Thread: Food Stamps - Take The Challenge

I've read many opinions from "conservatives" that want to dramatically reduce welfare spending and the SNAP (food stamps) often take a lot of heat because tens of millions of Americans require this assistance. Most of these are either retirees on Social Security or hard working Americans receiving low wages generally supporting dependent children.

Before demanding a reduction in SNAP spending I would challenge those opposed to the program to do what Newark, NJ Mayor Cory Booker is going to do from Dec 4-11.

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Mayor Cory Booker said he will live on food stamps for a week starting Tuesday.

Booker told The Associated Press on Thursday that he will honor the challenge he made to a Twitter follower earlier this month and try living on the monetary equivalent of food stamps for at least a week.

"December 4 to 11. Seven days," Booker said after the ribbon cutting for new loft apartments in Newark. He said he will be limited to $1.40 for each meal.

The average monthly food stamp benefit was $133.26 per person in New Jersey in fiscal year 2011, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

http://news.yahoo.com/nj-mayor-live-...215309249.html

Let's see what "conservatives" think about cutting benefits for food stamps after living on $1.40/meal for a week.

Cory Booker is on a short list of democrats that I halfway respect.

I had EBT or Food Stamps in college and did fine. I earned $120 a month, for one person, and got through every month just fine, while working full time and have fifteen hours of school a week.

If I can do it on a small budget, anyone can.

Originally Posted by Bluespade

Cory Booker is on a short list of democrats that I halfway respect.

I'm not even familiar with him as I live on the opposite end of the country. I didn't even know he was a Democrat but I'm not surprised that he is. I would assume he's not trying to end food stamps or reduce the benefits and the challenge is more appropriate for those that are.

Actually I won't even challenge Republicans to "take the challenge" because I'd like to see their grocery list so that they would have enough money to buy food at $1.40/meal for a week. I'd assume its going to have a lot of Kraft macaroni and cheese on it which is fine but not very healthy.

Despite being a polititian Booker seems like a good guy, rushing into burning buildings to save people and doing crime watches personally all hours of the night. I think he does these things to set the tone of being a positve part of the community which Newak certainly benefits from.

We spent $71 billion on food stamps. That is not that much money in the grand scheme of things and really not that big of a deal to be feeding people in your country after an economic shock.

Normally my weekly grocery bill is more than $130.00. I would be hard pressed to stretch 130.00 for a month.

Originally Posted by Shiva_TD

I've read many opinions from "conservatives" that want to dramatically reduce welfare spending and the SNAP (food stamps) often take a lot of heat because tens of millions of Americans require this assistance. Most of these are either retirees on Social Security or hard working Americans receiving low wages generally supporting dependent children.

Before demanding a reduction in SNAP spending I would challenge those opposed to the program to do what Newark, NJ Mayor Cory Booker is going to do from Dec 4-11.



http://news.yahoo.com/nj-mayor-live-...215309249.html

Let's see what "conservatives" think about cutting benefits for food stamps after living on $1.40/meal for a week.

$1.40 a meal? Crikey! We can't afford to give people all that free money!

Originally Posted by Shiva_TD

I've read many opinions from "conservatives" that want to dramatically reduce welfare spending and the SNAP (food stamps) often take a lot of heat because tens of millions of Americans require this assistance. Most of these are either retirees on Social Security or hard working Americans receiving low wages generally supporting dependent children.

Before demanding a reduction in SNAP spending I would challenge those opposed to the program to do what Newark, NJ Mayor Cory Booker is going to do from Dec 4-11.



http://news.yahoo.com/nj-mayor-live-...215309249.html

Let's see what "conservatives" think about cutting benefits for food stamps after living on $1.40/meal for a week.

Well... it would be $1.46 firstly... assuming 3 meals a day over 30.5 days. So, we have 91.5 meals to account for.

Let's look at my average meals.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Cheerios-T...18-oz/10311410
Mmm. Ok... so my cheerios are $3.68 providing 18 servings. We will round that up to 4 bucks with tax and complaints... Gonna need some milk in that. 16 cups in a galon... so lets just drop this to 16 servings for easy math... eating a little more cereal than recommended each morning, because I am fat. WalMart doesn't give milk prices online because, I guess, they vary. My milk is about 3.50, so let's make it 4 bucks... for tax an variable pricing.

