Comments on: The Other America – Commentary on Food Stamps and the Economy http://cashmoneylife.com/2008/07/03/the-other-america-commentary-on-food-stamps-and-the-economy/ Money Management, Small Business, Career Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:44:55 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Nikko http://cashmoneylife.com/2008/07/03/the-other-america-commentary-on-food-stamps-and-the-economy/comment-page-2/#comment-20460 Nikko Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:54:18 +0000 http://cashmoneylife.com/?p=740#comment-20460 Wow, I really should have read all of the posts before I wrote, because my outrage flared a little. My husband had a Blackberry while we were on foodstamps. It was a gift from his mother and father, who also paid the bill. The Blackberry was free with the plan, and the reason we had it... wait for it... is that a telephone was a luxury we couldn't afford! We lived an hour away from his parents, and they knew we were in the process of getting evicted and moving in to my sisters home. They wanted to be able to talk to us if something went wrong. We also have a car. It's a 1993 with the trunk caved in due to a hit and run while we were at the grocery store. The car is literally falling apart (I've seen pieces go flying from my read view mirror before), but had I not sold MY car to make ends meet (we knew we'd get more money for my car), we would have been in the "you sure have a nice car, poor girl!" category. We would get money every week ($20, which was a LOT for us, since we were now living rent free) for our babysitting, so we could gas up the car. As I said, we lived with my sister. She's a divorced mother of 3, and two of her children have special needs. She often didn't have the time to shop. Sometimes she'd give us money and ask us to pick up a DVD or cigarettes or beer. Was it for my husband and I? HELL NO! Were we going to refuse to do a favor for someone who opened her home for us? HELL NO! I am a coupon-clipping machine, a trait I learned from my grandmother. I've saved $80 on groceries I've spent $200 for, and for healthy food that fed us for most of the month. And now my husband is in the military, training to protect our country in times of need. Now that I no longer need foodstamps, I can say in all honesty: I don't regret accepting the help we needed. My taxes over the previous years, and in all the years to come, will more than make up for a few months assistance. Wow, I really should have read all of the posts before I wrote, because my outrage flared a little.

My husband had a Blackberry while we were on foodstamps. It was a gift from his mother and father, who also paid the bill. The Blackberry was free with the plan, and the reason we had it… wait for it… is that a telephone was a luxury we couldn’t afford! We lived an hour away from his parents, and they knew we were in the process of getting evicted and moving in to my sisters home. They wanted to be able to talk to us if something went wrong.

We also have a car. It’s a 1993 with the trunk caved in due to a hit and run while we were at the grocery store. The car is literally falling apart (I’ve seen pieces go flying from my read view mirror before), but had I not sold MY car to make ends meet (we knew we’d get more money for my car), we would have been in the “you sure have a nice car, poor girl!” category. We would get money every week ($20, which was a LOT for us, since we were now living rent free) for our babysitting, so we could gas up the car.

As I said, we lived with my sister. She’s a divorced mother of 3, and two of her children have special needs. She often didn’t have the time to shop. Sometimes she’d give us money and ask us to pick up a DVD or cigarettes or beer. Was it for my husband and I? HELL NO! Were we going to refuse to do a favor for someone who opened her home for us? HELL NO!

I am a coupon-clipping machine, a trait I learned from my grandmother. I’ve saved $80 on groceries I’ve spent $200 for, and for healthy food that fed us for most of the month. And now my husband is in the military, training to protect our country in times of need. Now that I no longer need foodstamps, I can say in all honesty: I don’t regret accepting the help we needed. My taxes over the previous years, and in all the years to come, will more than make up for a few months assistance.

