Are the poor fat?
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I have been reading and have to put in my two cents. For a adult who has no children the assistance you get with food stamps is laughable. I remember growing up, my great aunt who was in her 70's , lived alone, and received a whooping 30 dollars a month . Now, we would take her grocery shopping because she could not drive by this point, and that 30 dollars def was no way near enough. My mom would have to always pay for majority of it. Everyone is not able to get the assistance they need.0
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The problems can be compounded further if you have some accident - maybe fall on ice and crack a bone, (Not wishing it on you) or some other misc out of your control thing happens, attacked in the street by somebody - or whatever causes some injury that requires a hospital visit .. imagine your insurance agrees to cover 80% of your bill, that sounds great until you realize the bill is 200k and you now need to stump up 40k cash on demand or face losing your home!
Poor people pay $40K bills?!0 -
It's called not buying name brands.I've gone through moments, especially as a single mom, when money was so tight I had to get creative. It's not hard to spend $20 on enough food to get you through pay day, especially when you buy store-brand.
Whole wheat bread 99¢
Peanut butter $2
Brown rice in a bag 99¢
Banana 89¢ a bundle
Beans 99¢
Block of cheese $2
2 cans tuna $1
4 bag of frozen veggies $4
Bag of frozen boneless chicken breast $7
$20 grocery list.
ETA: I never see people on food stamps buy healthy food and the program doesn't really give them any reason to.. Indiana just reduced food stamps a bit and people were outraged... people who get between $400 and $700 a month in food stamps. HOW THE HELL do you spend that much on food a month? Even my family of 3, with big appetites, spends about $250 a MONTH on food and we budget loosely. For people who get WIC, it's not hard for them to follow a list of approved items such as bread, milk, beans and cheese.. Why can't the food stamps program ALSO have a list of approved items? Things like $6-7 frozen DiGiorno pizzas don't belong in a cart of someone on assistance when they are buying 5 at a time. That's money that could be well spent on many other meals.
I don't know where the heck you find those prices - whole wheat breat is at least $3 a loaf.....not sure where you get peanut butter for $2...block of cheese - is that real cheese or cheese food?
And even if you do, I buy the HUGE (40 oz) jar of Skippy natural -- one of the more expensive, but Ilike the taste -- and it's about $4 or $5, depending on the store.0 -
I dont know how old you are now or how long ago you went to college so only have my own experience to draw upon on this one - so forgive any disparities etc etc - when i went to work first i survived on £220 a week - the wages doing those kind of jobs have not changed even a tiny bit - but rent has inflated 400-900% depending on where you live in the last 12yrs, house prices have uncoupled themselves from reality - and are now running 1.1million and more - the average salary is 22k where as the average house price has just tipped 250k - so 10x salary in a normal area, in london this price increased somewhere in the high 8-900k whilst the average only jumps to 35k - so we are talking about 30x salary mortgages.. the only people buying are the assett rich, and crooks!
these crazy prices have been allowed by the elite and a corrupt government to run up who own them - which were bought for 80k a decade ago, peanuts basically!
The three-bedroom, two full bathroom townhouse next door to mine sold two years ago for $60,000. In a good neighborhood.
Just because some houses cost north of a million dollars doesn't mean you can't find something for a price you can afford.
You're taking these extreme examples and applying them to everyone rather than the very specific people who can actually afford the million dollar-plus house. You're being absurd in your examples and I just cannot have a conversation with you if you're going to do that.0 -
The amount is based on income. Someone whose income was less than whatever your grandmother's was would get more than $30 a month, children or no children.I have been reading and have to put in my two cents. For a adult who has no children the assistance you get with food stamps is laughable. I remember growing up, my great aunt who was in her 70's , lived alone, and received a whooping 30 dollars a month . Now, we would take her grocery shopping because she could not drive by this point, and that 30 dollars def was no way near enough. My mom would have to always pay for majority of it. Everyone is not able to get the assistance they need.
You need to give context as to why she only got $30 a month. How much was her income?0 -
I have been reading and have to put in my two cents. For a adult who has no children the assistance you get with food stamps is laughable. I remember growing up, my great aunt who was in her 70's , lived alone, and received a whooping 30 dollars a month . Now, we would take her grocery shopping because she could not drive by this point, and that 30 dollars def was no way near enough. My mom would have to always pay for majority of it. Everyone is not able to get the assistance they need.
