Things you can buy with food stamps
July 18th, 2009 - Written by Joey
- Soda Pop
- Doritos
- Wedding Cake?
Yeppers, friends. My aunt informed me this evening that one of her customers paid for a wedding cake with food stamps…and it wasn’t a cheap one, either.
Forget health care reform…it’s time for food stamp reform.
Anyone with me?
July 20th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
I was up in Danbury a couple years ago and the guy ahead of me bought cigarettes and beer with food stamps.
July 21st, 2009 at 8:58 am
I think people on food stamps should only be able to buy organically grown, pesticide feed food that is locally grown. This would help out the local economy and teach people about healthy eating habits.
July 21st, 2009 at 9:36 am
Although I see where that would be beneficial, Veggie, it isn’t feasible. People need to get the best bang for (my) buck, and places like Walmart offer food at deeply discounted prices. Unfortunately, most of it is crap, and it could be argued that a good deal of it isn’t really ‘food’ in the first place.
I’m a huge proponent of organic food, believe it or not. I may be a global warming denier, but I understand that the nutritional value of organic food is much higher and therefore healthier. It would make sense for food stamp recipients to eat food that’s good for them, since most of them are on government health care and will wind up costing us more in the long run if they aren’t eating properly. However, I’m not so sure that we can FORCE them to eat properly.
My suggestion would be to not limit where people can purchase food, because I think that Walmart or other grocery stores need to be an option simply for the sake of convenience, but instead only allow certain items to be purchased. For example, the WIC program only allows the purchase of cereal, milk, cheese, infant formula, and a few other staples with the vouchers. Why can’t they do something similar with food stamps? Why can’t they prevent people from purchasing Doritos, soda, and ice cream with them?
I have yet to hear a good answer from anyone with regard to why we DON’T limit these things for food stamp recipients. We have no problem banning smoking–a legal, but unhealthy act–on private property because it’s supposedly costing us more in health care dollars (which I find to be a bogus argument), but we can’t ban those the taxpayer is supporting from buying things that are only going to cost us more in the long run through increased medical costs? It doesn’t make any sense to me…but then again, a lot of things that are happening right now don’t make any sense to me.
August 1st, 2009 at 3:32 pm
They don’t pay taxes on that soda pop either, so they get it cheaper than you or I.
December 3rd, 2009 at 1:24 am
For the first time since I was a kid and my single parent Dad had to get them for us, I’m getting Food Stamps. I just started getting them a couple of months ago.
NOTHING TICKS ME OFF MORE than to see people buying Doritos, Oscar Meyer bologna, cases of Pepsi, and assorted microwavable foods. Buggies full of this expensive crap.
What is WRONG with people?
I’m not saying I don’t buy bologna, but, what’s wrong with the store brand?
I don’t think you should be able to buy anything that is pre-prepared, frozen or otherwise.
It makes me sick to see grocery stores having cases of prepared things from the deli with a big sign saying, everything here is purchasable with food stamps. And because they’re sold cold, they can be bought with food stamps.
Even when I could afford my own grocery shopping sans the govt. help, I didn’t buy things like this.
For my husband and myself, we eat great on less than $200/mo. We get $360/mo. in Food Stamps.
January 7th, 2010 at 8:53 pm
I am on food stamp and I buy the GV Brand from Walmart all the time, and I also get a few extra thing under $30 a month as a treat only after I have bought everything else needed. I will admit to buying my 22 month old daughter just about anything she might want through the month (after all other necessities) because A CHILD SHOULD’T HAVE TO SUFFER! A birthday cake? I will definitely get one for my daughter in 2 months when she turns two. If I still am not working by then ( I put out around 15 applications a day- only had one interview in 3 months- and have been going to day labor to pay the rent) I WILL buy her a cake on food stamps. What is wrong with you people?
January 7th, 2010 at 8:54 pm
btw for your information- Cigarettes and Alcohol are not covered by food stamps you uneducated jerk!
January 7th, 2010 at 9:00 pm
Mybaby,
All I’m saying is that food stamps are there so people don’t have to STARVE. Eating birthday cake and Doritos have nothing to do with nutrition. I’m not against food stamps, I’m just against them paying for things that aren’t necessary.
Some people DO buy beer and cigs with food stamps. The store owner agrees to give the person the items for say, $2 of food stamps to $1 of cigs or beer. No, they aren’t covered by food stamps, but people work the system every which way they can.
I’m not completely against food stamps, I just think there needs to be some reform. I was on WIC when I was a young, pregnant woman, and I could only buy CERTAIN items with them. Food stamps should be the same.
And I’m sorry, but it isn’t my job to pay for your child’s birthday cake. Do you have a cell phone? Cable? Internet? Then you can pay for your child’s birthday cake…or MAKE one. That’s what I did when I was poor. A box of cake costs a buck.
February 6th, 2010 at 6:42 am
i get 190 for two people a month, we can only work enough to pay our bills, i buy healthy food and cook most of everything i eat i do pay into the system,by working, so im taking from myself, if your into peace and wellness of the mind as well as an economy and body then you should have no problem with sharing, as i do by working.
February 6th, 2010 at 8:37 am
So what you’re saying is that if I’m “into” ‘peace and wellness of the mind’, I should therefore agree that Doritos and Wedding Cake should be covered by food stamps?
Sorry, I’m not following your logic.
And food stamps aren’t “me” sharing. It’s government stealing my money and giving it to someone else. Sharing is when I make the choice to give the fruits of my labor or some other gift to another human being. There’s a huge difference. If you think that food stamps have anything to do with sharing, you’re out of your mind.
February 7th, 2010 at 9:49 am
Maybe someone here got side-tracked but the government doesn’t steal your money. (that’s the most ridiculous thing i ever heard) you willingly pay your taxes when you decided to live in this beautiful country called the United States of America and willingly gained employment. Everyone knows that Uncle Sam needs to get paid… point-blank-period! Now with that being said, the bigger picture here is why are people seeing food stamps as a way of luxury, obviously they have been on this program too long to even consider buying a wedding cake (that’s appaulling). I’m not sure if there are specific time limits as to how long one person or family can recieve these benefits but in my opinion it should be more strict. If people were more aware of when they are about to loose their food stamps I would assume they would spend their stamps wisely or take the job hunting process way more seriously.
February 8th, 2010 at 3:19 am
I get 96 a month for food stamps. I am not conserned with what I buy at the store or the cost. I never wanted food stamps. Intact I bought 50 bucks a month in food for two years. Avoiding gettigs them. I think it’s a bad service and I makes me feel like a looser to have. This said though. I’m not going to sacrafice anything just because of where the money is from.
It is a like of money. It is for food. That is how it will be used. What you buy doesn’t matter. Once your given the money, it’s yours. Buy a steak, buy some soda, big f***in deal.
Nobody should be harrased or told they are bad for having food stamps or for how they spend them. It’s not my fault that I am allowed go buy what I want with the money. That is how the program works.
I also pay 685 in a rent a month and pay all the other home bills. Electric, Internet, my iPhone. All from my own job that I work very hard at.
May I dicust you more? I also have a new gamig computer, xbox 360, 32″ flat, and a MacBook. Big woopdy deal.
I pay the bills while my fiancé finishes up school to be a nurse.
Once she has her excellent job going I will no longer collect on food stamps and get back to my middle class life.
Flame on me, say what you want. I don’t care.