Expert on what shouldn't be in poor people's grocery carts.

Sadly, there are people like this. I am on food stamps. During one online conversation I was talking about making pepper steak. I was told that if I were on food stamps, I didn't deserve to have steak. Never mind that it was the kind of steak that you get in the 5 meats for $20 bundle . . . I was poor and should be relying on eggs and 70/30 hamburger, with the occasional can of tuna and commodity cheese for my protein. I think he would have had a stroke if I told him I bought the $5.99 bag of frozen shrimp, too--but the way I measure it out, those shrimp last for six meals. It's sad--people complain if poor people buy packaged food, they complain if we buy fresh veggies, they complain if we buy meat, they complain if we buy a gallon of milk . . . and Heaven forbid if you buy cans of soda or potato chips because you're going to be driving longish distances and it makes more sense to do that than to buy them at the gas station when the munchies hit.

I had a friend who was on food stamps. She was disabled and could not work or do much of anything. Her aunt bought her a really nice cell phone and paid the bill for almost four years (until my friend died) because she never wanted my friend to be out of contact (due to her health issues) and she wanted her niece to have something to do other than sit and watch television. You'd be amazed at the nasty looks and comments she got on the rare occasions she went out.

People just need to mind their own business.

Damned if you do, and damned if you don't. I have never understood why it matters so much to others what someone else is doing, eating, who their attracted to, religion/non/religion,etc.

Couldn't agree more. Had some health issues myself that led to me being on food stamps. My mom was cool enough to handle my phone bill ($40/ mo for a free but nice phone which I could use for school and my side job). House bills were about all my husband and I could afford. We bought any clothes we needed from poor shops, and we ate steak A LOT. The reason was that we could get it so cheaply and would each eat half a steak and it would last a while. We'd get big huge bags of frozen veggies that would last us the weak, Value bread and sandwich toppings, oat meal, and one fruit for the week. That would feed us the entire week. We got $200 a month in food stamps and we rarely went over. If you do the math, that's $25 per person per week or just under $3.60 per person per day. We drank water and tea (tea because my family got us an entire cupboard of it for Christmas). On a rare occasion, we'd get milk. Can YOU stay under 1500 calories a day on $3.60 a day? I can.

That's amazingly awesome. Seriously! You'd be surprised at how many can't manage it or don't know they could if they tried.

Sadly, there are people like this. I am on food stamps. During one online conversation I was talking about making pepper steak. I was told that if I were on food stamps, I didn't deserve to have steak. Never mind that it was the kind of steak that you get in the 5 meats for $20 bundle . . . I was poor and should be relying on eggs and 70/30 hamburger, with the occasional can of tuna and commodity cheese for my protein. I think he would have had a stroke if I told him I bought the $5.99 bag of frozen shrimp, too--but the way I measure it out, those shrimp last for six meals. It's sad--people complain if poor people buy packaged food, they complain if we buy fresh veggies, they complain if we buy meat, they complain if we buy a gallon of milk . . . and Heaven forbid if you buy cans of soda or potato chips because you're going to be driving longish distances and it makes more sense to do that than to buy them at the gas station when the munchies hit.

I had a friend who was on food stamps. She was disabled and could not work or do much of anything. Her aunt bought her a really nice cell phone and paid the bill for almost four years (until my friend died) because she never wanted my friend to be out of contact (due to her health issues) and she wanted her niece to have something to do other than sit and watch television. You'd be amazed at the nasty looks and comments she got on the rare occasions she went out.

People just need to mind their own business.

There's a little bit to both sides, here. No one should ever give you **** for buying a steak, that's just dumb. I, too, am currently on food stamps and I buy some things that are not within the regular spectrum of poverty food (tuna steak, tofu, cous cous) and have received the dirty looks at the checkout...... from women like this character and from other folks using food stamps.

The big problem is that government assistance programs are not rehabilitative nor are they focused on improving the lives or health of people on them. I find it pretty ridiculous that you can't buy a damn rotisserie chicken on SNAP but you can buy a gallon tub of ice cream. Same way I find it appalling a welfare recipient can buy subs for his car while his kids are going to school in rags (which is not in ANY way to say that all or most of them do, just that it is too easy to abuse the system for too long). But that said, as long as the government wants to supplement my diet while I'm still working, I'm not gonna argue.