Agreed with the previous poster. My mother is 72 years old and has a fixed income of 15k a year. She qualified for food assistance according to my state guidelines. Her monthly allottment? A generous 16 (yes, SIXTEEN!) dollars a month. It was hardly worth the hoops she had to jump through to apply for it.
That loaf of whole wheat bread and jar of Skippy natural about covers HALF of that, huh? Good thing Momma loves sandwiches. :laugh:0 -
She received 500 a MONTH in social security. That's all the income she had. I just think people are quick to say its easy to get food stamps.. When there are a lot of people out there who need the assistance but cant get it.0
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I would say being poor certainly increases your chances of being overweight because inexpensive food like substances are so cheap at fast food joints. I don't really have any experience being poor per say as I live in the most expensive city in North America, but I will say that if I lived in Detroit per say, and was poor collecting social assistance I see no reason why not take any of the big uninhabited swaths of land take my $100 in social assistance and buy seeds and plant a massive organic garden for the community. I can't imagine peppers being any harder to grow than ganja, just water and sun is all it takes! yah boy!0
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I would say being poor certainly increases your chances of being overweight because inexpensive food like substances are so cheap at fast food joints. I don't really have any experience being poor per say as I live in the most expensive city in North America, but I will say that if I lived in Detroit per say, and was poor collecting social assistance I see no reason why not take any of the big uninhabited swaths of land take my $100 in social assistance and buy seeds and plant a massive organic garden for the community. I can't imagine peppers being any harder to grow than ganja, just water and sun is all it takes! yah boy!
haha i like this guys style
But honestly it is much harder, insects have much larger brains than the total idiots who smoke weed - and woudn't touch it with a barge pole - where as if you grew peppers outside in detroit i'd give you 10 minutes before a pack of gyppo pikeys roll into town and permanently relieve you of your entire stash0 -
I dont know how old you are now or how long ago you went to college so only have my own experience to draw upon on this one - so forgive any disparities etc etc - when i went to work first i survived on £220 a week - the wages doing those kind of jobs have not changed even a tiny bit - but rent has inflated 400-900% depending on where you live in the last 12yrs, house prices have uncoupled themselves from reality - and are now running 1.1million and more - the average salary is 22k where as the average house price has just tipped 250k - so 10x salary in a normal area, in london this price increased somewhere in the high 8-900k whilst the average only jumps to 35k - so we are talking about 30x salary mortgages.. the only people buying are the assett rich, and crooks!
these crazy prices have been allowed by the elite and a corrupt government to run up who own them - which were bought for 80k a decade ago, peanuts basically!
The three-bedroom, two full bathroom townhouse next door to mine sold two years ago for $60,000. In a good neighborhood.
Just because some houses cost north of a million dollars doesn't mean you can't find something for a price you can afford.
You're taking these extreme examples and applying them to everyone rather than the very specific people who can actually afford the million dollar-plus house. You're being absurd in your examples and I just cannot have a conversation with you if you're going to do that.
Not only that, but the UK has limited area in which to build housing (being a island) with a large population (something like 65 million?) that needs shelter so of course prices will be high. It has nothing to do with some rich folks/corporations worming their way out of extra taxation, it's got everything to do with supply and demand and nothing will make limited supply with high demand cheap. It looks as though one can't live in London for cheap. Who would have thought?
I wouldn't expect to be able to live in New York City for $36k, and I wouldn't expect to be able to live in London for the pounds sterling equivalent.0 -
I dont know how old you are now or how long ago you went to college so only have my own experience to draw upon on this one - so forgive any disparities etc etc - when i went to work first i survived on £220 a week - the wages doing those kind of jobs have not changed even a tiny bit - but rent has inflated 400-900% depending on where you live in the last 12yrs, house prices have uncoupled themselves from reality - and are now running 1.1million and more - the average salary is 22k where as the average house price has just tipped 250k - so 10x salary in a normal area, in london this price increased somewhere in the high 8-900k whilst the average only jumps to 35k - so we are talking about 30x salary mortgages.. the only people buying are the assett rich, and crooks!
these crazy prices have been allowed by the elite and a corrupt government to run up who own them - which were bought for 80k a decade ago, peanuts basically!
The three-bedroom, two full bathroom townhouse next door to mine sold two years ago for $60,000. In a good neighborhood.
Just because some houses cost north of a million dollars doesn't mean you can't find something for a price you can afford.
You're taking these extreme examples and applying them to everyone rather than the very specific people who can actually afford the million dollar-plus house. You're being absurd in your examples and I just cannot have a conversation with you if you're going to do that.
