Food Stamp Recipients Pinched by High Food Prices

ABCNews ^ | May 16, 2008 | DON BABWIN

[yankeedame]

Food Stamp Recipients Pinched by High Food Prices

Food stamp recipients get pinched by high food prices, struggle to feed families

By DON BABWIN Associated Press Writer
CHICAGO May 16, 2008 (AP) The Associated Press

Danielle Brown stands outside a South Side market at midnight, braving the spring chill for her first chance to buy groceries since her food stamps ran out nearly two weeks ago.

Lynda Wheeler shops with her daughter, Jaime, 2,
shortly after midnight at One Stop Food & Liquors...
(AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

Lynda Wheeler shops with her daughter, Jaime, 2, shortly after midnight at One Stop Food & Liquors on Chicago's South Side on May, 1, 2008. The market doors open at midnight on the first of each month for the express purpose of letting her and a dozen or so others to start shopping the instant they have access to the new month's allotment of food stamps.

For days, Brown said, she has been turning cans of "whatever we got in the cabinet" into breakfast, lunch and dinner for her children, ages 1 and 3.

"Ain't got no food left, the kids are probably hungry," said Brown, a 23-year-old single mother who relies heavily on her $312 monthly allotment of food stamps — a ration adjusted just once a year, in October.

This is what the skyrocketing cost of food looks like at street level: Poor people whose food stamps don't buy as much as they once did rushing into a store in the dead of night, filling shopping carts with cereal, eggs and milk so their kids can wake up on the first day of the month to a decent meal....

[theBuckwheat]

At the local Sam’s Club, a 10 pound bag of Pinto Beans is $6.13. You can make a very large meal on 61 cents worth of beans. Any handout above a basic level like this is a luxury.

It should be pointed out that the present system is often called “giving” or “support” by politicians and those who advance it. In reality, it is funded by taxes coerced from citizens by the credible threat of deadly force. Being one of the victims of this coercion, I demand some respect. The system adds insult to this injury of my status as a taxpayer by not requiring those who receive these luxuries to say thank you. No, quite the contrary, those who support it encourage the recipients to just demand more.

[TexasGunLover]

It is good that you are not spending on other things. It seems that you are working to get off welfare, and it sounds like that is what you're working towards.

The less time you have to use it, the better. Good luck.

[library user]

Lynda Wheeler shops with her daughter, Jaime, 2, shortly after midnight at One Stop Food & Liquors on Chicago's South Side on May, 1, 2008.

What is this child doing out after midnight? And how does one buy charcoal with food stamps?

[library user]

I’m sure she bought that charcoal to grill her baby’s cheerios- except damn things keep dropping through the grill

ROTFL!!! Damn, that's funny!

[DC Packfan]

“Bud, you aren’t alone. A few months ago, I was behind a guy at the local supermarket who was buying brand names and expensive cuts of meat which I couldn’t afford. Then he starts arguing with the clerk because she wouldn’t take his ACCESS (Food Stamp) card to pay for his cigarettes. Finally, he pays for his groceries with the ACCESS card and whips out the cash for the smokes.

I have about 6 things to ring up, so I’m out in the parking lot to see him loading up a late model car and driving away— able bodied guy, mid-30s at the oldest. And I’m paying for his lifestyle when I can’t afford to eat like him or drive a car less than 10 years old. What is wrong with this picture?”

Here in the liberal stronghold of MD they call them “Independence” cards. Precious, huh? Orwell lives!

[wbill]

My hubby swore off eating out at lunch. It has worked out quite well and saved tons of money.

Smart man. I've cut back to one out-to-eat a week (it's mostly on Fridays, mostly for political purposes, and to keep up with the job, with coworkers and so on).

It's nothing to drop $10 on a lunch in my neck of the woods. Heck, it's even hard to get out of McD's for less than $5, nowadays.... Those $40's a week add up quick. Additionally, I'm not driving anywhere for lunch (saves on gas) and I'm walking at lunch to get out of the office. Last time I weighed myself, I'd dropped 12 lbs.

The side bennies from bringing a lunch are just as good as the cost savings.

[latina4dubya]

For days, Brown said, she has been turning cans of "whatever we got in the cabinet" into breakfast, lunch and dinner for her children,

hey--there are times when i do this--and we're not on food stamps... using what we already had helped us stretch our dollars during the two months my husband was out of work earlier this year... i did not feel like we had a sob story to share...

[Phantom Lord]

My family of 5 is spending $850 to $1000 per month on groceries right now.

Couple questions. Your profile says you are married with 1 little girl. Who are the other two?

Honestly, how do you spend $1,000 a month on food?

