Lawmakers Find $21 a Week Doesn't Buy a Lot of Groceries

[preciousjeni]

Originally Posted by JWithers

Fresh veggies can get expensive, so many on budget go for the frozen varieties. But there again, often times salt and flavorings are added, and of course the longer a veggie is away from the soil, the less nutrition it provides.

Aaaaactually, flash frozen veggies retain more nutrients than fresh veggies.

Originally Posted by Alphagamuga

What is the income threshold to qualify for food stamps? I guess I'm lucky that I never had to find out.

Here's some info from a few pages back:

Originally Posted by preciousjeni

Throwing statistics out there...

I did a brief search to see what we're dealing with here. There is always a lag in statistical data related to the overall population of the U.S. and many predictions are based on the last census in 2000. With that said:

1) In 2005, there were 37 million people in poverty (12.6 percent of the population). Though I couldn't readily find more current data, I'd venture to say that the percentage hasn't moved much...if anything, it has increased.

2) The current unemployment rate is 5.4 percent.

3) The 2007 poverty guidelines allow for $10,210 for a single person (in the contiguous 48 states).

So, the statistics back what a number of people have said in this thread. Most of the people in poverty are working.