly shop at Shop Rite Supermarket, but also use Foodtown , Acme, Wallgreens, and other smaller places. We look in the circulars for each store to find the best deals for items we need. We try to buy items on sale and also use coupons. The best is when an item is on store sale and you also have a manufacturers coupon for it.One opinion I have developed from the list is that the cost of food is very low compared to the cost of living expenses. Also I believe in order to eat on less than 4 dollars a day with the list we have, you also need a home to live in with a kitchen and all the appliances and cookware, not to mention gas, electric,water, sewer, garbage pickup, a mortgage or rent, property taxes, and a car with gasoline to get to the stores – to mention a few things. But if you had all of those things you would not qualify for food stamps. This is the problem I am still trying to figure out.I have been keeping exact track of all the food we buy and the cost starting on May 21, 2013.We are sitting at $3.76 per day each to eat. I have never felt hungry and there is always tons of food to eatBelow is the combined grocery list of food.grocery shopping trips starting May 21, 2013
may——-21, 28,
June——-4, 12, 15, 16, 21, 25, 29, 30
July——–6, 10, 17, 19, 22
august—1, 3, 6, 7, 14, 16, 20, 22, 26, 27, 29
sept——-1, 4, 11, 17, 18, 21, 24, 25, 29
oct———1, 7, 16, 21, 22, 26, 29
nov——–5, 6, 13, 18, 27, 30
dec——–6, 12, 16, 21, 24, 31
jan———7, 13, 20, 27
feb———2, 11, 17, 21, 24, 26, 28
march—-566 shopping trips – Starting May 21, 2013 – presentThe total cost so far is $2218.79
If we do not go shopping again until March 12, then May 21 through March 11 = 295 days
$2218.79 divided by 295 days, divided by 2 people , divided by 3 meals a day = $1.254 per meal per person (includes snacks and desserts)
So $3.76 per person to eat per day (includes snacks and desserts).
Take into account we have so much inventory , we could live on what we have for 309 days total from the start of list (May 21, 2013 through March 25, 2014)
We have so much food in the house now, I do not see how a 47 year old man and 75 year old woman could eat it all.
So, 309 days. Then $2218.79 divided by 309 days, divided by 2 people, divided by 3 meals a day = $1.20 per meal per person.
Take a look at the total grocery list below and tell me
1) Is it ok to eat what is on the list for nutrition?
2) If you had to live on $1.20 per meal (3 meals a day including snacks and desserts) for 309 days,, would you be OK with the grocery list below?
The average food stamp, SNAP, recipient in NJ gets $133 a month, but an individual can get up to $189 a month if a one person household.
A household of 2 can get up to $347 a month
At $1.20 per meal, one person can live on to eat in a 31 day month for $111.60, that is 3 meals a day plus snacks.and desserts.
I can not believe a household of 2 people would complain being lowered to $347 a month, when me and my mom have been living on $224 a month since May 21, and have so much food we might over eat.
