$5.49 a day = $38.43 / week. I'd do just fine by myself.
For a family of four = $153.72. That's way, way more than my weekly food budget, and a fair bit more than my weekly household budget (includes food, dry goods, paper products, etc). At that rate, I'd be able to add steak and seafood back into the menu, several times a week. Or, assuming that the money was fungible, we'd start eating out at restaurants again.
Am I heartless for not being all that sympathetic?
bfl
yup. with you. i tink these pieces assume people eat out all the time, eat extravagant foods normally and don’t buy any bargains. don’t cook big batches of meals to eat through the week.
/johnny
Nope. These nitwits don’t deserve sympathy, and like many such folks, they’re belching and farting over a problem without bothering to learn why said problem exists.
I doubt a single one of them knows how little the dollar is worth, how bad inflation is, what life was like on two dollars a week back when the dollar was backed up by tangible assets, etc etc etc. Either that or, like a lot of such people I’ve had the misfortune of dealing with, they don’t care because such facts clash with their view of how the world should work.
Am I heartless for not being all that sympathetic?”
...No. What the “hungry” really needs is a weight loss program.
We may be called to help and feed others, but that is a personal calling not a government mandate to feed others at the expense of our own.
The reason there were few takers on the challenge is because living on less than what snap provides is common for most families. Our family (4) eats on about $250 a month and we by no means go hungry.
Anyone who helps another out of compassion has my admiration.
Anyone who robs their neighbor by force under the pretext of helping others has my contempt.
You, sir, and others like you who accept the responsibility to support their family have earned my respect.
This reminds me of when my liberal ex-girlfriend was so proud of herself for reading a book.
“Nickel and Dimed”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickel_and_Dimed
It took me all of two minutes to debunk its premise.
I did get her to read “The New Thought Police” by Tammy Bruce, only after I told her Tammy was a Lesbian.
Oddly enough, when we split up I caught her trying to steal my copy of that book.
I am so glad you went first!
I was reading and wishing I had the nerve to say 30-35 dollars is a good week! Try being old and retiring 29 years ago. Medical bills wipe out savings and life goes on! I sure could do it and eat well!
I have no problem with helping the elderly, the disabled, and those who through no fault of their own are out of work. but the Protestant Ethic reigns, and those who won’t work should not get anything.
That is close to what I spend, and I am nowhere near starving.
Chicken or ground beef on sale. Beans, rice, canned tomatoes, spuds, carrots, frozen veggies, pasta, onions, bell pepper, tomato sauce, oatmeal, yoghurt. Frozen salmon when it is on a good sale.
Just have to shop carefully. I guess some folks think SNAP should pay enough for steak dinners. I know one guy on SNAP who blows his money on steaks and then bitches about running out of money by the end of the month.
153 bucks a week my family would eat like kings.
Currently spending $35 a week for two people.
No, you are not heartless.
Personally my give-a-damn is busted.
Granted, I eat out some meals, but that is about my weekly grocery bill times 3 mouths. And, while I don’t splurge, I certainly don’t go without. Besides, what part of ‘Supplemental’ don’t they understand?
The problem is that most of the EBT population has no concept of what was called “home economics” when we were kids. And the fedgov would much rather “navigate” them toward benefits than common sense living.
food stamps were never expected to be the only source of food for a family, these “challenges” are only challenging their gullability
Not to mention that, if they have kids in school or government day care, they are getting FREE breakfast and lunch, AND taking home a backpack full of food over the weekend. With that, you could have steak and seafood every night.
Anyone ever hear of LEFTOVERS???? My niece came to visit when she was about 13....it was the first time we’d spent any time with her....I asked her about eating desires....she said...”I don’t like leftovers.” I said...”Well, I don’t like throwing money down the drain.” She learned to like leftovers!
I am not feeling a lot of pity either. I'd love to have someone else buy my food.