And then we have this... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLTTX35LNJo

The only thing that bothers me is when somebody in the grocery line buys a few junk, name brand items and then uses the change from the food stamps to buy two cartons of cigarettes.
I've actually seen this, more than once.
The $50 mani-pedi with arcrylic nails and designs are also a bit over the top.
I used to work at a free clinic where folks were really poor but didn't have government assistance. I had to admire the tenacity of these people, many were older illegals that came to live with there kids. Also a lot of them came from Africa and had spent time starving and being assaulted in refugee camps.
I had some people who had lost their entire families in Africa. Very sad.
I always tried to help them with healthy food shopping because so many had diabetes. They all saw our diabetes nutritionist,too.
I didn't need to do all that and it certainly ate up a lot of my day, besides doing all the social work needed to get them necessary medical resources.
I've spent a lot of my life being quite broke and I'm pretty creative with the food and clothing for this reason. We still eat a lot of beans and garden greens because my husband has been a full-time student for 8 years and I've been out of work for a disability.
We are basically living on my VA disability check and some extra money that my husband gets for a forum that he owns.

The only thing that bothers me is when somebody in the grocery line buys a few junk, name brand items and then uses the change from the food stamps to buy two cartons of cigarettes.
I've actually seen this, more than once.

Unless you're living in the 20th century somehow, that's really not possible any longer.

The only thing that bothers me is when somebody in the grocery line buys a few junk, name brand items and then uses the change from the food stamps to buy two cartons of cigarettes.
I've actually seen this, more than once.

It's all on electronic cards now, no change. But I'm sure you really did see that.

I could probably give Ms. Carol a run for her money. I used to work for the state as a case worker and nothing irritated me more than when one of my clients a came in for an interview, carrying her coach hand bag, texting on her iPhone, while her kidos played on iPads. Then she would tell me that her engagement ring was just for looks and the kids dad didn't live with her. He just stopped my sometimes.. but he didn't eat there. Lol the good ol' days. Totally ruined being a bleeding heart for me.

I realize that but I used to see it all the time when I was a medical student in the 90's.
The mani-pedis are really more of a millennium phenom.

So, you think something you saw two decades ago gives you the right to pass judgment on people today? And . . . huh? Mani-pedis? I honestly think that you're just speaking to hear yourself talk right now.

thank you - I had forgotten how ridiculously hilarious The Onion can be. Just spent a while going from article to article, finishing up (maybe) on the video of Teen Boys Losing Virginity Earlier And Earlier, Report Teen Boys http://www.theonion.com/video/teen-boys-losing-virginity-earlier-and-earlier-rep,35906/ :laugh:

No kitten videos so far though.......................

I know some people take advantage of aid programs, but I really do choose to believe that the majority of people on assistance would rather not be on it, and instead would like a well-paying job and affordable daycare for their kids. I had a lady in line behind me at the grocery store today who was obviously trying to stretch her dollars. She was buying the damaged vegetables that are 75% off, and the expiring chicken legs that are half price and the stale bread and the fake cheese slices. She also had 2 packages of Easter treats that were on clearance and a little pink unicorn toy thingie that was half off. This was a woman who was obviously trying to feed at least once child, maybe 2, the best way she could. Instead of looking at her basket and thinking "she really shouldn't be buying toys and candy and what's up with that fake cheese crap" I asked the cashier to ring her stuff in with mine, wished her a pleasant day and went on my merry way. Is it possible she took this sudden $30 windfall and bought a bottle of wine or a pedicure? I certainly hope so because I think she could use a break. Why do so many people choose to think the worst of everyone in the system because of a few bad apples?

End of rant.

I agree.

The Onion is here, among us.

...anyone else seeing the problem there?

Yes. Singular negative anecdotes to discuss entrenched systemic issues beyond the scope of this website.

Ya. What she said.

The only thing that bothers me is when somebody in the grocery line buys a few junk, name brand items and then uses the change from the food stamps to buy two cartons of cigarettes.
I've actually seen this, more than once.

Unless you're living in the 20th century somehow, that's really not possible any longer.

I agree...huh? Food stamps are now done via debit card-like systems pretty much everywhere. You don't get change.

You can if your card has both food/cash.

You can if your card has both food/cash.

And this is where people minding what others are doing with their money get it wrong.

The cash that comes from those cards is NOT from the recipient's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funds (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps). That would be their TANF or TDAP cash assistance, formerly known as welfare, or possibly unemployment, SSI, or SSDI benefits.

It's money--their money--to be spent as they see fit.

People with cash benefits can pull their cash assistance from grocery store debit, ATM machines, etc. in addition to swiping their cards like anyone else does to spend cash from an account.

What they do with that cash is for them to decide.