Should people on food stamp be able buy junk food?

Ten min. ago I was at 7-11, te lady in front of me had 4 large slurpies a bag of chips and cookies. She kept asking the clerk for the EBT machine. An EBT machine is the credit card machine for food stamps. I have to say, I was annoyed as she left and got into her NEW ford endevor and drove away. BTW at 11:00 this lady was still i her PJ's. Must be nice t chill in your PJ's till noon and fill up on junk food.

lol. this is funny. never thought of that though...do people actually do that? dunno. never used a food stamp in my life

Orthopod1 wrote:

Ten min. ago I was at 7-11, te lady in front of me had 4 large slurpies a bag of chips and cookies. She kept asking the clerk for the EBT machine. An EBT machine is the credit card machine for food stamps. I have to say, I was annoyed as she left and got into her NEW ford endevor and drove away. BTW at 11:00 this lady was still i her PJ's. Must be nice t chill in your PJ's till noon and fill up on junk food.

That would anger me too. We were having a discussion about EBT the other night.

I was told if you go to certain gas stations they will sell you cigaretts on them too!

DaniGirl123 wrote:

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That would anger me too. We were having a discussion about EBT the other night.
I was told if you go to certain gas stations they will sell you cigaretts on them too!

Funny you say that. I am a smoker, I go to this 7-11 almost everyday for 7 years so I know all the clerks. I had to ask what an EBT was. I made a joke about getting smokes and she said they try but no sell. I am just amazed. Keep working hard, don't want anyone to go without their slurpies.

The better question would be: Should people on food stamps be able to buy steak and shrimp for dinner EVERY NIGHT for all of their lives.
I, too, love steak and shrimp, but I can't afford to eat it EVERY NIGHT.
Every time I'm in line at the grocery store and I see someone with food stamps, they're STOCKED with items like steak and shrimp

Well VR come visit FL, where they pool foodstamps between multiple familys and as your adding your grocerys with a caculator they have 5 full carts. I will ask it again.

Has anyone ever seen a skinny person on food stamps?

I am all for a helping hand for a limited time but no one who I am paying for should be eating better than I am.

Orthopod1 wrote:

Well VR come visit FL, where they pool foodstamps between multiple familys and as your adding your grocerys with a caculator they have 5 full carts. I will ask it again.
Has anyone ever seen a skinny person on food stamps?
I am all for a helping hand for a limited time but no one who I am paying for should be eating better than I am.

They showed one family on the news who got over ONE MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR in welfare (this is extended family - cousins, etc.). They asked one of them if they thought they should be getting over one million a year in welfare, and they said, "We've got a lot of people to feed."

Valkyrian Ride wrote:

<quoted text>They showed one family on the news who got over ONE MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR in welfare (this is extended family - cousins, etc.). They asked one of them if they thought they should be getting over one million a year in welfare, and they said, "We've got a lot of people to feed."

Betcha everone had nice hair and nails. Easy to afford when you don't pay for food and medical. Even wors a lot of them have jobs that get paid under the table. So they contribute nothing to what they recieve. But hey mamma needs a new grill.

Once saw a man who tried to buy dog food with food stamps and when told "no", he said, "fine" and went to the meat department and got a few steaks. He then said, "My dog is going to eat and he is going to eat well".

Orthopod1 wrote:

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Funny you say that. I am a smoker, I go to this 7-11 almost everyday for 7 years so I know all the clerks. I had to ask what an EBT was. I made a joke about getting smokes and she said they try but no sell. I am just amazed. Keep working hard, don't want anyone to go without their slurpies.

lol.

I smoke too... But, cigs should be a "luxury" item. They are a freedom, not a right. lol

I have seen what you speak of & it sickens me.

On that note, The only time I ever used public assistance was WIC. My husband hurt himself at work, work comp wasn't paying, no more vacation/sick/emergency illness pay and I wasn't working. Desparate I went & applied for WIC. By the time my first appoint to renew came up he was back to work, I told my caseworker I didn't qualify anylonger. She asked I use the last of the checks and then thanked me for being honest.

I used to get SERIOUS dirty looks at the store when I used my WIC checks, people that knew me before knew we weren't poor, but at the time, we were SO POOR I felt the need to apply. We had to borrow money to pay bills and buy food, WIC just helped with some of it.

