There's a big difference between those in need and those in want.
I use examples like yours often.
Hubby’s daughter showed up one time to beg for money to pay their $75 electric bill. She and her Hubby both had $5 cups of Starbucks in their hand. I told her we drink coffee at home and if you did too maybe you could pay your bills.
My best friend was moaning recently that her house is being foreclosed on and she doesn’t know what to do...for the 2nd time. She still has top of the line cable with all the premium channels, a $100 a mnth cell phone, and a car payment even though she doesn’t work and goes nowhere and her son lives with her and has a car that’s paid for. That’s about $600 a month that could be going towards her house payment.
A friend’s husband is babysitting for free everyday for his son because of a divorce. She said they were going to give him one of their old cars to help out. He said no and went and bought a new Tahoe with a nice big payment. I said well heck that payment would pay a babysitter every mnth.
Am so sick of people that won’t take responsibility but mostly it’s our fault for enabling everyone.
There is a church on corner down the road from us with food pantry on Saturdays. I am amazed at the nice cars and clothes these people have heading into to the church.
I see Gwyneth Patrow is trying to show how much 29.00 on food stamps buys. Some lettuce and rice she says.
I shop with a grocery list. More than once, I’ve been approached by a young woman hovering by the door, offering to get the items on my list in return for 50% to 70% of its value in cash.
In short, money laundering of SNAP money.
Your post is spot on. The amount of people getting food stamps and the abuse thereof is unprecedented.