]]> By: Nikko http://cashmoneylife.com/2008/07/03/the-other-america-commentary-on-food-stamps-and-the-economy/comment-page-2/#comment-20458 Nikko Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:32:54 +0000 http://cashmoneylife.com/?p=740#comment-20458 I was on foodstamps. My husband and I worked for the same company, and we were both laid off at the same time. (A month after our wedding, no less!) Two people. $369 a month. It was more than enough for us to make it last. We shopped like our grandmothers were with us every time. I had NEVER eaten healthier than when we were on foodstamps. We felt like it was our responsibility not to waste the taxpayers money on helping us. We were only on benefits for a few months, but not needing to purchase groceries out of pocket kept us from being homeless. Those foodstamps saved our lives, and we were grateful for them. I don't know in what universe people are getting the pitiful amounts of money that they say they're getting, but that's wasn't the reality for my family. I was on foodstamps. My husband and I worked for the same company, and we were both laid off at the same time. (A month after our wedding, no less!)

Two people. $369 a month. It was more than enough for us to make it last. We shopped like our grandmothers were with us every time. I had NEVER eaten healthier than when we were on foodstamps. We felt like it was our responsibility not to waste the taxpayers money on helping us. We were only on benefits for a few months, but not needing to purchase groceries out of pocket kept us from being homeless. Those foodstamps saved our lives, and we were grateful for them.

I don’t know in what universe people are getting the pitiful amounts of money that they say they’re getting, but that’s wasn’t the reality for my family.

]]> By: jane http://cashmoneylife.com/2008/07/03/the-other-america-commentary-on-food-stamps-and-the-economy/comment-page-2/#comment-17094 jane Sat, 14 Mar 2009 00:15:59 +0000 http://cashmoneylife.com/?p=740#comment-17094 I read a lot of the comments about people on food stamps. I used to feel the same way I thought people on food stamps were to lazy to work and I had to much pride to get food stamps.I worked for 20 years and not once in that time did I get any public assistance.However my luck changed I became disabled and had to sign up for social security disability.I had paid in ss for 20 years and I thought I WOULD GET MY DISABILITY PRETTY QUICK AFTER ALL I WAS PARALIZED FROM THE WAIST DOWN. Wrong ss told me my condition was severe but they didn't think it would last a year. I tried for 6 years my doctors didn't think I was able to work they signed papers for me every month to get loans paid .They would not have done that if they thought I was able to work. After 6 years they decided I was unable to work but by then I didn't have in enough credits to draw ss. so I was put on ssi with ssi you get medicaid and food stamps. I called the ss and told them I didn't want ssi that ssi is like welfare people that have never worked can draw ssi I wanted what I had paid into for 20 years. I WAS TOLD THAT i was better off drawing ssi because I could get medicaid, if I was put on ss disability I would have to wait 2 years before I could get medicare.So now I draw ssi and I get medicaid and food stamps.Please don't think you are to good to get food stamps or that you would die before you would be seen paying with food stamps we never know what is going to happen to us , you could be struck down by a disease or in a bad accident and you could be in the same boat as I am.Thats whats wrong with most people today they think they are 10 feet tall and bullet proof but you are not.So when you see people using food stamps don't critize them or make fun of them instead thank God that you still have a job and are able to go to work ever day. Ask yourself if I GET SICK and can't work how long could my family live on my savings believe me drs bills and medicine would eat it up in no time. I read a lot of the comments about people on food stamps. I used to feel the same way I thought people on food stamps were to lazy to work and I had to much pride to get food stamps.I worked for 20 years and not once in that time did I get any public assistance.However my luck changed I became disabled and had to sign up for social security disability.I had paid in ss for 20 years and I thought I WOULD GET MY DISABILITY PRETTY QUICK AFTER ALL I WAS PARALIZED FROM THE WAIST DOWN. Wrong ss told me my condition was severe but they didn’t think it would last a year. I tried for 6 years my doctors didn’t think I was able to work they signed papers for me every month to get loans paid .They would not have done that if they thought I was able to work. After 6 years they decided I was unable to work but by then I didn’t have in enough credits to draw ss. so I was put on ssi with ssi you get medicaid and food stamps. I called the ss and told them I didn’t want ssi that ssi is like welfare people that have never worked can draw ssi I wanted what I had paid into for 20 years. I WAS TOLD THAT i was better off drawing ssi because I could get medicaid, if I was put on ss disability I would have to wait 2 years before I could get medicare.So now I draw ssi and I get medicaid and food stamps.Please don’t think you are to good to get food stamps or that you would die before you would be seen paying with food stamps we never know what is going to happen to us , you could be struck down by a disease or in a bad accident and you could be in the same boat as I am.Thats whats wrong with most people today they think they are 10 feet tall and bullet proof but you are not.So when you see people using food stamps don’t critize them or make fun of them instead thank God that you still have a job and are able to go to work ever day. Ask yourself if I GET SICK and can’t work how long could my family live on my savings believe me drs bills and medicine would eat it up in no time.

