Living it up on the tax payers dime a weeks worth of food stamps

reply to post by wantsome


This is sickening to me, all these people telling this person how to eat? I'd use it differently too, but I don't get to tell anyone else to eat.

But these fine libertarian folk - are telling this person how to eat, spend his money.

Did anyone hear - DISABLED -

Personally I thank wantsome for his willingness to share his experience.

Isn't there any compassion left in the world.

FyreByrd

Did anyone hear - DISABLED -

Isn't there any compassion left in the world.

There is plenty of compassion left in the world and just because someone is disabled doesn't mean that they can't overcome their disabilities, or at least attempt too.

Some people are sharing their thoughts with the OP, trying to help out by giving pointers.

Here is something that everyone should watch because it shows great barriers can be overcome.

I have a good friend who has MS. He has not been able to work for the last year due to his illness. He told me that he receives food stamps. Of course I asked him how he felt about it, and he told me he didn’t have a problem with it. He then told me, that when he first started working, he paid in close to $400k into the system in taxes. This made a lot of sense. I know with %100 certainty, that I’ve paid a good $300k myself in taxes. So in saying so, if someone has paid into the fed, should that person really feel bad about receiving those benefits?

reply to post by wantsome


If you had made this thread sincerely wanting help in finding ways to stretch your food allowance people would be falling all over themselves to help you, but your post shows nothing but ingratitude for what you have.
Some people are grateful for what they have while others are miserable because of what they don't have.
In case you haven't noticed, more and more people are struggling every day- tons more than what the media would have you believe.
I noticed you bought a bag of Yukon Gold potatoes. I have always wanted to try them, but since they are the most expensive potatoes you can buy, I buy Russets.
While convenience foods save time, they certainly don't belong in the shopping cart of someone who's having trouble making ends meet.
If you bought a bag of noodles, you could make at least four or five side dishes for 1/5 th of the cost...but I'm pretty sure you already know that.
If you are struggling with your food budget and sincerely want some help, start a new thread asking for help in solving your dilemma, and I bet you'll find hundreds of great suggestions.
Nugget

reply to post by macman


I spent my life working, and one day got hurt and was unable to work... very literally unable for a long time.

I had a family, and to that point spent my working years paying taxes, being told a portion went into helping the needy in this country.

I was permanently disabled, and after paying into social security my working years to that point, I was told by social security that I had to be disabled for two years before I could receive benefits.

I had two children. I also owned a home, not outright but I was paying mortgage and not rent. At that time I was on the verge of loosing everything... my home included. Couldn't stay afloat...

I was damn scared. Really I was... none of this was the fault of either myself or my children... but it was more my fault than it was my kid's... they were just kids...and I was unable to be a proper parent and provide for them...

I had gone to the places that normally are charitable... and found walls instead of charity. It was a small town that I lived in at the time.. and to be honest I was very disillusioned with the people who called themselves religious, because they would rather my family be hungry than to help us with just food. I would have happily accepted rice and beans then... anything so my kids wouldn't be going to bed hungry.

I was a year into being disabled when I applied for food stamps. I was denied... not once but twice.

Told me I had to sell my house before they would give me any food stamps... I wondered then what I was supposed to do after I sold my house and we were on the street, with me disabled and unable to work.. hell I was in a wheelchair at the time.. and if I couldn't pay my mortgage I didn't know how they expected me to pay rent, since my mortgage was much lower than I could have gotten a three bedroom for rent!

So we stuck it out without food stamps, without any help from anyone, even the religious folks in town... (how is a whole another story... which I don't care to share here)

Needless to say, I didn't want steak... I wanted any help... I would have accepted rice... I would have accepted anything at all just to survive that year without starving. And THAT should be the attitude of anyone needing assistance... because if it is not that bad... you probably don't really need it.

There are people who need help.. real help.. who don't care what kind of food it is so long as they wont get sick on it, and so long as they will be able to stay alive on it til they can figure everything out. And they don't care where it comes from... whether it be charities or government assistance..