Not only that, but the UK has limited area in which to build housing (being a island) with a large population (something like 65 million?) that needs shelter so of course prices will be high. It has nothing to do with some rich folks/corporations worming their way out of extra taxation, it's got everything to do with supply and demand and nothing will make limited supply with high demand cheap. It looks as though one can't live in London for cheap. Who would have thought?
I wouldn't expect to be able to live in New York City for $36k, and I wouldn't expect to be able to live in London for the pounds sterling equivalent.
What a load of old horses**** - vested interest is the ONLY thing keeping house prices high ..
In fact only 6.4% of the UK is classified as urban, the other 93.6% being rural / green space
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/28_06_12_uk_national_ecosystem.pdf
When house building was allowed in Ireland their property price collapsed 70% - The facts speak for themselves - if people could build a 5000sq ft house for 175k with a pool and landscaped gardens why are they going to pay some greedy scumbag 500k for a 1000sq ft terraced on a grotty street?
EXACTLY!
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I would say being poor certainly increases your chances of being overweight because inexpensive food like substances are so cheap at fast food joints. I don't really have any experience being poor per say as I live in the most expensive city in North America, but I will say that if I lived in Detroit per say, and was poor collecting social assistance I see no reason why not take any of the big uninhabited swaths of land take my $100 in social assistance and buy seeds and plant a massive organic garden for the community. I can't imagine peppers being any harder to grow than ganja, just water and sun is all it takes! yah boy!
I gotta say that for me, fast food is way too expensive. I don't who all these "poor people" are that can afford to buy it, not me!0 -
I've gone through moments, especially as a single mom, when money was so tight I had to get creative. It's not hard to spend $20 on enough food to get you through pay day, especially when you buy store-brand.
Whole wheat bread 2.99¢
Peanut butter $3.99
Brown rice in a bag 1.99¢
Banana 89¢ a lbs
Beans 99¢ per 8oz can (maybe 10oz) or .99 for the bagged kind you have to soak (but I've not actually seen them this cheap..)
Block of cheese $4.29
2 cans tuna $2.50
4 bag of frozen veggies $6
Bag of frozen boneless chicken breast $8.99
$31 grocery list. assuming you purchase 1 of each item listed above only.
ETA: I never see people on food stamps buy healthy food and the program doesn't really give them any reason to.. Indiana just reduced food stamps a bit and people were outraged... people who get between $400 and $700 a month in food stamps. HOW THE HELL do you spend that much on food a month? Even my family of 3, with big appetites, spends about $250 a MONTH on food and we budget loosely. For people who get WIC, it's not hard for them to follow a list of approved items such as bread, milk, beans and cheese.. Why can't the food stamps program ALSO have a list of approved items? Things like $6-7 frozen DiGiorno pizzas don't belong in a cart of someone on assistance when they are buying 5 at a time. That's money that could be well spent on many other meals.
Fixed it for you..
I'm trying very hard to get and stay under 400 a month for food. That's for a family of 2. and I'm struggling. and we eat healthy and I do not purchase junk. I do buy a lot of store brands and from the markdown bins.0 -
It's called not buying name brands.I've gone through moments, especially as a single mom, when money was so tight I had to get creative. It's not hard to spend $20 on enough food to get you through pay day, especially when you buy store-brand.
Whole wheat bread 99¢
Peanut butter $2
Brown rice in a bag 99¢
Banana 89¢ a bundle
Beans 99¢
Block of cheese $2
2 cans tuna $1
4 bag of frozen veggies $4
Bag of frozen boneless chicken breast $7
$20 grocery list.
ETA: I never see people on food stamps buy healthy food and the program doesn't really give them any reason to.. Indiana just reduced food stamps a bit and people were outraged... people who get between $400 and $700 a month in food stamps. HOW THE HELL do you spend that much on food a month? Even my family of 3, with big appetites, spends about $250 a MONTH on food and we budget loosely. For people who get WIC, it's not hard for them to follow a list of approved items such as bread, milk, beans and cheese.. Why can't the food stamps program ALSO have a list of approved items? Things like $6-7 frozen DiGiorno pizzas don't belong in a cart of someone on assistance when they are buying 5 at a time. That's money that could be well spent on many other meals.
I don't know where the heck you find those prices - whole wheat breat is at least $3 a loaf.....not sure where you get peanut butter for $2...block of cheese - is that real cheese or cheese food?
And even if you do, I buy the HUGE (40 oz) jar of Skippy natural -- one of the more expensive, but Ilike the taste -- and it's about $4 or $5, depending on the store.