I have a wife, a 4 year old, and a 1 year old and I would ban my wife from the grocery store if she spent that kind of money for food.

[girlangler]

First off, this woman wouldn’t be feeding hungry children if she didn’t have two without the benefit of a father (they give away free birth control pills nowadays).

Second, I’ll bet there is a grocery store in her neighborhood with lower prices on food (the type of liquer store/food store she’s in charges twice what they do at grocery stores).

What the heck is with the charcoal? You don’t fix cereal on a grill.

What is she doing dragging a poor little kid out on a chilly night at midnight? Grrrr.

I grew up poor, with a father, and without food stamps. My Mom could take nothing in the cabinet and make a nutritious meal out of it.

We ate beans and potatoes, cornbread, every day, and fried chicken on Sundays in good times. A bag of pinto beans costs about $1.12 today. A 10 pound bag of potatoes costs $2.99 here (I bought a 10 pound bag this week, buy one bag get one free, for that).

This story does not make me feel sorry for this woman, it makes me sure she is an idiot. I do feel sorry for the kids.

[Phantom Lord]

Neal Boortz has the best name for those cards...

Push Button Plunder

[quack]

I haven't updated the profile since the other two(sons) were born.14 year old,4 year old,and a 3 year old.

Honestly, how do you spend $1,000 a month on food? Somehow,we spend it.4 bucks a pound on ground meat,$4 per bell pepper.Lemme whip out the grocery receipts,since I've been saving them lately.

[dforest]

I got my 30 year old boss to trim up by bringing his own lunch to work. He tried it, stuck with it, and realized that people don’t need a fancy meal 3 times a day.

This guy who only ate 10-12 dollar lunches found apples, bananas, pears, chips, pickles etc. He loved it and dropped weight! On top all of that, he saved money.

[Phantom Lord]

$4 per bell pepper.

Geez! And you pay that? No farmers markets, Aldi, Sam's, BJs, etc... near you? At Sam's they are usually $1 each. Less at Aldi's. And even less at farmers markets.

$4 for ground beef? I paid $1.99 yesterday. Well my wife did, she usually does the shopping.

[MinuteGal]

Some of you guys don't realize that grocery bills reflect more than food alone. A household consumes paper goods (outrageously high), soaps and cleaning supplies, personal health and hygiene products and the like.

I can save by being a good cook, but I can't cook toilet paper, food wraps and food storage goods, paper towels and laundry soap.

Leni

[dforest]

Boy thats the truth. Paper goods and soap are rising along with food.

Some kid tried to plant TP in my tree, but it didn’t grow.

LOL

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

I like the comments in the ABC News section. People need to assume responsibility for themselves.

[Phantom Lord]

Some of you guys don't realize that grocery bills reflect more than food alone. A household consumes paper goods (outrageously high), soaps and cleaning supplies, personal health and hygiene products and the like.

I realize that and take that amount into consideration. We get virutally all of our paper supplies at Sam's or BJ's. Know how long a pack of 1,000 paper plates lasts? A long time! Same with 48 rolls of paper towels.

Know what one of the best surface cleaners is, and maybe surprisingly the best at killing germs? Bleach water.

There are many a ways to save money without doing without.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

I’m sure she bought that charcoal to grill her baby’s cheerios- except damn things keep dropping through the grill

LOLOLOLOL

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

What the HELL is she doing shopping at a Liquor store at midnight with a 2 year old?

As a previous poster noted, there are no Wal-Marts or regular grocery stores in the inner-cities. They're just a bunch of convenience stores that sell alcohol and lottery tickets, and probably offer payday loans too.

[quack]

I'll give a few examples of local prices at Wal-Mart.This receipt is from 05/13/08.The bill total was $220.51.Of course,this isn't all that's on the list,but it is the most expensive things.

Idaho potatos-$4.97 (bag of 8)

Ground beef-$3.88/lb

Great Value white bread-$1.16

Red apples-3.14/lb x 1.54lbs= 4.84

Pepper Gravy-$.82 per pack

Peperroni-$3.18 per pack

GV Chedder shed-$1.98 per pack

GV Shortening-$2.72

Marinara sauce-$2.12

Brocoli-$$6.12 (bag)

Pinto beans-$2.12(bag)

GV sugar-$4.14

Salad dressing-$3.48

Popcorn-$2.00

Muffin Mix-$2.28

Lettuce head-$1.34

Bologna-$2.50

GV Vit D Milk-$2.52(half gallon)

GV cooking oil-$2.62

Green Beans-$.98 per can

Hashbrowns-$1.74

Cream of chicken-$1.25/can