I do feel like if we spend our lives paying into these programs, they should be there for us when we need it the most... but at the same time, I understand where you are coming from.

No, I didn't want to eat the same as everyone who was working... I certainly am no strangers problem and should never have had to ask from strangers... but charities or something should be there for people in real need.

I am somewhere in between on the issue, because I was hungry enough at one point to do anything to feed my family. Including begging...and I have worked my rear off too in life.. I believe very very strongly in working... I don't believe in being anyone's burden, and I don't understand people who think others owe them something...(especially steak!)

I live now in a city instead of a rural area, and in the cities there is more help and more programs available I have found and seen... which is wonderful... the charities here are great for needy people, and I can get a hot meal from the nuns 5 nights a week... I wish we would have had places like these back when we needed them where I used to live... but there just wasn't.

Where I am now, on charities alone people can survive without the aid of food stamps. In some places, not so much because charities like this are not available everywhere...

So I guess I am just somewhere in between on all these issues... there is a great amount of abusing the system, I see that clearly in the city... and it makes me sick when I remember how hungry my kids were and we were denied what others seem to get so freely... I think that has to stop in no uncertain terms.

I am all for having stores that just have food for the people in need... there only those who are truly needy would go there... and there couldn't be the abuses of the system there are today... I don't think food stamps should buy crap food, and I don't think food stamps should buy expensive steaks either... they are for people who just need to survive... or that's what they were supposed to be for.

I am honestly not sure what they are for anymore.... because they weren't for my kids when they were hungry.... all because I wasn't willing for them to be homeless too.

FyreByrd
reply to post by wantsome

 

This is sickening to me, all these people telling this person how to eat? I'd use it differently too, but I don't get to tell anyone else to eat.

But these fine libertarian folk - are telling this person how to eat, spend his money.

Did anyone hear - DISABLED -

Personally I thank wantsome for his willingness to share his experience.

Isn't there any compassion left in the world.

There is a LOT of compassion in this world...but you don't tend to find much of it being spent on people standing in the 'Whine Line' !
My compassion right now is being spent on the poor folks that are homeless, cold to the bone, hungry, with not a single thing in life left but the clothes on their back, and their spirit, after one of the worst tornado outbreaks our country has ever seen.
You can bet they're living life with a thankful heart today.

0zzymand0s

That's cute, but it misses two things:

1) The massive subsidy we all receive when extra food money enters the local economy via the local grocery store.

2) The need to re-invent (and manage) a new distribution scheme for food, where one already exists.

Actually I wasn't trying to be cute... ever hear of Government cheese?

I disagree with No 1. Anytime the Government is infusing the economy it is like eating your own arm for dinner. i.e. you are getting something but it is not an improvement since this isn't new money entering the economy.


No. 2: Yes, we would need to re-invent distribution system...I notice how you said RE-invent...like we had that at one time, and yes we did. I find that real food handed out actually allows the ability to provide healthy food and makes it extremely hard to scam the system.

I'm sure the OP would love real meat, rice, potatoes, veggies, toiletries etc... given to him instead of cash that just doesn't cut it.

Realtruth

FyreByrd

Did anyone hear - DISABLED -

Isn't there any compassion left in the world.

There is plenty of compassion left in the world and just because someone is disabled doesn't mean that they can't overcome their disabilities, or at least attempt too.

Some people are sharing their thoughts with the OP, trying to help out by giving pointers.

Here is something that everyone should watch because it shows great barriers can be overcome.

edit on 18-11-2013 by Realtruth because: (no reason given)

Yes it is possible for some and they get lots of attention - but to expect everyone to be a superhero isn't compassion - it's - I don't even know what to call it - arrongance, hubris.

Don't give advise unless asked - basic manners.....

