Found this blog about Snap Benefits

[qsefthuko]

I can understand, especially with allergies, considering frozen Veges as minimally processed but since I shop biweekly plus they are cheaper I will still get them. That minor amount of processing doesn't bother me. Our allergies are not so severe as to cause us to worry about what else is in the factory.

[rumblepurr]

Originally Posted by My Sweet Blessings I don't considered frozen veggies processed. I considered foods that are altered, things added, ect to be processed. They just take a dip in water, nothing i wouldn't do to them myself.

We very rarely eat cooked veggies. Mostly large fresh salads are how we eat them. Sometimes, maybe 2x a month, we have baked potatoes and during the winter I do make a soup once a week that has a lot of lightly cooked veggies in it. The rest of the time it's raw veggies without salad dressing.

[krispy79]

Originally Posted by My Sweet Blessings I don't considered frozen veggies processed. I considered foods that are altered, things added, ect to be processed. They just take a dip in water, nothing i wouldn't do to them myself.

Me either, that would mean that what I freeze or can is processed... Not in my mind. I think it's splitting hairs or a technicality, you would never consider all the fresh food you cook in your home as processed.

As for the cvs comment and those on snap, I used to be a life skills coach and home based counselor. No matter how much I tried to teach clients how to make that money last and go farther it was wasted on candy, chips, and soda most of the time. I took a woman to the food banks every month, planned her meals each month with her and her family, and even took them shopping for the meals and grocery lists we developed. Without fail the money would be gone and wasted within 2 weeks, she received $453 per month for her family of 3. I would just look at her receipts and think to myself, this is what tax dollars pay for, the govt thinks this is helping? I'd rather come cook her meals everyday than see that money spent so waste fully.

[happysmileylady]

Originally Posted by krispy79 As for the cvs comment and those on snap, I used to be a life skills coach and home based counselor. No matter how much I tried to teach clients how to make that money last and go farther it was wasted on candy, chips, and soda most of the time. I took a woman to the food banks every month, planned her meals each month with her and her family, and even took them shopping for the meals and grocery lists we developed. Without fail the money would be gone and wasted within 2 weeks, she received $453 per month for her family of 3. I would just look at her receipts and think to myself, this is what tax dollars pay for, the govt thinks this is helping? I'd rather come cook her meals everyday than see that money spent so waste fully.

And see, I sometimes wonder...why are people allowed to continue to receive benefits if they continue to ignore all advice on how to maximize their finances. I mean, I am not saying go through line by line and say "oh, you bought a cake mix and didn't use a coupon, you are cut off!" But a pattern over and over of wasting money, not following basic budgeting education, constantly spending Snap benefits on candy and pop, etc etc then why are people allowed to continue to receive the money? At some point, I think it really should be said that if SNAP is going to give you (general you ) $xyz, then you have to do A and/or B and/or C in return. If you do not, then you cannot receive $xyz. I do understand that that kinda starts to cross into "judgement" territory and so on...but if WIC can say that only the foods that WIC determines are nutritious will be paid for by WIC, then I would think SNAP could do similar.

[My Sweet Blessings]

because they are human beings and can make those choices for themselves. if the benefits are gone, then that's on them and they ahve to figure out what to do next. they don't get more because they run out. It's an certain number each month and that's that. you can't force people to eat a diet consisting of what you think they should eat. they are poor, not less of a person.

WIC and SNAP are 2 completely different programs.

[happysmileylady]

Originally Posted by My Sweet Blessings because they are human beings and can make those choices for themselves. if the benefits are gone, then that's on them and they ahve to figure out what to do next. they don't get more because they run out. It's an certain number each month and that's that. you can't force people to eat a diet consisting of what you think they should eat. they are poor, not less of a person. WIC and SNAP are 2 completely different programs.

Here's the thing though. When you have a job that your income is coming from, you have to do particular things to keep that job and earn that income. You have to perform your assigned tasks to a particular standard, show up on time, etc etc. So I don't think it's unreasonable to say that to receive from SNAP or whatever, that you also have to perform particular tasks to a particular standard. If my DH has to demonstrate that he knows how to manage a project budget in order to keep his job and continue to earn an income from that job, why shouldn't someone receiving income from SNAP have to demonstrate that they know how to manage a household grocery budget to continue to earn income for groceries from SNAP?

I realize that WIC and SNAP are two different programs, I was just speaking in general terms and therefore comparing the programs on a general basis. The point of that was just to say if this program can set limits I don't think it's wrong for another program to set a few more reasonable limits in place also. To just continue to hand the money out without any limits doesn't really seem to be working.

[madebymommy]

$4 per person today would be amazing! That would be $280 bi weekly for my family of 5... My.absolute max is $200 every two weeks, that's with pretty much no coupons because its hard to buy coupons for the fresh stuff we buy! We eat really well for the $200 I spend, too... all but one of the 14 nights I make a homemade, balanced meal pretty much from scratch! We get pizza once every 2 weeks as a treat. It's all about meal planning and having basic cooking skills. I also do a lot of canning and freezing, so we rarely waste food!

[KelseyH]

I didn't read everything, but...

$4 per person, per day!?! Um, wow! We eat for $3 (usually less) per person per day. I would love to up my food budget that much!

[My Sweet Blessings]

Originally Posted by happysmileylady Here's the thing though. When you have a job that your income is coming from, you have to do particular things to keep that job and earn that income. You have to perform your assigned tasks to a particular standard, show up on time, etc etc. So I don't think it's unreasonable to say that to receive from SNAP or whatever, that you also have to perform particular tasks to a particular standard. If my DH has to demonstrate that he knows how to manage a project budget in order to keep his job and continue to earn an income from that job, why shouldn't someone receiving income from SNAP have to demonstrate that they know how to manage a household grocery budget to continue to earn income for groceries from SNAP? I realize that WIC and SNAP are two different programs, I was just speaking in general terms and therefore comparing the programs on a general basis. The point of that was just to say if this program can set limits I don't think it's wrong for another program to set a few more reasonable limits in place also. To just continue to hand the money out without any limits doesn't really seem to be working.

I just don't see it the way you do. There are requirements in place in order to continue to receive the benefits. You have to either have employment, be able to show you are actively trying for employment and I am pretty sure there are some classes you have to take in regards to jobs. i remembering seeing that somewhere about the classes. You can offer budgeting classes, couponing classes, ect, (and i think that would be great) but you can't force someone to implement what is being taught. What if the people are limited to where they can shop? What if the food costs are high at that particular place? I remember seeing a special on tv and one woman stuck a cord with me. She was the mother of 2 kids. she had no transportation and was limited where she could go. She walked everywhere. The closest store to her had limited items and tehy were on teh expensive side. there were no real healthy options. she is not along in these struggles. there are so many variables into each situation and what they have available to them. ultimately, it's up to them. for the bottom line, it makes no difference to the program. $300 shelled out is still going to be $300 shelled out.

[My Sweet Blessings]

oh.. and remember, just because a family qualifies for SNAP doesn't mean they get the max. For example (and I'm just pulling numbers from the air), say a family of 4 qualifies and the max for a family of 4 is $500. That doesn't mean they will be getting $500. They can get MUCH lower than that. They may only get $200. It's not a set number of family of 4 gets $500 or family of 5 gets $600 or whatever.