nizo's Journal: Living on a food stamp budget

Congresscritters try to live on a typical $21/week food stamp budget:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/15/AR2007051501957.html

Individual reps. blogs here:
http://foodstampchallenge.typepad.com/
http://timryan.house.gov/

Like to see them living in Welfare Housing in DC

[WillAffleckUW]

Now THAT would be something!

As I wrote when Governor Kulongoski did this

[Marxist Hacker 42]

To me, $42/week for two people is a NORMAL food budget. Shannon and I lived on that for her ENTIRE pregnancy, while I was unemployed. Yes, you get more carbs and fat that way, it's impossible to avoid them. Yes, you're going to get more empty calories and less vitamins. But MILLIONS of people in this country who aren't on food stamps HAVE to live within this restrictive of a budget- not just those on food stamps, but also the single wage earner for a family of 4 earning $8/hr who has to have fuel in the

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[Kymermosst]

How about when Teddy went out shopping for his $21/week food budget? He went to Fred Meyer, one of the most expensive grocery stores around.

When trying to demonstrate how awful it is to live on a certain budget, you should probably shop like people who live on that budget. When you pass up deals, fail to clip coupons, and shop at places other than WinCo, Food-4-Less, and Wal*Mart, you're just being an ass.

Besides, everyone taking up this challenge knows when it's going to end. They will be uncomfortable

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[Marxist Hacker 42]

How about when Teddy went out shopping for his $21/week food budget? He went to Fred Meyer, one of the most expensive grocery stores around.

Yes, I found that INCREDIBLY funny. Still, he found some good bargains there. They're so expensive on milk that they are ALWAYS having clearance sales on the stuff that expires in less than a week.

When trying to demonstrate how awful it is to live on a certain budget, you should probably shop like people who live on that budget. When you pass up deals, fail to cli

good press opportunity

[stoolpigeon]

but not really useful in any other way. the average is meaningless. the amount of food stamps a person receives is related to their income. that means people on the lower end may get less because they make more. i'm willing to bet that a person who is getting $21 a week, has income of their own to supplement that amount.

i agree that it is shameful that people in this country go hungry. shoot - it is shameful that people anywhere on this planet go hungry. but i don't think these congress critte

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[BandwidthHog]

i don't think these congress critters are bringing anything of substance to the table.

I disagree. They are pointing out to people that not only is living on a small food budget difficult, but that a small food budget forces one to consume the least healthy foods possible. I’m quite fortunate in that, at this point in my life, I can afford to buy mostly organic foods and generally am able to choose only the most nutritious foods available. However, if I were to hit serious financial difficulties, I wou

a shame

[jlechem]

In utah you have to be piss poor to get food stamps. Any income and you're pretty much out of luck. I certainly didn't realize how little the get. I make a good living and I feel I pay too much for food. No one should have to go hungry especially in this nation.

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[nizo]

There was a show (20/20 maybe?) that followed some kids through their daily lives; several of them went to school hungry. I never had much growing up, but damn at least I didn't go to school hungry. Yeah, try paying attention in class when you are starving.

Speaking of which, I need to go donate to the local food bank right now.

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[Marxist Hacker 42]

I never went to school hungry (chickens on the farm insured I always got at least an egg in the mornings)- but I certainly remember going to bed hungry a few times in between crops. We always lived on beef or chicken and potatoes and corn growing up- because that's what we had off of the farm.

I knew someone on food stamps...

[Kymermosst]

With a 60" HDTV and a new truck.

It's really simple. Cohabitating unmarried couple with a child. He has a decent job, she has a crappy part-time minimum-wage job. The one with the low income claims that the boyfriend is a roommate and therefore is not providing financial support for her or the child, which is not true.

1. Cohabitate rather than get married.
2. Tell the welfare folks that you are the sole support for yourself an your child.
3. Profit!

Try eating only at truck stops :)

[jlanthripp]

I'm an over-the-road truck driver. The company I drive for doesn't allow us to have power inverters in the trucks, so no microwave ovens (apparently a driver sometime in the history of the company hooked up the biggest inverter he could find, without a fuse, and burned a $95,000 truck to the ground along with a trailer full of freight). That means if I want hot food, I have to first find a restaurant where I can park a tractor-trailer. With the proliferation of "NO TRUCK PARKING" signs at shopping centers a

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[nizo]

Yow; that really does sound horrid. It used to be that (some) truckstops had the best food around; I always loved eating at the busy ones when I travelled ages ago (like 15 years ago). Of course the big chains hadn't killed off all the small restaurants yet. Though it also sounds like there are some monster opportunities for someone to open some decent restaurants conveniently located for truckers. Hell I need to open a soup and salad place that delivers; you could order over the phone, and I just catch up

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[jlanthripp]

For a closer look at the life of a truck driver, check out Trucker Tom's podcast [podshow.com]. Trucker Tom is a network administrator turned truck driver. He drives for Shaffer, a division of Crete Carrier Corporation, which is the company I'd go to work for if I left USA Truck.