OpinionatedB


Hot dogs - .75
hot dog buns - 1.50
chips - 1.00
tomato soup - .75
chicken livers - 1.56
saltine crackers 1.00
10 pounds chicken legs quarters - 7.00
10 pounds of potatoes - 5.00
flour - 2.00
oil - 2.00
frozen vegetables - 3.00
curry powder - 2.00
milk - 3.50
bread - 2.00
cheese - 2.00
rice: 1.00
spice: 1.00
Large container Oatmeal - 2.00
Cold Cereal - 2.00
eggs - 2.00
bananas - 1.00
box of brownie mix - 1.50 (makes a 9 x 13 pan)
_____________

Total: 45.00

Rice and chicken is your friend... a million ways to make it and it taste really good.

It's fine to offer suggestions, such as recipes, shopping tips, cooking tips, etc... but when those suggestions come packaged with criticism and insults... do you really think that your suggestions will be heard? Honestly?

"Oh gee... I think I'll go try all those suggestions from those people that bashed and insulted me..."

And for those saying "The disabled can still work!"

Maybe some can, I know some that can personally. BUT... It all depends on the disability. Sure, lots of people are getting disability benefits that probably shouldn't be... but who are you to say what OP's ability level is or whether or not he is deserving of those benefits? What qualifies you to make that call?

Each disability is different and should be treated on an individual basis. You cannot lump them all together. Apples, oranges and watermelons are ALL fruits, but they are all very different types of fruit and the fact that they are all fruits, is the one and ONLY thing they have in common. See what I mean?

***

OP... Maybe you just need someone to help you plan meals and even teach you how to prepare and freeze them for later. If done right, you can spend one day a month cooking, with budget friendly, nutritious, foods that are still yummy, and have a freezer full of a variety heat and eat meals (or close to it) to last an entire month.

I wonder if you could talk to family or go to a church (or something..idk.. I'm just thinking out loud here) and ask if anyone would be willing to devote that time to help you figure out more strategic shopping, meal planning, and cooking methods. Not do it for you, but just help you figure out what will work better for you and get you started. There are also lots of online resources that can help.

A little more planning and some new ideas, might make life a little more comfortable.. and dinner time more enjoyable.

A few other suggestions to help:

There are recipes online for various home made laundry detergents that cost very little and take little time to make. They have all kinds so you would have to read about them and decide which one to try. There are lots of people that swear by it. I haven't tried it yet. There are also lots of inexpensive homemade cleaning solutions out there, too.

Couponing is really not a bad way to go either. It takes a little planning but you can get a lot of hygiene items, personal care products, cleaning supplies, and household items for really cheap by pairing coupons with store sales and seeking out the various deals as they come along.

You can also comp prices of other store's sales, depending on the store policy (walmart and I think target both do) to keep from going to multiple stores chasing deals. The first link below even emails you a list with the selections you make from their lists of sales. Its also searchable, so you can find specific items.

It's actually kind of fun and it saves money. It's a win.

You could save a little money there and use it to beef up your food budget. An extra 20-30 bucks (or more depending how far you take the couponing... if you do..) a month in savings that you could then have freed up for food, could really help.

Coupon Deal Finder Thingy

Sunday Coupon Preview

reply to post by FyreByrd


That's the point, "disabled" is meaningless. Many supposedly disabled people are quite able. "Unwilling" would be a better description for what ails so many supposedly disabled people. The OP is complaining, essentially, about his poor food choices and many of us are suggesting that a beggar should not be so choosy. If a person is on disability they should be happy to have sustenance, if they would care for more options they can struggle mightily like the rest of us do to create some income.

I have interviewed many "disabled" people at the hospital and they have given me a broad range of answers as to what their disabilities are. Probably 1 in 10 have actually been wheelchair bound or otherwise actually disabled. The rest have been walking, talking, able bodied, relatively young people in good health. They frequently list ADD, Anxiety, PTSD(non war veterans), Chronic Pain and Depression as their disabilities. Pretty much every human being has felt unfocused, anxious, scared, depressed or in pain at some point but you gotta get up and go to work baby!