No, they should be able to just buy the staples.

Well, I haven't been bashed for about 18 hours, so here's my 2 cents worth.

I was on welfare for four years and one month while my boys were toddlers. I got $452 a month and about $87 foodstamps. This was in 1982-1986. I paid over half my cash for rent, and the rest had to stretch for utilities, bus passes, laundry soap and all that kind of stuff. And I ususally had to supplement the $87 in food stamps I got because no matter how wisely I shopped, it just didn't buy milk, fruit and vegetables that last week.

As for what we buy, I had lovely little old ladies peer into my shopping cart and loudly discuss what I bought with food stamps. "Look at that! She's buying frozen pizza with OUR money!" Yep, when frozen pizza was $1.00 a piece, you bet I bought them! I was able to feed all three of us for $1.00! Not bad!

I seldom was able to buy steak. Only if it was on a really good sale, and even then, I'd run out of food stamps earlier than I usually did. I probably bought it twice in that four years.

I realize it rankles when we work all day and someone is staying home in their jammies and watching TV and slurping junk food. BUT...we don't know the whole story. There a dozens of possibilities there.

No one makes a bundle on welfare. My guess is the Ford Endeavor was someone else's vehicle. And maybe she's on break from school. Maybe she really is a leech. Who knows?

No, you'd really be surprised....take it from me.
There is no asset 'test' for food stamps. You can have $10K in the bank, own your own home, have whatever car you want, etc. It doesn't matter. What matters is your monthly income. Simple as that.
I see people who have purses that cost $800, nails that obviously need to be maintained biweekly, and designer clothes. They choose to quit nice paying jobs to go to school full-time and then want to know how much in food stamp benefits they are going to get.
People can no longer be 'sanctioned' for quitting a job or for not looking for work.

Valkyrian Ride wrote:

The better question would be: Should people on food stamps be able to buy steak and shrimp for dinner EVERY NIGHT for all of their lives.
I, too, love steak and shrimp, but I can't afford to eat it EVERY NIGHT.
Every time I'm in line at the grocery store and I see someone with food stamps, they're STOCKED with items like steak and shrimp

There's no way anyone on Food Stamps is eating steak and shrimp every night. The only way they could get away with this is if they are lying to receive benefits. Nobody gets that much in Food Stamps a month.

DaniGirl123 wrote:

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That would anger me too. We were having a discussion about EBT the other night.
I was told if you go to certain gas stations they will sell you cigaretts on them too!

Maybe it depends on what state you leave in. Here in MI you are not allowed to buy cigarettes or alcohol with the card.

ICanOnlySay wrote:

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There's no way anyone on Food Stamps is eating steak and shrimp every night. The only way they could get away with this is if they are lying to receive benefits. Nobody gets that much in Food Stamps a month.

For a family of four, maximum benefits are $542 per month. All you need are names and socials. A "note" from someone saying you live there and pay rent, course, if you have no income, it doesn't even matter. Not to mention you don't pay tax on items paid with stamps.

ICanOnlySay wrote:

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There's no way anyone on Food Stamps is eating steak and shrimp every night. The only way they could get away with this is if they are lying to receive benefits. Nobody gets that much in Food Stamps a month.

Several years ago, I went to New York City. Because I didn't know anyone there, I wound up on the street (briefly). The other people there told me that they could help me get on welfare, foodstamps, and the whole nine yards. I told 'em I didn't want any part of it, and left.

I don't mind people being on food stamps, honestly. There are times in everyone's life when they need a leg up. BUT when I'm doing everything in my power to not have to apply for food stamps, as in living on hamburger and mac n' cheese, and the woman in front of me at the grocery store is buying sirloin steaks and pork roast, I get a little miffed. But that's not the big problem in my mind. The big problem is that then I see that same woman at the liquor store paying cash for a bottle of Chivas. WTH? That really bugged me. So much so that I'll tell you it happened 20+ years ago and I haven't forgotten it.

Redneck Rampage wrote:

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For a family of four, maximum benefits are $542 per month. All you need are names and socials. A "note" from someone saying you live there and pay rent, course, if you have no income, it doesn't even matter. Not to mention you don't pay tax on items paid with stamps.

I don't think that's true in Illinois. My oldest has been turned down a few times (single mom w/ 3 kids) and she barely makes over minimum wage. So I buy her groceries.