Vent: I miss food stamps.

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Forum -> Household Management -> Finances

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amother

Snowflake

Wed, Nov 30 2022, 12:28 pm

Living on government handouts provides you a feeling of safety but no ability to potentially grow.
Sometimes you just have to let go.

amother

Bergamot

Wed, Nov 30 2022, 12:31 pm

I’m so sorry you’re going through this. No one should have to go into debt to afford basic living expenses. I know it’s just one more thing to think about, but are there other programs that might take some of the financial burden off in other ways? Rental/mortgage assistance, utility assistance, debt relief programs, free and reduced lunch credits for your boarding students? Tomchei shabbos, food banks? Even local giveaway groups on Facebook or WhatsApp can be good places to find basics that people don’t want.

chocolate moose

Thu, Dec 01 2022, 2:22 pm

I understand. When we were no longer eligible for WIC, I cried.

amother

Quince

Tue, Dec 13 2022, 10:46 am

I get you
in the same boat
it's tough

amother

Cerise

Tue, Dec 13 2022, 11:37 am

I totally understand. I have never gotten food stamps but affording food is so expensive these days. We are struggling. We never go out to eat. The Fleishig supper I make once a week is chicken wings. Suppers are very simple. Hang in there!

mushkale

Tue, Dec 13 2022, 11:45 am

This is why I always thought that assistance of this kind should be a sliding scale. You make a little more, you get a little less until you reach the threshold instead of a hard stop

amother

Tue, Dec 13 2022, 4:16 pm

Yesterday was really depressing.

We live OOT so if I want to have meat, chicken, fish, bread, milk or cheese we need to buy it when we are "in town." And DH was going into "town" (I.e. the big city) for the last time before Chanukah.

I very carefully put together online orders at three different stores to save money. It was still close to $1,000 of food, but should have lasted at least a month.

But the credit cards are all maxed out, and a payment (which I didn't have money for anyhow) wouldn't go through on time, so no go. So none of the Chanukah nosh I was planning, and no chicken or fish or milchigs for the next few weeks.

I think we have enough tuna for one week. I shouldn't have made chicken for Shabbos last week, I should have saved it for soup for the next few weeks. Sad

DH did manage to get some bread from one store that lets us buy on account so I guess that's something.

naturalmom5

Wed, Dec 14 2022, 1:29 am

amother OP wrote:

DH did manage to get some bread from one store that lets us buy on account so I guess that's something.

Is there a way I can help you

Years ago , when I was very bad off someone on this forum paid off my account at a store
Bh, im doing better and I want to pay it forward

amother

Bluebell

Wed, Dec 14 2022, 2:49 am

I hear you OP.
Not sure where you live.. if you have an Aldi or wal mart near you + can grow some of your food, it may be helpful. We are in/have been in this situation and weve been spending under $100/wk on food out of no choice. Like you said, even when there is influx of $$, it is needed for other crucial expenses/debts that are due/past due.
Some tips that may help.
No fancy food. Chicken only for shabbos and get creative with it - pulled chicken in wraps = less chicken used. Bones pkg for cholent. Chicken breasts out of the question - too expensive. (sometimes ill buy a pkg for YT and make stir fry). Thats the most we would use per week besides for a child in family who has special dietary needs.
Beans, rice - cheap side to use. (we dont do well on pasta - if it works for your family its another option)
There were food boxes for a while, not anymore - perhaps yes where you live?
Many times ppl get too much milk on WIC and may have to give away. We dont drink milk - just a suggestion.
Any meat, yogurt = luxury - not necessary. We buy meat ONLY for yom tov and that is with food voucher we get before Pesach. We keep more in freezer for other YT later in the year.
Oatmeal is cheap and can do a lot with it.
Fish = luxury. We just dont buy it. For friday night the choice is one or the other. Fish or chicken, not both. Only both if its chicken bones in the soup. At Aldis is about $8/lb and we stretch it as best we could so it isnt so expensive and even cheaper than chicken for us.
Chanukah is coming up. If you go to bakery at end of day and ask what they do with leftovers, many times they are donating it somewhere. One night I took my family to bakery last year and they were happy to give us some at end of day. They had us pay for maybe one or two and gave us a few more than that.
Now my kids are in school so those who are able eat what the school provides do that.

Lots of foods ppl buy are really luxury. With older kids the snacking can become more challenging - crunch your #s and make a budget to work within if it applies.

See if there is any way at all to crunch numbers down on non food related expenses too.

On the outside, ppl likely have no clue that we cant afford the basics. It's a miracle that we have what we have - I 'splurged' and spent $200 on a year or two worth of clothing for my kids in summer when they were totally outgrown their clothing sizes and clothes were between $2 and $10 in kidichic so they look pretty put together despite this. Me on the other hand, I keep wearing the same few outfits and just say 'I cant find anything I like' when ppl ask.

**if you have neighbors who grow anything, they may have excess of something. We pretty much lived off of a neighbors tree of an excess food they had too much of for a season recently.

amother

Charcoal

Wed, Dec 14 2022, 6:48 am

amother Ginger wrote:

I know exactly what you mean.
We had food stamps and it was such a lifesaver.
Now I only have one eligible child but I still have a houseful of kids either in yeshiva or college who don't qualify.
We tried to apply but we make $200 too much and no way to reduce it.
It is so frustrating.
I miss them also.

Please ask if they are eligible to open their own snap cases. My dd who was living at home was eligible ( has a specific dietary need, student etc ) many are not aware of this. In fact we did not know until our case manager told us.

mikayla18

Thu, Dec 15 2022, 11:06 am

amother OP wrote:

DH did manage to get some bread from one store that lets us buy on account so I guess that's something.

I'm fairly new to this forum so not sure if this is unwarranted or in bad taste but can I help? PM me please

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