People keep suggesting that the total cost of welfare and disability claims are a very small portion of the US budget and therefore should just be accepted. That is baloney. I don't care how low of a cost it is, I don't care to support one lazy person no matter what. And I think a lot of people agree with that. And if I hear one more person suggest that children are going to be starving to death on the streets....obesity affects the welfare demographic harder than anyone. Those kids could use a few forced weeks of low caloric intake. Plus the poor parenting of welfare/disability mommies and daddies is not the kind of parenting that these kids need anyway. We should cut support for them. Hunger is a great motivator.

FyreByrd

Don't give advise unless asked - basic manners.....

When someone speaks out on a public forum, telling their woes and saying they are thinking about shooting squirrels in their backyard for protein, they are not asking for help and advice, they are screaming for it.

The fact the OP had the guts to post it is amazing by itself, so it shows they have guts and willingness to look for others responses be it negative, or positive.

Also the fact that this is not TV where it's a one-way streak, most likely people will respond before they think, and some will respond with malice, but that doesn't mean that we need to focus on the negative input.

If the OP focuses on the positive input here, then most likely they will be able to form their own agenda.

reply to post by daryllyn


I think the point for many here is that those on food stamps tend to buy junk food and higher priced processed foods.

As example:

1 pound of cooked rice..............25
1 pound of boneless thighs.......1.30
1 pound of dried peas...............90
1 pound of dried lentils.............90
spice...................................15

total 3.50....not too bad for about 5 POUNDS of food.

hammanderr
reply to post by FyreByrd

 

I have interviewed many "disabled" people at the hospital and they have given me a broad range of answers as to what their disabilities are. Probably 1 in 10 have actually been wheelchair bound or otherwise actually disabled. The rest have been walking, talking, able bodied, relatively young people in good health. They frequently list ADD, Anxiety, PTSD(non war veterans), Chronic Pain and Depression as their disabilities. Pretty much every human being has felt unfocused, anxious, scared, depressed or in pain at some point but you gotta get up and go to work baby!

And if I hear one more person suggest that children are going to be starving to death on the streets....obesity affects the welfare demographic harder than anyone. Those kids could use a few forced weeks of low caloric intake. Plus the poor parenting of welfare/disability mommies and daddies is not the kind of parenting that these kids need anyway. We should cut support for them. Hunger is a great motivator.

I hate these Tea Party type comments about poor and disabled people. They are always based on what someone saw instead of real studies. Less than 15% of claims are for mental or substance abuse disabilities. legalbrief.com...

You see what you want to see instead of the truth.

And the part about having hunger as a motivator - there's no way I can even begin to understand how someone could justify having a child go hungry.

And as for your wonderful theory about letting children and adults go hungry to motivate them - this idea was practiced before food stamps and during the Great Depression up to 7 million people died. Death isn't a motivator.

The thing that you're doing is looking at the total cost of the package and thinking of it as something you are going to finish off in one sitting.

It's not.

You buy a package of chicken parts like that, and it will last you for a while. You bring it home, break it up into portions and freeze what you aren't using immediately.

And nets you enough homemade chicken stock to make your next pot of chicken soup ... or anything else that needs chicken broth for that matter.

Wean yourself off of pop and onto tea if you can. It's much more economical than pop. One box of family size tea bags runs about $3.50 for 24 and a family size tea bag makes about as much as a 2 ltr of pop. Yeah, the $3.50 is initially more expensive, but it makes the equivalent of 24 2 liters of pop. So, it saves you about $20.

Yes, peanut butter is expensive, but it's also a long-term buy. How long will it be before you need to make that purchase again? Contrast that with the pie. You're going to eat that pie before you need to go shopping again. Odds are that you will spend way more on pies than you will buying one jar of peanut butter even if the peanut butter is more up front.

When I make the weekly list in this house, there are certain rules I apply - I always shop the sales ad. I have a certain price point that I try to get our non-essential items under (for example, I don't let us spend more than $2 on any bag of chips which rules out most all of them). I look for items we need for Sunday cooking first, then best sales items, essentials, and lastly "luxury" items we might want to pick up.

We always shop in produce first, hit meat second, then sweep through dairy and frozen before touching the aisles. Ideally, we've spent 2/3 or more of our budget before we get to the processed stuff. We also stick to a budget and take a calculator to keep tabs on it.