combined list for the 66 grocery store visits below
DAIRY
eggs– large grade A—- 372 eggs
milk— 24 half gallons
butter – 22 pounds
american cheese- 12 paks -12 ounces per pak
american cheese – 2 paks – 9.6 ounces per pak
shreaded cheddar cheese – 15 paks – 8 ounces per pak
shreaded mozzarella cheese – 2 paks – 8 ounces per pak
mozzarela cheese – 1 pound
swiss cheese – deli – 2.99 pounds
cream cheese – 10 paks – 8 ounces per pak
cottage cheese – 9 containers – 1 pound per container
cottage cheese – 1 container – 14 ounces per container
sour cream – 1 container – 14 ounces per container
ice cream – ben and jerrys – 5 pints
ice cream – haaghen dazs – 14 ounces
ice cream bars – klondike – 48 bars (8 paks of 6)MEAT
chop beef – 80% lean – fresh – 30.75 pounds
hot dogs – 96 hotdogs- fresh – 12 paks of 8, 14 ounces each pak
london broil– fresh – 6.40 pounds
shell steak – fresh – 1.47 pounds
t bone steaks – fresh – 2 steaks – 2.14 pounds total
beef cubes – fresh – boneless – 2.87 pounds
beef round roast -fresh – 4.07 pounds
beef – seemed eye roast – fresh- 3.90 pounds
spare ribs-pork—fresh – 14.69 pounds
chicken thighs- fresh- 23.31 pounds
chicken breast -fresh – boneless – 10.17 pounds
chicken – 2 whole chickens – 22.423 pounds
chicken breast – split with ribs – 4.24 pounds
ham steaks – 6 ham steaks – 8 ounces each
ham – spiral – 6.98 pounds
turkey breast – frozen- hotel style with wings – 8.03 pounds
pork chops – fresh – 6.24 pounds
italain sausage – 6.96 pounds
polish kelbasi—– 2 paks —-16 ounces per pak
polish kelbasi—–14 paks —14 ounces per pak
polish kielbasa—1 pak ——-13.5 ounces per pak
polish keilbsi—— 2 paks — 13 ounces per pak
kielbsi – fresh – 5.74 pounds
bratwurst—– 14 ounces ( 6 links)
sausage pattits – breakfast – fresh – 12 ounces
sausage links – breakfast – fresh – 2 paks – 12 ounces per pak
bacon — 21 pounds
chili- beef – 2 cans – 15 ounces per can
fried chicken- prepared- 32 piecesFISH
fish filets – breaded – cooked – frozen – 1 box of 6 – 11.4 ounces per box
fish filets – grilled – frozen – 3 boxes – 2 filets per box – 7.1 ounces per box
shrimp – cooked – frozen – (31-40 shrimps) – 40 ounces
tuna fish – 34 cans- —5 ounces per can
sardines – 6 cans – 3.75 ounces per can
sardines – 6 cans – 4.375 ounces per can
fish sticks – frozen – 1 box – 30 fish sticks – 23 ounces per box
coconut shrimp – frozen – 2 boxes – 18 ounces per boxDELI MEATS
salami —————- deli – 5.61 pounds
liverwurst ————-deli – 0.585 pounds
olive loaf ———— deli – 1.545 pounds
ham ——————- deli – 2.135 poundsFRUIT
water mellon——-pre cut, no rind- 2.86 pounds
watermellon —— whole watermellon 9 pounds
watermellon —— whole watermellon
watermellon ——-quarter of a whole – 2.44 pounds
watermellon ——-quarter of a whole – 3.91 pounds
cantelope – 1 cantelope
pineapple– 1 pineapple
strawberries- —- 4 containers – 16 ounces per container
blueberrys – 5 pints
blueberrys – 6 ounces
peaches – 36 peaches
plums —- 31 plums
necterines – 6 necterines
apples – 6 pounds
clementines – 26 pounds
grapes – red – 7.61 pounds
grapes – green – 1.83 pounds
bananas – 6 bananas – 2.56 pounds
fruit cocktail – 2 cans – 15 ounces per can
prunes – sunsweet – 1 can – 18 ounces per can
dole fruit bowls – 4 paks – 4 bowls per pak – 16 ounces per pakVEGETABLES
lettuce – 7 heads
romaine lettuce – 1 head – 1.88 pounds
salad– fresh express prepared romaine- 1 pak – —9 ounces
dole – romaine classic – 1 pak – 9 ounces per pak
dole – romaine classic – 1 pak – 10 ounces per pak