So lets round up to 8 bucks for tax an whatnot.
133.26 - 8 = $125.26
91.5 - 16 = 75.5
Now we are gonna double that, because that makes 32 meals, and sometimes on a whim I will have cereal before I go to bed... cause I am wild like that.
125.26 - 8 = $117.26
75.5 - 14.5 = 61 meals left (I took 14.5 because I will include half a meal as cereal after a light dinner, and the 16th bowl is just gluttony, because I am fat... this provides our 30.5 meals.)

Solid start.

Rather than doing all of this painful research and averaging over months etc... look at this.
http://www.parents.com/blogs/thrifty...amily-of-four/

This is an employed woman, who keeps her grocery budget for 4 people, under $200 per month. I guess it is odd to me, that people do not expect that they will have to make sacrifices for free money, when so many hard working Americans make them with their own money.

Might also point out 5 kids eat less than 5 adults. Sort of a quick cheat to throw out that "average cost per person" thing.

Did I mention we are fat? Curious how many people on food stamps are overweight (excluding medical conditions which ACTUALLY cause the problem) in relation to the rest of the population. Don't let this common sense interrupt your flow or anything... just thought it was worth mentioning.

http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/2012/01/...ge-week-4.html check out these ladies!


I guess it is harder to address concepts like conservation, when it is free.

Originally Posted by Shiva_TD

I've read many opinions from "conservatives" that want to dramatically reduce welfare spending and the SNAP (food stamps) often take a lot of heat because tens of millions of Americans require this assistance. Most of these are either retirees on Social Security or hard working Americans receiving low wages generally supporting dependent children.

Before demanding a reduction in SNAP spending I would challenge those opposed to the program to do what Newark, NJ Mayor Cory Booker is going to do from Dec 4-11.



http://news.yahoo.com/nj-mayor-live-...215309249.html

Let's see what "conservatives" think about cutting benefits for food stamps after living on $1.40/meal for a week.

Well... it would be $1.46 firstly... assuming 3 meals a day over 30.5 days. So, we have 91.5 meals to account for.

Let's look at my average meals.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Cheerios-T...18-oz/10311410
Mmm. Ok... so my cheerios are $3.68 providing 18 servings. We will round that up to 4 bucks with tax and complaints... Gonna need some milk in that. 16 cups in a galon... so lets just drop this to 16 servings for easy math... eating a little more cereal than recommended each morning, because I am fat. WalMart doesn't give milk prices online because, I guess, they vary. My milk is about 3.50, so let's make it 4 bucks... for tax an variable pricing.

So lets round up to 8 bucks for tax an whatnot.
133.26 - 8 = $125.26
91.5 - 16 = 75.5
Now we are gonna double that, because that makes 32 meals, and sometimes on a whim I will have cereal before I go to bed... cause I am wild like that.
125.26 - 8 = $117.26
75.5 - 14.5 = 61 meals left (I took 14.5 because I will include half a meal as cereal after a light dinner, and the 16th bowl is just gluttony, because I am fat... this provides our 30.5 meals.)

Solid start.

Rather than doing all of this painful research and averaging over months etc... look at this.
http://www.parents.com/blogs/thrifty...amily-of-four/

This is an employed woman, who keeps her grocery budget for 4 people, under $200 per month. I guess it is odd to me, that people do not expect that they will have to make sacrifices for free money, when so many hard working Americans make them with their own money.

Might also point out 5 kids eat less than 5 adults. Sort of a quick cheat to throw out that "average cost per person" thing.

Did I mention we are fat? Curious how many people on food stamps are overweight (excluding medical conditions which ACTUALLY cause the problem) in relation to the rest of the population. Don't let this common sense interrupt your flow or anything... just thought it was worth mentioning.

http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/2012/01/...ge-week-4.html check out these ladies!


I guess it is harder to address concepts like conservation, when it is free.