And finally, learn to cook. Seriously. It will help you stretch your food dollar like nothing else. My husband and I were neither one cooks when we met, but we have learned how. Do you know what helped us a lot? Food Network. We learned a lot about not being afraid to just try things. Another thing that really helped us was a gift a high school friend gave us as a wedding present - a first rate kitchen reference. It's the type of thing that supports the recipe by telling you what it means when the recipe says "Poach your chicken ..."

reply to post by Daughter2


He's referring to people like my brother-in-law's older brother who lives on disability because he lost his toe.

That's it.

Do you also know when the current crop of disability claims skyrocketed in this country? About the time when unemployment ran out.

reply to post by Daughter2


So you truly believe that anyone is going to starve to death in the USA? I don't. 15%, that's a high number. I'm actually okay with kids going to bed at night, a bit hungry, not actually starving mind you. It will motivate them to never leave their fate in another persons hands. Go to the welfare/disability sign up office, I don't know if it's the same location, people like me don't know these kinds of things. But yeah, do your own research, tell me how many truly disabled people you find. Yeah, and while you're at it find me some starving children, 3rd world skinny American kids. Besides for cases of child abuse these welfare kids are, by and large, healthy and strong and preparing their own disability resumes.

macman
reply to post by LDragonFire

 

No, others don't take care of me. I don't receive Govt handouts. Never have.
And spare me the whole "Well, what if you did", or "It may happen" crap.
I will not take Govt handouts. I have planed accordingly in life. Others should and need to do the same.

You don't receive Govt handouts? So you have your own private roads, security force, fire department, do quality checks on your own water and food, and conduct your own medical research? Do you deduct your children or home interest? I bet if your kid had cancer, you would refuse any treatments paid for with Govt funds?

You get PLENTY of government benefits - but since they haven't yet been labeled as benefits.

As for your plans, haha........NO ONE IS IMMUNE FROM NEEDING HELP!

hammanderr
reply to post by Daughter2

 

So you truly believe that anyone is going to starve to death in the USA? I don't. 15%, that's a high number. I'm actually okay with kids going to bed at night, a bit hungry, not actually starving mind you. It will motivate them to never leave their fate in another persons hands. Go to the welfare/disability sign up office,

Yes, I really do believe that people could start to starve to death. Why?- past history. Before food stamps and other aid, that's exactly what happened.

As for hunger motivating children - again, read actual studies instead of right wing rich "theories". Hunger doesn't motivate, it makes it more difficult for children to learn, more prone to behavior problems and could lead to permanent cognitive and physical disabilities.

Here's the list. feedingamerica.org...
Click on the link for the specific study this FACT IS BASED ON.

Physical Health

Food insecurity in adults is associated with a variety of negative physical health outcomes.
•
Food insecure adults between the ages of 18 and 65[ii],[iii],[iv] and seniors over age 65[v] may receive fewer nutrients, which may hinder their ability to live a full and active life.

•
Food insecurity is associated with lower scores on physical and mental health exams.[vi]

•
Food insecure adults have an increased risk of developing diabetes.[vii],[viii]

•
Food insecurity is associated with a range of chronic illnesses such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and various cardiovascular risk factors.[ix]




Mental Health

Food insecurity in adults has a demonstrated relationship with a number of mental health issues and human behavior problems.
•
Food insecure adults may experience higher levels of aggression and anxiety.[x],[xi]

•
Food insecurity has also been correlated with slower developing social skills. [xii]



Maternal Health

Food insecurity may be detrimental to the health of expectant mothers as it is associated with a range of physical and mental complications.
•
Food insecure mothers may receive fewer nutrients and experience long term physical health problems.[xiii]

•
Food insecure women may be at greater risk of major depression and other mental health problems. [xiv],[xv]

reply to post by AfterInfinity


LOL you hit the nail on the head. Millions to billions sent to other countries, 100's of military bases spread out around the world, couple million dollars spent so Obama can go play golf. Apparently in Washington money does grow on tree's.