dole – field green salad – 1 pak – 8 ounces per pak
dole iceberg salad – 1 bag – 12 ounces per bag
corn on the cobb—–17 cobbs
potatoes – 15 pounds
yams – 3 pounds
carrots – pre cut – 1 produce bag – 16 ounces
celery- 4 produce paks
celery sticks – organic -1 pound
peppers – green – 16 peppers
peppers – red – 4 peppers – 2.26 pounds
avacados – 9 avacados
mushrooms – 54 ounces
onions – white- 6 pounds
onions – red – 2 pounds
scallions – green onions- 5.5 ounces
garlic—- 7 cloves
baked beans– 1 can – 28 ounces per can
baked beans– 1 can – 16 ounces per can
tomatos– large – 7
tomatos – plum – 5
tomatos on vine – 9 – 2.73 pounds
tomatos – grape – 4 pints
tomatos- del monte stewed- 2 cans — 15.5 ounces per can
tomatos- del monte stewed- 4 cans — 14.5 ounces per can
tomatos – crushed – 4 cans – 28 ounces per can
cream corn – – 5 cans – 14.75 ounces per can
green beans – 3 cans – 14.5 ounces per can
sweet peas – 3 cans – 15 ounces per can
parsely – 1 produce pak
dill- 1 produce pak
parsnips – 3 parsnips
asparagus – 1.08 poundsRICE
rice mix – jumbyya – 4 boxes – 8 ounces per box
rice mix – dirty ——- 3 boxes – 8 ounces per boxBREAD
white bread—————–13 loafs – 20 ounces each
white bread —————–2 loafs — 24 ounces each
rye bread ——————-10 loafs – 1 pound each loaf
rye bread ——————- 4 loafs — 14 ounces per loaf
whole wheat bread —— 2 loafs —-24 ounces each
raisin cinnamon bread – 2 loafs —-16 ounces per loaf
irish soda bread ———–2 loafs —- 14 ounces per loaf
italain bread — fresh baked – 7 loafs
kaiser rolls – 48 rolls
hotdog rolls – 64 rolls – 8 paks of 8
hotdog rolls – 12 rolls – 1 pak of 12 – 18 ounces total
hamburger rolls – 32 rolls – 4 paks of 8
split top party rolls – 1 pak of 8 rolls – 14 ounces per pak
bagels – 24 bagels – 4 paks of 6 – 20 ounces per pak
bagles – bakery – fresh – 33 bagels
english muffins – 2 paks of 6 — 12 english muffins total – 12 ounces per pak
english muffins – 4 paks of 12 — 48 english muffins total —24 ounces per pak
pilsbury grands – biscuits – 6 paks – 16.3 ounces per pakFROZEN BREAD ITEMS
waffles – aunt jemima- 80 waffles – 8 boxes of 10 each – 12.3 ounces per box
waffels – foodtown —– 60 waffles – 6 boxes of 10 each – 12.3 ounces per box
waffles – blueberry ——20 waffles – 2 boxes of 10 each – 12.3 ounces per box
texas toast – frozen- 108 slices – 18 boxes of 6 each – 8.46 ounce per box
texas toast – 1 box – 8 slices – 11.25 ounces per box
texas toast – 3 cheese – frozen – 3 boxes of 4 each – 12 slices total – 6.75 ounces per box
cibatta rolls- frozen– ( 6 half rolls) – 10 ounces CEREAL
raisin bran cereal- 4 boxes — 14.2 ounces per box
raisin bran cereal – 1 box – 14.3 ounces per box
raisin bran cereal- 2 boxes – 13.7 ounces per box
fruitloops cereal – 5 boxes – 8.7 ounces per box
fruitloops cereal – 1 box- 12.3 ounces per box
frosted flakes – 1 box – 10.5 ounces per boxPASTA
elbow macaroni — 5 boxes – 1 pound per box
penne pasta – 2 boxes – 1 pound per boxSIDES
potato salad – deli – 7.5 pounds
coleslaw – dole – 2 bags – 16 ounces per bag
dole coleslaw – 1 bag – 14 ounces per bag
pickles-chips— 3 jars — 24 ounces per jar
macaroni salad – deli – 2 poundsSOUP
soup – romin noodle – 2 boxes – 8.82 ounces per box
soup – wonaton – prepared – hot prepared- 2 containers – 14 ounces per container
soup -cream of mushroom soup – 6 cans – 10.75 ounces per can
soup – beef broth -campbels condensed – 1 can – 10.5 ounces per can
soup – chicken noodle – prepared – 1 container – 20 ounces per containerFROZEN :: MEALS AND SNACKS AND SIDES
