http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/01/30/am.callebs.foodstamps.blog/index.html it’s the blog of a reporter who’s attempting to live on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for a month (and still try and run during this time). A little uninspired experiment maybe, but what struck me was the allowance - he said $176 is the max a single person could qualify for.
So since I fit into that demographic, I looked back 7 months, and I found out that I live well within that limit. Makes sense, since I almost never go out to eat, cook all my meals, and buy lots of rice, pasta, bread, and chicken from a regular grocery store. And I’ve had 8 hour training weeks with that budget. Bully for me!
What about you, can YOU survive on the SNAP allowance?
Our monthly budget, not including going out to eat which could be cut out without our food bill going up all that much, for a family of 4 is around 350-450$ a month. 176$ for one person seems like a lot, especially for a single individual.
It’s been a while since I was single, but all I did was order a 5$ pizza that lasted me 2 or 3 days…it was the beer bill that was the killer 
Also keep in mind that likely this is only one of many programs available and MANY of them cross over.
~Matt
I could live on that easily, and the people who say they can’t just aren’t making smart purchasing decisions.
I’ve learned to avoid my local grocery on food stamp day, because it’s a freaking nuthouse. You see a lot of people buying namebrand stuff when storebrand is the same. You see people buying Bob Evans mashed potatoes, already made, when you could get 2-3 boxes of the flakes, or 20lbs of potatoes, for the same price. So yeah, I think anyone could live off of that, especially if they know how to make a dollar go further.
$5.78 a day. You might be able to *live *on it, but it sure wouldn’t be any fun!
What part of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance do people not understand? Wait…never mind…I can see it now. Along with a “living wage”, there’s going to be a push for “living nutrition”. God help us all…
Could I? Yes. Would I want to? No.
I was never on food stamps, but many years ago I struggled through some tough times and subsisted mainly on potatoes, rice, and canned beans. It wasn’t a long term thing, but it carried me through for 4-5 months.
I don’t know what food people can get with food stamps, but judging from I’ve seen in the checkout lines at the grocery store it’s cheap food of questionable nutritional value. Looks like mostly sugar and high fat food.
I see people at the checkout line paying with food stamps who do not appear to be underfed (to say the least).
I spend more than that on wine.
I think you can if you shop well, buy whole foods, and cook from scratch. However, I think most folks go for processed and packaged items that drive up the cost.
I’ve been experimenting with Dave Ramsey, and I have $150 budgeted for food each month. So far I haven’t starved, but I’m learning to love beans and rice (which I’m eating as I type this). It’s definitely possible.
I spend more than that on wine.
But it’s the hookers and blow that really eat into the budget.
can YOU survive on the SNAP allowance?
I lived on <$100/mo for food not that long ago.
I spend ~$70 every two weeks on groceries, so thats $140 a month. My shopping cart usually looks the same every time I check out. Cereal, bread, bagels, chicken breast, salad, fruits, etc. Most of my stuff is name brand, not store brand either.
Its pretty easy for one person to eat cheaply, unless you “have” to have that filet.
Yes, you can. I’ve personally partaken in an experiment on this with some friends. You can live quite well on that food allowance with a tiny bit of effort.
Challenges only arise if work prevents you from eating all of your meal prepared at home. There is no allowance for eating out really.
Lunch you need to prepare at home and bring to work.
I don’t have the list any more but my weekly shopping haul on the allowance included a gallon of real milk, some oranges, some rice and beans, cereal, bread, peanut butter, jelly, some lunchmeat, cheese, and plenty more.
processed and packaged items drive the cost DOWN, man.
I think you can if you shop well, buy whole foods, and cook from scratch. However, I think most folks go for processed and packaged items that drive up the cost.
I’ve been experimenting with Dave Ramsey, and I have $150 budgeted for food each month. So far I haven’t starved, but I’m learning to love beans and rice (which I’m eating as I type this). It’s definitely possible.
I would think that the stamps are too high in fiber and the ink may not be that good for you either. I’d recommend food rather than food stamps.