Doesn't look like 7 days 3 meals a day for 1 person from the list I see maybe 3 Tuna sandwiches (provided you don't want mayo or spicing or say an onion) a lot of peanut butter toast breakfasts (and even dinner) Even on sale a back of boneless skinless at that price would not get 7 nights worth, Basics like onions.Spices,etc are just from the week you have more money??? not a realistic list IMO. I do agree that people on severe budgets should be avoiding the digiorno $5-6 pizzas, but as a treat occasionally I see loss leaders from Oetger's and McCains for as low as $1.97 - and I've had them and they are pretty decent
The cheapest thing you can buy is generally potato or rice - it's also a filling thing but in quantity can be pretty high calorie. If you stick to the sale veg, cook with dried beans and only eat meat a couple of times a week you could eat reasonably well for pretty cheap BUT you would need to know how to cook - something the vast majority of people have never been taught how to do (the reason people buy pre-made foods partially - because they don't realise they could do better for less themselves)0 -
It's called not buying name brands.I've gone through moments, especially as a single mom, when money was so tight I had to get creative. It's not hard to spend $20 on enough food to get you through pay day, especially when you buy store-brand.
Whole wheat bread 99¢
Peanut butter $2
Brown rice in a bag 99¢
Banana 89¢ a bundle
Beans 99¢
Block of cheese $2
2 cans tuna $1
4 bag of frozen veggies $4
Bag of frozen boneless chicken breast $7
$20 grocery list.
ETA: I never see people on food stamps buy healthy food and the program doesn't really give them any reason to.. Indiana just reduced food stamps a bit and people were outraged... people who get between $400 and $700 a month in food stamps. HOW THE HELL do you spend that much on food a month? Even my family of 3, with big appetites, spends about $250 a MONTH on food and we budget loosely. For people who get WIC, it's not hard for them to follow a list of approved items such as bread, milk, beans and cheese.. Why can't the food stamps program ALSO have a list of approved items? Things like $6-7 frozen DiGiorno pizzas don't belong in a cart of someone on assistance when they are buying 5 at a time. That's money that could be well spent on many other meals.
I don't know where the heck you find those prices - whole wheat breat is at least $3 a loaf.....not sure where you get peanut butter for $2...block of cheese - is that real cheese or cheese food?
And even if you do, I buy the HUGE (40 oz) jar of Skippy natural -- one of the more expensive, but Ilike the taste -- and it's about $4 or $5, depending on the store.
Doesn't look like 7 days 3 meals a day for 1 person from the list I see maybe 3 Tuna sandwiches (provided you don't want mayo or spicing or say an onion) a lot of peanut butter toast breakfasts (and even dinner) Even on sale a back of boneless skinless at that price would not get 7 nights worth, Basics like onions.Spices,etc are just from the week you have more money??? not a realistic list IMO. I do agree that people on severe budgets should be avoiding the digiorno $5-6 pizzas, but as a treat occasionally I see loss leaders from Oetger's and McCains for as low as $1.97 - and I've had them and they are pretty decent
The cheapest thing you can buy is generally potato or rice - it's also a filling thing but in quantity can be pretty high calorie. If you stick to the sale veg, cook with dried beans and only eat meat a couple of times a week you could eat reasonably well for pretty cheap BUT you would need to know how to cook - something the vast majority of people have never been taught how to do (the reason people buy pre-made foods partially - because they don't realise they could do better for less themselves)
Rice is high calorie? I don't consider 105 calories for 100 gram serving to be high calorie. Same thing with potatoes. They aren't high calorie foods. It's what people put on them or eat with them that makes them high calorie.0 -
It's called not buying name brands.I've gone through moments, especially as a single mom, when money was so tight I had to get creative. It's not hard to spend $20 on enough food to get you through pay day, especially when you buy store-brand.
Whole wheat bread 99¢
Peanut butter $2
Brown rice in a bag 99¢
Banana 89¢ a bundle
Beans 99¢
Block of cheese $2
2 cans tuna $1
4 bag of frozen veggies $4
Bag of frozen boneless chicken breast $7
$20 grocery list.
ETA: I never see people on food stamps buy healthy food and the program doesn't really give them any reason to.. Indiana just reduced food stamps a bit and people were outraged... people who get between $400 and $700 a month in food stamps. HOW THE HELL do you spend that much on food a month? Even my family of 3, with big appetites, spends about $250 a MONTH on food and we budget loosely. For people who get WIC, it's not hard for them to follow a list of approved items such as bread, milk, beans and cheese.. Why can't the food stamps program ALSO have a list of approved items? Things like $6-7 frozen DiGiorno pizzas don't belong in a cart of someone on assistance when they are buying 5 at a time. That's money that could be well spent on many other meals.