shrimp scampi and lugine – frozen meal – 2 bags – 24 ounces per bag
chicken marsala and redskin potatos – frozen meal – 1 bag – 24 ounces per bag
french bread pizza – 3 boxes of 2 each – 6 pieces total – 11.75 ounces per box
french bread pizza – 2 boxes of 2 each – 4 pieces total- 10 3/8 ounces per box
french bread pizza – 3 boxes of 2 each – 6 pieces total – 12 3/8 ounces per box
pizza – 4 pizzas – totinos- 9.8 ounces per box
pizza – 4 pizzas – momma celeste – check on size
pizza rolls – 8 boxes of 15 each – 7.5 ounces per box
white castels – 2 boxes of 6 hamburgers each – 9.5 ounces per box
white castles – 1 box of 16 hamburgers – 25.28 ounces per box
ravioli – 2 bags – 13 ounces per bag
chicken pot pies- 3 pot pies – 16 ounces per pie
mini chicken sandwhiches – 6 sandwhiches – 15 ounces total
pierogies – potato and onion – 9 boxes -16 ounces per box
french fries – 3 bags – 28 ounces per bag
tater bits – 1 bag – 2 pounds per bag
onion rings – 4 bags – 16 ounces per bag
sweet potatos – candied – 3 boxes – 20 ounces per box
pearl onions – 1 box – 9 ounces per box
chicken nuggets – 1 bag – 25.5 ounces per bag
chicken tenders – 2 bags – 26 ounces per bag
chicken strips – 1 bag – 25 ounces per bag
hungry man dinners – salsbury steak – 2 boxes – 16 ounces per box
stouffers macaroni and cheese – 7 boxes – 12 ounces per box
stouffers – chicken parmiginia – 2 boxes – 12 ounces per box
stouffers – salsbury steak – 1 box – 9.625 ounces
stouffers – green pepper steak – 1 box – 10.5 ounces per box
stouffers – sweedish meatballs – 1 box – 11.5 ounces per box
stouffers – meat lovers lasagna – 2 boxes – 10 ounces per box
stouffers – stuffed peppers – 2 boxes – 10 ounces per boxSNACKS
tortilla chips — 9 bags — 13 ounces per bag
potato chips—-2 bags —- 13.75 ounces per bag
potato chips – 4 bags – 10 ounces per bag
potato chips – 3 bag – 10.5 ounces per bag
doritos – 2 bags – 11 ounces per bag
cheese nips crackers- 2 boxes – 12 ounces per box
cheeze it crackers – 2 boxes – 7 ounces per box
ritz crackers – 3 boxes – 13.7 ounces per box
triscut crackers – 2 boxes – 9 ounces per box
pita crackers – town house – 1 box – 9.5 ounces per box
crackers – sea salt and olive oil – 2 boxes – 9.5 ounces per box
crackers – pita – 2 boxes – 9.5 ounces per box
flat bread crisps – 1 box – 9.5 ounces per box
saltine crackers – 1 box – 1 pound per box
alomond nuts – blue diamond – assorted – 24 cans – 6 ounces per can
pistacios – 2 bags – 8 ounces per bag
pistacios – 2 bags – 1 pound per bag
popcorn – microwaveable – 2 boxes of 3 paks each -9.6 ounces per box
popcorn – microwaveable – 3 boxes of 3 paks each -8.25 ounces per box
tic tacs – 1 container – 1 ounce
milano cookies – 4 paks – 7.5 ounces per pakDESSERTS
jello – 1 pak of 4 – 13.5 ounces total
cherry pie – 1 pie – 1.5 pounds
cherry pie – frozen – 3 boxes – 3 pies – 27 ounces per box
cocnut custard pie – frozen – 1 box – 1 pie – 27 ounces per box
apple pie – frozen – 1 box – 1 pie – 27 ounces per box
blueberry pie – frozen – 1 box – 1 pie – 27 ounces per box
cheese danish – 8 ounces
cheese danish – 15 ounces
pepperidge farm layer cake – frozen – 2 cakes – 11.6 ounces each cake
fudge iced golden cake – 1 cake- 18 ounces per cake
mallamar cookies – 2 paks – 8 ounces per pak
hershey snak candy – almond joy – 4 bags – 11.3 ounces per bag
hersheys – snak size – 2 bags – 10.35 ounces per bag
reeses peanut butter cups – 2 bags – 10.5 ounces per bag