]]> By: Patrick http://cashmoneylife.com/2008/07/03/the-other-america-commentary-on-food-stamps-and-the-economy/comment-page-2/#comment-13135 Patrick Sun, 07 Sep 2008 00:41:59 +0000 http://cashmoneylife.com/?p=740#comment-13135 <strong>Mama D:</strong> Thank you for your comment. The sagging real estate market is affecting many people and I am sorry to hear it is affecting your family. A good friend of mine is a commercial mortgage broker and has not earned anything in three months. The problem for him is that he works on commission, so he cannot apply for unemployment because he has a job, even if he is not earning anything. The situation is a rough one for him and his family, and many other families in a similar situation. I'm sorry the landowners would not let you gather the scrub from their property. From their perspective, I can only assume it is to avoid having multiple people swarming their property or prevent potential lawsuits. I know it seems unreasonable, but from their perspective, they are protecting themselves. Mama D: Thank you for your comment. The sagging real estate market is affecting many people and I am sorry to hear it is affecting your family. A good friend of mine is a commercial mortgage broker and has not earned anything in three months. The problem for him is that he works on commission, so he cannot apply for unemployment because he has a job, even if he is not earning anything. The situation is a rough one for him and his family, and many other families in a similar situation.

I’m sorry the landowners would not let you gather the scrub from their property. From their perspective, I can only assume it is to avoid having multiple people swarming their property or prevent potential lawsuits. I know it seems unreasonable, but from their perspective, they are protecting themselves.

]]> By: mama D http://cashmoneylife.com/2008/07/03/the-other-america-commentary-on-food-stamps-and-the-economy/comment-page-2/#comment-13133 mama D Sat, 06 Sep 2008 22:10:05 +0000 http://cashmoneylife.com/?p=740#comment-13133 Very nice thoughts. So many folks that write on this subject are so angry and mean. Last year when the bottom fell out of realestate suddenly in our area of the country, that left my husband pretty high and dry as a commercial broker. When totally broke, we went on food stamps. We live frugally anyway because I am a stay at home mom and we have more than the average number of children. One of my big questions is why are food stamps such an issue and free government schooling is not? We have chosen to educate our children ourselves. Saves the taxpayers a ton of money by doing so. We have graduated three sons from highschool and the deans list is no stranger to them in college. I have a few more kids to finish educating yet and I know I am doing this country a big favor in doing so. This country is not better served by my putting my children in the local school at all of our expense for a shot-in-the-dark of an education while I go out and work some minimum wage job to help put food on the table while my husband continues the hunt for a job that will pay for the barest of our needs. Also the attitudes of our neighbors is not ready for a deep recession. Realizing that we will not be able to fill our oil tank for heat this winter, we tried to get wood this week. Two seperate properties that are in our area have been logged in the past year. They have dead, dry scrub wood left on them. We contacted both parties asking to remove wood from the ground for use in our home this winter. Even though we could give tons of references from the locals around here and in fact the one party personally knows us, we were denied by both property owners. Reasons? "My migrants will see you and then they will want to come get some. We are having the local fire department come burn the scrub wood in a month or so." The other is living in Hawaii now and said he would have to be on the property personally. What have we come to? We do not want to go to a local charity and plead for some oil for our furnace. We will go cold first. We do have blankets and will pile them on. At least the food stamps will get us fed till the income starts rolling again. Very nice thoughts. So many folks that write on this subject are so angry and mean. Last year when the bottom fell out of realestate suddenly in our area of the country, that left my husband pretty high and dry as a commercial broker. When totally broke, we went on food stamps. We live frugally anyway because I am a stay at home mom and we have more than the average number of children. One of my big questions is why are food stamps such an issue and free government schooling is not? We have chosen to educate our children ourselves. Saves the taxpayers a ton of money by doing so. We have graduated three sons from highschool and the deans list is no stranger to them in college. I have a few more kids to finish educating yet and I know I am doing this country a big favor in doing so. This country is not better served by my putting my children in the local school at all of our expense for a shot-in-the-dark of an education while I go out and work some minimum wage job to help put food on the table while my husband continues the hunt for a job that will pay for the barest of our needs. Also the attitudes of our neighbors is not ready for a deep recession. Realizing that we will not be able to fill our oil tank for heat this winter, we tried to get wood this week. Two seperate properties that are in our area have been logged in the past year. They have dead, dry scrub wood left on them. We contacted both parties asking to remove wood from the ground for use in our home this winter. Even though we could give tons of references from the locals around here and in fact the one party personally knows us, we were denied by both property owners. Reasons? “My migrants will see you and then they will want to come get some. We are having the local fire department come burn the scrub wood in a month or so.” The other is living in Hawaii now and said he would have to be on the property personally. What have we come to? We do not want to go to a local charity and plead for some oil for our furnace. We will go cold first. We do have blankets and will pile them on. At least the food stamps will get us fed till the income starts rolling again.

