Does our local office see what we are buying...is there a copy of our receipt that gets fwd'd to them? Are we supposed to use our monthly allotment or try to save the government as much money as we can, from a moral point of view? I am asking this because I know some people who still try to save because they feel they are cheating the government if they use it all up and don't really need it, and others who use what's left over for canned things like tuna that expire in 4 years...just in case at a future time they run out of food. I see people here listing organic food and pretty expensive stuff while some of my friends are still doing the "dollar a day" challenge that was seen on tv...or trying to stick to a little more than a dollar a day (chicken at 59 cents a pound and having 1/2 pound or less for dinner equalling 30 cents). Others will blow $8 on a cooked chicken. What do most people do? I have only been on this for a few weeks but have only bought sale items except for milk and things that are pretty much the same price all year round. I am not addressing this to the people who don't get enough for a family but to people who may not need quite as much as they are getting. Splurge on the good stuff or still get super sales and save the gov't money or save it for yourself for a rainy day?

I'm not on foods stamps, but I try to save $$$ on food. My budget is nowhere near as lavish as it was several years ago. I also hate to waste food.

I love to find a bargain when it comes to food, but I also know that there is no savings if I won't eat the product I find really cheap.

About cooked chicken. The rotisserie chickens I buy are $6.99. They are $1.00 off on Fridays at Food LIon. After I've eaten the chicken I freeze the carcass and I make chicken stock for soups.

I do not like dark meat chicken. I never have liked it. I used to like chicken wings, but they are not like they used to be. When I buy chicken breasts, I wait until they are on sale or I have a coupon.

You will find if you read my posts that I use both my store cards and coupons plus I shop the sales. If I buy frozen veggies on sale it means that I'll have meals with them.

You won't find me buying tuna fish either. I just don't eat it. I do not eat much seafood.

If I'm going to eat a really cheap meal I am very happy with the store brand boxed mac & cheese. I actually prefer Harris Teeter's store brand of mac & cheese to the Kraft brand.

And, yes, I truly like boxed mac & cheese. I used to live on 3/$1.00 mac & cheese because I couldn't afford other foods. On the plus side of that, I had enough calcium and that's one reason my broken ankle bones knit in 1995 when they were not supposed to mend.

 I cannot speak for people on now (I did recieve help at one time) but I have the belief that what I eat now is going to have a part in my medical bill down the line.  If you spend a tad bit more for the brown rice, the brown bread or the ww pasta, you are going to head off some issues that you wouldn't eating the "cheap"stuff.  In my community cooked chickens are only a couple dollars more than a whole, uncooked chicken.  I figure that what I save in fuel costs (not only cooking the bird but cooling the house) more than makes that a good deal.

Granola...I agree. As long as I'm allotted a certain amount, I may as well go healthy. Who am I hurting but myself otherwise? I have high cholesterol and even though I skip beef because of the prices, I am also skipping it because it damages my health but I would love some heart healthy salmon now and then. It's usually $7 a pound or more but I'm not going to be so cheap as long as I can do it. This is new to me, lost part of my job and am stone broke, that's why I got food stamps. This board is helping lots.

2ndGenGranola:

 I cannot speak for people on now (I did recieve help at one time) but I have the belief that what I eat now is going to have a part in my medical bill down the line.  If you spend a tad bit more for the brown rice, the brown bread or the ww pasta, you are going to head off some issues that you wouldn't eating the "cheap"stuff.  In my community cooked chickens are only a couple dollars more than a whole, uncooked chicken.  I figure that what I save in fuel costs (not only cooking the bird but cooling the house) more than makes that a good deal.

 

I'm not receiving aid, but I agree with both this and what VN said - higher quality food is better for people, and will, in general, decrease other costs, especially medical, saving much more in those costs than the additional cost of the foods, and buying cheap food that gets thrown out instead of eaten is a waste of money and kitchen space.

Food Stamps are intended for assisting individuals or families to meet their nutritional needs, hence the new name: Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP). The allotment is calculated for you to meet the cost of feeding yourself and your family. Once you receive the allotment it is yours and if you don't spend it, either on your current needs or to "stock up", they will eventually 'fall off' your EBT balance, though I'm not sure how long that takes. Your case manager or someone at the call center would be able to tell you.

If you lived near me I would give you my rain check for salmon at $3.99 a pound (limit of 2 pounds) at Harris Teeter. Harris Teeter's rain checks never expire. I got it back in 2006 when Mom was still at home.

Have you tried shopping at Pathmark or King Kullen? They have good sales and prices, according to my friend who used to live on Long Island.

I do not eat as much meat as I used to. I have gotten very good at making quiches. I also try new things to eat.

 We did the $1 a day for several months before food stamps- and I don't think we ate healthy for 6 months.  Little milk or produce.  We didn't feel as well.   It was tons of noodles and potatoes.  We are vegetarian.  Now we are getting food stamps, I am buying lots of great food- produce, cheese, bagels, milk, juice, some treats- ice cream, frozen pizza, some snacks for school, etc.  You have a year to "spend" your food stamp allotment.  I am a big advocate of enough food, healthy food, and occasional treat or special occasion food.  You should be able to enjoy your food and get the healthiest food you are able to, regardless if that is from your own grocery budget or what the government will subsidize with food stamps.  SNAP is there to be used, there is no reason to try to cut back on what is given in the interest of economizing if it won't be healthy and save medical bills.  Food manufacturers and agriculture are getting a boost from food stamps, with one in ten people now on food stamps, dare I say it is probably keeping several products on the grocery store shelves? Although it is laudable that you are trying to save the government money, if you are getting $162/mo as a single person, using $30 for food, it would be over a year from now when you had over $1584 in excess when it would start dropping off gradually, before the higher rates.  Multiply this by the number of family members you have, prorated for children, the dollar amount is figured on a "thrifty budget" for food.  I would say buy what you need and enjoy, and if there is a ton left in a year and a half, the goverment will start gradually taking back the funds, although at that point if your situation has changed and you are going off food stamps, you might want to stock the pantry for the months when you have job expenses- gas, clothes, child care, etc, and before you are collecting your paychecks yet, and for those first few months of work that tend to be expensive.  I know when I start a new job or venture, my house relies a little more on frozen and convenience foods, such as prepared salads, prepackaged snacks, single serve yogurt, frozen lasagna and pizza.  That's just my 2 cents, I was not happy about needing food stamps, but now we are using them, we are very grateful and I very much enjoy the convenience of the card to get what we would like.  I know we also use a lot less at the grocery store than many of my friends, but less than some people on here, "cheating" the government by using what they give you to use is kind of a slippery slope, I guess I would rather not have a discussion among the forum as to whether people "deserve" the food they buy with stamps or if they are percieved as "cheating" the government by buying certain items, because it might easily result in hurt feelings.  Basically, if you qualify for assistance, I think you probably need it, and should not have to feel guilty for using it to help during a rough time, or if you have issues that make it difficult to impossible to work. 

 I'm not on gov't asst, but I will put my 2cents in...

It is your money given for the purpose of obtaining nourishment. You have lots of freedom in how it's spent, but isn't it wiser to spend it to bring the most nourishment for your family? I think the ppl who use the money as frugally as possible, then use the leftover for longterm food supplies are doing the best thing. I have been looking into gathering enough food stores to feed my family for 1 year, then work up to 3. I will not do this until we have a more permanent housing situation (this coming fall/winter).