tiramisu – 5.84 ounces
donuts – 1 box of 8 – 15 ounces
raspberry danish twist – 1 box – 14 ounces
raspberry danish twist -2 boxes – 15 ounces per box
cherry cheese danish – 16 ounces
louisiana crunch cake – 20 ounces
apple puffs – 1 box of 6 apple puffs – 19 ounces per box
walnut coffee ring – 13 ouncesEXTRAS
mayonaise—- 5 jars – 30 ounces per jar
ketchup – 2 bottles – 38 ounces per bottle
ketchup – 1 bottle – 20 ounces per bottle
mustard – spicy brown – 2 bottles – 12 ounces per bottle
mustard – kosciusko – 1 jar – 9 ounces per jar
relish- 4 jars – -10 ounces per jar
relish – 1 jar – 16 ounces per jar
barbecue sauce—- 1 bottle – 17.3 ounces per bottle
barbecue sauce- 2 bottles – 28 ounces per bottle
barbecue sauce – 2 bottles- 18 ounces per bottle
turkey gravy – 2 jars – 12 ounces per jar
soy sauce—— 1 bottle – 10 ounces per bottle
pancake syrup – 1 bottle – 27.6 ounces per bottle
pancake syrup – 1 bottle – 24 ounces per bottle
appricot preserves – 1 jar – 18 ounces per jar
peach preserves – 1 jar – 12 ounces per jarscampi sauce — campbells skillet – 2 paks – 9 ounces per pak
marsala sauce – campbells skillet – 1 pak – 9 ounces per pak
toasted seseme sauce – campbells skillet – 1 pak – 9 ounces per pak
chinese style 5 spice plum sauce – 1 bottle – 11.8 ounces per bottle
meat marinade – 3 paks – 1 ounce per paksaurkraut – 5 pounds
horse raddish – 1 jar – 6 ounces per jarfrench salad dressing– 2 bottles – 16 ounces per bottle
french salad dressing– 1 bottle – 8 ounces per bottle
ranch salad dressing—-1 bottle – 16 ounces per bottle
raspberry and walnut salad dressing – 3 bottles – 16 ounces per bottle
thousand island salad dressing – 1 bottle – 8 ounces per bottletomato paste – 14 cans – 6 ounces per can
tomato sauce – 2 cans – 8 ounces per cans
pasta sauce – 4 jars – 24 ounces per jarfrench onion dip- 8 containers -12 ounces per container
bacon ranch dip – 2 containers – 12 ounces per container
salsa – peach mango – 4 containers — 14 ounces per container
gucamole dip – 2 containers – 8 ounces per container
gucamole mix – 4 paks – 1 ounce per paksugar- 4 pounds
black pepper – 4 ounces
vinegar – 1 gallon
wesson oil – 1 bottle – 64 ounces per bottle
lemon juice – 2 lemon shaped containers – 2.5 ounces each
parmeseasn cheese – 1 jar – 3 ounces per jarcrutons- ny texas toast- 6 bags – 5 ounces per bag
crutons – cheese garlic – 1 bag – 5 ounces per bag
crutons – 3 bags – 5 ounces per bag
bread crumbs – 1 can – 16 ounces per can
bread crumbs – 1 can – 15 ounces per can
bread crumbs – 2 boxes – 4 ounces per boxonion soup and dip mix – 1 box – 2 paks per box – 2 ounces per box
taco seasoning – 1 pak – 1.5 ounces per pak
taco seasoning – 2 paks – 1 ounce per pak
taco dinner kit – 2 boxes – 12 shells, 2 seasonings per box – 10 ounces per box
taco dinner kit – 4 boxes – 10 shells and 1 mix per box – 8.8 ounces per boxstove top stuffing – 10 boxes – 6 ounces per box
chicken broth – college inn – 1 pak – 48 ounces per pak
beef broth – 1 can – 14.5 ounces per canpickled beats and onions – 16 ounces
cranberry sauce – jellied – 1 can – 14 ounces per can
SODA
coke- zero————288—- 12 ounce cans
coke—– ————–168- — 12 ounce cans
sunkist soda ——–72 —- 12 ounce cans
rootbeer—————-60——12 ounce cans
7 up———————48——12 ounce cans
dr pepper ————-72——12 ounce cans
uprite soda – ———3——-12 ounce cans
black cherry soda -3——–12 ounce cans
coke- ——–2 bottles —-1.25 liters per bottle
dr pepper –2 bottles —–1.25 liters per bottleJUICE