]]> By: Kristyn http://cashmoneylife.com/2008/07/03/the-other-america-commentary-on-food-stamps-and-the-economy/comment-page-2/#comment-10936 Kristyn Mon, 11 Aug 2008 23:57:40 +0000 http://cashmoneylife.com/?p=740#comment-10936 It's easy for someone who doesn't rely on government money to talk about those using assistance. My family is given $140 a month for good, for a family of four. That's roughly $35 a month per person to live off of. Now, I know you think it's possible to live off of that, but it's not. You should try it sometime! We love how healthy we feel after our 5 days of nothing but ramen noodles waiting for our next payment. My husband works around 60 hours a week, I barely see him and he barely see's his children.. so don't talk about how we can work 3 jobs and eat a lot of rice. How dare you. I'd love to go back to work, but with the cost of daycare, nearly my entire paycheck would go to someone to care for my children. Not to mention I don't trust anyone with my kids with all the reports of child abuse and neglect. I was severely abused by a babysitter for years, I don't want my children in that situation. You know what needs to happen? DCF needs to go through all the cases and boot the lazy people off the program forever. Those families (like my neighbors) who have more than 3 children and NOBODY WORKS... they get around $900-$1500 a MONTH for groceries. Meanwhile, I never see my husband - all of our bills are paid, but we're still starving. We don't buy junk, even if we could afford it we wouldn't.. Unfortunately until the economy gets better, we have no choice but to eat crap for food. I'm stick of hearing people talking negatively about our situation. Yeah, we have a car that we could sell for extra cash, but then how will my husband get to work? How will I take my kids to the doctor? How long will that $5000 cash last with all our bills? Most of you have it better than us. Stop passing judgement on those who are working their asses off trying to get by who need food stamps. I'm not popping out kids left and right.. We shouldn't have to live off of rice & ramen noodles. I thought America was supposed to be the greatest country on Earth? Well, the way things are - I'd rather be somewhere else that actually cared about their own people, rather than the welfare of other countries. Put your own people before others America. Maybe we can rebuild our schools after we "rebuild" Iraq. It’s easy for someone who doesn’t rely on government money to talk about those using assistance. My family is given $140 a month for good, for a family of four. That’s roughly $35 a month per person to live off of. Now, I know you think it’s possible to live off of that, but it’s not. You should try it sometime! We love how healthy we feel after our 5 days of nothing but ramen noodles waiting for our next payment. My husband works around 60 hours a week, I barely see him and he barely see’s his children.. so don’t talk about how we can work 3 jobs and eat a lot of rice. How dare you. I’d love to go back to work, but with the cost of daycare, nearly my entire paycheck would go to someone to care for my children. Not to mention I don’t trust anyone with my kids with all the reports of child abuse and neglect. I was severely abused by a babysitter for years, I don’t want my children in that situation.
You know what needs to happen? DCF needs to go through all the cases and boot the lazy people off the program forever. Those families (like my neighbors) who have more than 3 children and NOBODY WORKS… they get around $900-$1500 a MONTH for groceries. Meanwhile, I never see my husband – all of our bills are paid, but we’re still starving. We don’t buy junk, even if we could afford it we wouldn’t.. Unfortunately until the economy gets better, we have no choice but to eat crap for food. I’m stick of hearing people talking negatively about our situation. Yeah, we have a car that we could sell for extra cash, but then how will my husband get to work? How will I take my kids to the doctor? How long will that $5000 cash last with all our bills? Most of you have it better than us. Stop passing judgement on those who are working their asses off trying to get by who need food stamps. I’m not popping out kids left and right.. We shouldn’t have to live off of rice & ramen noodles. I thought America was supposed to be the greatest country on Earth? Well, the way things are – I’d rather be somewhere else that actually cared about their own people, rather than the welfare of other countries. Put your own people before others America. Maybe we can rebuild our schools after we “rebuild” Iraq.

