I really stocked our pantry that first month, laying in spices, condiments (oils and vinegars, real maple syrup, soy sauce, etc.), canned goods we routinely use (tomatoes, tomato paste, corn, coconut milk, tuna, salmon, etc.), dry beans and rice, whole wheat pasta and the like. I bought good quality meat and lots of frozen veggies for the freezer. I bought LOTS of baking supplies.

I spent almost all of that first month’s money in two trips, and my pantry and freezer were so well stocked that I’ve been able to breathe easy ever since. That food security really makes a difference in my anxiety level!

Now, I get a lot of fresh produce, organic dairy, and whole grains, but still rarely use my whole check amount and almost always have a roll-over amount at the end of the month.

I need to go to Whole Foods and see about getting pickles. I can’t find any that don’t have Yellow #5 in it. I’m thinking I’ll have to make my own! If I can figure it out, but pickling cucumbers aren’t exactly in season right now.

And btw, I would go hog wild with organic food if I had it. I would always have parmeggiano reggiano and real balsamic vinegar, and the best olive oil. I would splurge on gourmet convenience foods, like organic frozen pizza and frozen burritos. I could also have fresh herbs on hand even when its too cold for them to grow in mygarden, and string cheese-bc it’s a healthy easy snack that’s just a little too expensive for my budget. And I could also buy natural, low sodium lunchmeat, because I love me some sandwiches.

I just wanted to share the story of a woman ahead of me in line in the only supermarket accessible to the small “inner city” of our nearest town. She had with her two children, one a baby in a stroller, and the other a little boy about 5 years old. And she pushed two shopping carts, while the little boy did the honors with the stroller. I came along just as they were finishing, and it was pretty clear they were buying staples. Lots of rice, beans, and cheap meats.

She left a very small bottle of dish detergent in her discarded second shopping cart, which she just couldn’t handle, and no, she didn’t need it she said. When it came time to pay, she paid for $1.07 for non food items, and the rest on the food stamp card. Why didn’t she take the detergent? I wondered, since I could see that she had a few dollars left.

As I passed her on the way out, it came to me – cab fare. Poor people often don’t have cars in this town, but you really do need one to get around. She must have walked to the store, pushing the stroller to save the fare going, but needed a cab to get home with $200.00 in groceries. I hope they lasted the month…

So there is another problem with making few resources last – transportation. Until this store opened folks with no cars had to take cabs both ways to the nearest supermarket, or shop in small stores with really high prices for many things.

Sorry for rambling, but you got me thinking….

Cereal and milk (if I had a fridge), trail mix, canned tuna and chicken, Miracle Whip, bread, produce, cold cuts, cheese, yogurt, salad dressing, granola bars, crackers, pickles.

Congrats on the new job as well. God is good!

What would you buy if you had no stove or oven?

Not the basis of a diet I would recommend to anybody, but not too terrible either.

Food stamps cannot be exchanged for cash, rent, utility bill payments, or anything else. You can only buy food with them. So if (like MHM) you have more food stamp money than you need, why not use it? When a family can barely afford to keep the lights on, should be begrudge them a nice dinner or two?

As for the convenience foods, consider that the reason some families are on food stamps may be due to disabilities—disabilities that preclude spending a lot of time cooking. For that matter, cooking vessels themselves are expensive. What if you can’t afford a big pot for beans (let alone a slow-cooker)? For canned ravioli you only need a can opener, if you don’t mind eating it cold.

Education about nutrition is another reason for some of the food choices that people make. Okay, everyone knows bacon’s not really good for you, but canned ravioli? If you don’t know how to read nutrition labels, or what the daily recommendations for nutrients are, that might look like healthy food to you! (And actually, it’s not completely terrible.) People in poverty might have heard, at some point, about the food pyramid, and that you should eat 5 fruits or vegetables a day, but if you don’t know why they are important, it’s pretty easy to dismiss that. If you don’t know why whole wheat bread is better than white bread, you might not want to fight that battle with your kids.

We reinforce each other daily about nutrition issues by blogging and commenting about it. It’s easy to take that knowledge for granted. I hate seeing shopping carts full of junk, too, but always try to remind myself not to judge the shopper.

As you know, my husband works at a grocery store and he gets to know his customers. He does see regular customers coming in every month and buying things like steak and lobster with their food stamps, as well as cokes, chips, and all kinds of convenience foods- things we cannot afford to buy for our family. He doesn’t run them out on a rail, but he does come home and tell me about it, and it makes it into a blog post from time to time.=)

To put it in perspective, I spend about $5800 PER YEAR on food.