I don't know where the heck you find those prices - whole wheat breat is at least $3 a loaf.....not sure where you get peanut butter for $2...block of cheese - is that real cheese or cheese food?
And even if you do, I buy the HUGE (40 oz) jar of Skippy natural -- one of the more expensive, but Ilike the taste -- and it's about $4 or $5, depending on the store.
Doesn't look like 7 days 3 meals a day for 1 person from the list I see maybe 3 Tuna sandwiches (provided you don't want mayo or spicing or say an onion) a lot of peanut butter toast breakfasts (and even dinner) Even on sale a back of boneless skinless at that price would not get 7 nights worth, Basics like onions.Spices,etc are just from the week you have more money??? not a realistic list IMO. I do agree that people on severe budgets should be avoiding the digiorno $5-6 pizzas, but as a treat occasionally I see loss leaders from Oetger's and McCains for as low as $1.97 - and I've had them and they are pretty decent
The cheapest thing you can buy is generally potato or rice - it's also a filling thing but in quantity can be pretty high calorie. If you stick to the sale veg, cook with dried beans and only eat meat a couple of times a week you could eat reasonably well for pretty cheap BUT you would need to know how to cook - something the vast majority of people have never been taught how to do (the reason people buy pre-made foods partially - because they don't realize they could do better for less themselves)
I think that list was intended to be a "crap i am out of meal stuff and have 3 days left until pay day" type of list. Although it wasn't presented that way. i could see that list sufficing for a day or two.. what are those bags of chicken?? 3 or 4lbs usually?? I can get through that is 2-3 days easy with my teenager. 2 cans of tuna is nowhere near 3 sandwiches. 2 at most.. and since most cans only have 3oz of tuna in them after you squeeze out the water, it's not going to be very filling. I make my tuna weird, but usually put celery and onion in it. So there's a few more dollars, but at least I can use the rest of the celery and onion to bulk up the chicken. Chicken and rice with celery and onion and frozen veggies for 3 days.. with tuna sandwiches with a side of beans for lunch and cheese for snack and PB and banana on toast or just as is for breakfast.. You could do it for a day or two if necessary. that's about all that would last though.. esp if you are feeding a teenager to boot.
PB should last longer then a week.. unless you and a kid are eating it everyday for breakfast/lunch and part of a snack.. then maybe not..
Hmm.. Id' wonder how many calories you'd be getting??
Banana - 100 (approx)
Tuna - 100 (per can)
toast - ?? (2 slices)
PB - 200 (2 tbsp)
beans - 100 ( per serving 1/2 cup)
Rice - 100 (per serving 1/2 cup)
Veggies - 50 (approx)
Chicken breast 4oz- 180 (so if you eat two that's 360)
celery and onion - 20 (approx)
cheese - 1 oz - 100
that's just around 1200 calories. I'd be starving.. and have to double up on servings..
so yep.. 3 days tops.. so that's approx 65 bucks a week minimum.. or 260 a month assuming I eat only these foods.. which would not work for me at all.0 -
Yes poor people are fat.
Not because food is expensive (although it is)
But because it's not readily available in the same way as McDonalds. Come to 125th street in Harlem and I'll point out 5 fast food places in one square block and not one grocery store. within 10 blocks either direction0 -
I don't think necessarily all poor people tend to be fat, however; being poor and being uneducated tend to go hand in hand. If you are not educated on how to properly budget money and have adequate nutrition, you will be more likely to consume high calorie cheap food (mr. Noodles, tv dinners, mc donalds etc) than to go out and buy vegetables in bulk and cook at home. I know poor people who are thin and rich people who are fat. It is definitely about educated and how you think about food.0
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I am educated, not poor, and fat. What does that mean?0
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Yes poor people are fat.
Not because food is expensive (although it is)
But because it's not readily available in the same way as McDonalds. Come to 125th street in Harlem and I'll point out 5 fast food places in one square block and not one grocery store. within 10 blocks either direction
How can they afford that? I keep hearing this, but I don't understand how they can even buy McD's every day. I am a bit above the federal poverty line, and I sure can't pay for all that. Bread, ground beef, and a squeeze bottle of Heinz is much cheaper. Ten blocks you say? Don't they have buses and a subway up there? We have buses here, not especially convenient, but they do just fine for people without vehicles.0
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