]]> By: Carnival of Personal Finance - Time to Give Lots of Link Love! | Fix My Personal Finance http://cashmoneylife.com/2008/07/03/the-other-america-commentary-on-food-stamps-and-the-economy/comment-page-2/#comment-9832 Carnival of Personal Finance - Time to Give Lots of Link Love! | Fix My Personal Finance Mon, 14 Jul 2008 08:17:39 +0000 http://cashmoneylife.com/?p=740#comment-9832 [...] Money Life comments on food stamps and the economy.  There’s a lot of meat in this one and I’m sure the discussion will continue to be [...] [...] Money Life comments on food stamps and the economy.  There’s a lot of meat in this one and I’m sure the discussion will continue to be [...]

]]> By: Weekend Roundup- Mid-Summer Edition | Think Your Way to Wealth http://cashmoneylife.com/2008/07/03/the-other-america-commentary-on-food-stamps-and-the-economy/comment-page-2/#comment-9815 Weekend Roundup- Mid-Summer Edition | Think Your Way to Wealth Sun, 13 Jul 2008 12:44:03 +0000 http://cashmoneylife.com/?p=740#comment-9815 [...] Commentary on food stamps and the economy at Cash Money Life-This was a great, thought provoking post, with lots of great comments as well. [...] [...] Commentary on food stamps and the economy at Cash Money Life-This was a great, thought provoking post, with lots of great comments as well. [...]

]]> By: Weekly Carnival Link Love | Value For Your Life http://cashmoneylife.com/2008/07/03/the-other-america-commentary-on-food-stamps-and-the-economy/comment-page-2/#comment-9797 Weekly Carnival Link Love | Value For Your Life Sat, 12 Jul 2008 00:45:21 +0000 http://cashmoneylife.com/?p=740#comment-9797 [...] Money Life’s insightful post about The Other America-Commentary on Food Stamps and the Economy really got me thinking.  We don’t have food stamps here in Canada, but many people rely [...] [...] Money Life’s insightful post about The Other America-Commentary on Food Stamps and the Economy really got me thinking.  We don’t have food stamps here in Canada, but many people rely [...]

]]> By: Patrick http://cashmoneylife.com/2008/07/03/the-other-america-commentary-on-food-stamps-and-the-economy/comment-page-2/#comment-9783 Patrick Fri, 11 Jul 2008 19:12:31 +0000 http://cashmoneylife.com/?p=740#comment-9783 Large Talons, I agree. Large Talons, I agree.

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