orange juice- —————————–26 bottles ——59 ounces each
juice drink – dole peach-mango—– 2 bottles —– 59 ounces each
pomegranite blueberry juice ——– 2 bottles——-59 ounce each
cranberry pomegranite juice ——– 6 bottles—— 64 ounces each
cranberry juice ————————— 6 bottles——-64 ounces each
cranberry juice ————————— 4 bottles——-60 ounces each
hawaiian punch – orange- 1 gallon
apple cider – 2 bottles – 64 ounces per bottle
V8 juice – 2 bottles – 46 ounces per bottleWATER
water- bottled — 120 bottles — 16.9 ounce bottles
vitamin water ———— 6 bottles – —16.9 ounce bottlesCOFFEE AND ICE TEA
coffee— 14 cans — 11.3 ounce cans
ice tea mix – 74.1 ounce can – makes 28 quarts
A family I know finds help at Dollar Tree and Big Lots. There are resourceful folks out there who try hard to make a lot out of a little. God Bless Them!
I would also add that it sounds like a member of the author’s household is disabled and can probably spend time looking through the ads and searching for coupons. Not to mention tracking them together with the shopping list. It’s a great way to save money, but it can take an incredible amount of time and concentration.
It takes my mom about 15 minutes or so to make the list from the flers in the Sunday newspaper (which those come on saturday). Not a lot of time at all. Sometimes I have to go to 2 stores, and sometimes on different days of the week depending when the sales start for certain items. As far as typing up the list and keeping track, that takes about 10-15 minutes a week as well. It is a small hobby. My m om eats as much as I do and does most all the cooking, with some help from me. Shopping for groceries is something that should be a no brainer, not much thought at all, just automatic. One thing I failed to mention was the price plus card that supermarkets give you. The other day at foodtown I paid 37 dollars for groceries, but without the price plus card it would have been 63 dollars. For axample an item on the shelf for 3.99 is sold at 1.99 with the price plus card. Whoever shops at the supermarket without the price plus card is throwing money away. I fear people with free government money in SNAP, because they did not earn the money, often dont care what the price is and may not use a price plus card.
Here’s the problem, just as this person noted, “Also I believe in order to eat on less than 4 dollars a day with the list we have, you also need a home to live in with a kitchen and all the appliances and cookware, not to mention gas, electric,water, sewer, garbage pickup, a mortgage or rent, property taxes, and a car with gasoline to get to the stores – to mention a few things. ”
So, let’s change the scenario a bit to a single woman with two pre-teens (who have unbelievable appetites), and whose husband is in jail so is unable to help with any expenses. She’s working two minimum wage jobs just to keep the kids in some sort of housing, lives in a food desert, i.e., no decent grocery stores nearby, the stove in her rented house only has one working burner and the landlord refuses to fix it, and she has not had a decent night’s sleep in three years. So just when and how is she supposed to spend what looks like hours and hours of week of shopping and cooking for her family. Yep, by all means, let’s cut the resources available to them and ensure that the kids grow up without the necessary nutrients to feed growing brains. That will really equip them to be productive adults.
