[ big box retailer ]
Yes, often an inefficient way to spend food dollars. While some items are a good buy, the big packages are often not the best value per ounce/serving size.
The nearest big box store is two hours away but even if it were closer, I wouldn’t buy a membership. Excuse me, but I’m not going to pay some store to accept me as a paying customer. I’ve gone a time or two when they’ve had a free day or someone gave me their card and twice I’ve come home with a busted bottle that was hidden in a multi-pack or there was something else wrong.
Yes, nothing wrong with stocking up but they waste money not checking the unit price.
There is a fool proof way of helping the SNAPers. Limit their food purchases to food items that have to be cooked and not the precooked items that cost more. A whole lot of flour, cornmeal, cooking oil, lower cost cuts of meat, and vegetables (maybe canned), rice, potatoes, dried beans and peas, will be cheaper and better. Oh, mom doesn’t work so she doesn’t have time to cook. I never cease to be amazed at the number of food vendors that have signs saying that they accept SNAP. Places that many who get up and go to work everyday cannot afford on their hard earned budgets.
I am sick and tired of standing in the checkout line behind these people and watching them put the best cuts of meat (steaks, bonless ham, precooked chicken breasts and etc.) on the counter. A little bit of ground beef with a whole lot of Hamburger Helper will go a long way. Also, a few meatballs with a whole lot of spaghetti will go far to feed a family. The proper choices are infinite, but without any limits, the SNAPers will never make them.
Another fact is that during school, their children are getting free breakfast and lunch. Some school districts are sending them home with a sack lunch for supper. Meanwhile, the SNAP payments remain the same year round. Some school districts are providing lunches during the summer vacation. This provides the parent/s with opportunity to sell some of their SNAP benefits for cents on the dollar cash. We that are providing the free stuff are fools for allowing this to continue.
There needs to be sensible limitations on what can be purchased using SNAP. The reason these limitations do not exist are due to the power of those that lobby on behalf of the processed food industry. Everyone wants a place at the public trough provided by those that get no free stuff.
“While some items are a good buy, the big packages are often not the best value per ounce/serving size.”
Your use of ‘often is incorrect.
The urban bodegas run a scam on all benefit government programs. booze, gambling, cigarettes and drugs, the joke is on us tax payers