Thank you both, for posting my story and giving some feedback. I remember when I was child growing up in thr 1970’s with my 2 brothers, my mom wouild often feed us french toast for dinner. We seldom, if ever, had steak. Grilled cheese was also a common meal. We would look forward to my grandparents coming from Brooklyn on the weekends because my mom and grandmother would go grocery shoping (my granfmother would help out financialy), and we always had a nice Sunday supper.
Having a support system is important. If people, like you describe, do not have family support then the government steps in with cash. I am not against this. I am still trying to figure things out about the circumstances though.
Christy your scenario is realistic, but used to promote a flawed premise. No, let’s NOT cut those resources, leaving them rather in the hands of a self-serving bureaucracy that will always seek primarily to perpetuate itself. That way I can see the 24-year old, morbidly obese, CHF, brand new mom, or the morbidly obese 15 year old diabetic, already on two oral hypoglycemics, both fresh across the street from government housing, and I’ll bet my last earned dollar both on food stamps, with some WIC for good measure. And that was in just one hour this afternoon in the ER. Institutionalized compassion will keep those two women dependent and stagnant throughout their disabled lives, because a realistic, true-to-life scenario will be repeated as a sob story with which to perpetuate the conditions which contributed to landing that sad single mother of two into her original tragedy. A tragedy that would seemingly be compounded by hitting up struggling taxpayers for further subsidies to provide gratis “a home to live in with a kitchen and all the appliances and cookware…car with gasoline…” et al.
No, let’s change rather the premise that one person’s circumstances may forcibly become another person’s burden. Pour more money into a bad premise, and you will only subsidize, and further misery.
I am a strong believer in personal responsibility and think that the book “Toxic Charity” by Robert Lupton speaks powerfully to the damage that is done by the kind of charity that has ended up enabling generational poverty. I’m also aware that getting out of that cycle is extraordinarily difficult and takes a huge number of resources. When a significant portion of the US is living in deep, desperate poverty, the entire nation is hurt as well–we have to look to both corporate culpability as well as individual responsibility.
Frankly, it costs quite a bit to eat really healthily. The morbidly obese too often get that way because the foods that are cheap and plentiful also tend to promote obesity (massive amounts of wheat, corn and sugar). It’s extremely difficult to break those eating patterns, and making it harder by cutting food subsidies only makes it worse.
I personally eat an extremely healthy diet and I would estimate it costs about $5-6/day to feed myself this way. And that is with no meals out or special treats–just good quality, as fresh as possible, food. It pays off–I have no medical bills, no medications, and am in my mid-60’s.
I am currently on an extended stay with my son and his Colombian-born wife and their children. They area all in perfect health–because of the way they eat–all is fresh, as organic as possible, and cooked at home. They do live in a very expensive area (London), but I estimate it costs at least $1200/month to feed them–and my d-i-l spends hours in food prep each day–cooking three healthy meals plus snacks every day. They rarely eat out and the children (6 and 7) have never tasted fast food or had a soft drink.
Now, go back to the single mother working two minimum wage jobs to keep a roof over their head and say that it is OK to make it harder to feed her family, dooming them to poor health and poor brain development and say that this is good for the larger society. It’s not.
It is also not good to have a system that perpetuates those living conditions. But we do. That’s the US, with minimum wages so low that a family cannot survive on them.
There are no easy answers here.
Well, but if you were poor, would you complain about the combined grocery list in the article, for $3.76 per day per person, over the course of 295 days? Is th elist so bad that most of the items should not be eaten? I have sent th elist to nutritionalists and have failed to receive a response. Why is it it seems that people on food stamps expect steak for 3 meals a day and a 4 course steak and lobster dinner every night?