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

[JWithers]

This is a bit OT, but since y'all brought it up, ITA with the poor quality of affordable foods in supermarkets.

My husband and I began studying nutrition a few years ago as part of lowering his cholesterol. It was horrifying when we discovered the garbage that many readily available, inexpensive, prepared foods are loaded with. (And lots of it was in our pantry!)

Even boneless, skinless chicken breasts (a mainstay in most heart-healthy diets) are often 'enhanced' with a sodium solution and don't get me started onthe hormones.

A box dinner of say, red beans and rice, a fave in our family, in some brands contains over 1000 mg of sodium per serving(plus a bu++load of preservatives and flavorings). You know, "healthy" rice and beans! If you didn't read carefully, you would think it was a bargain, and good for you, too.

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.

The reason, IMHO, for obesity in the poorest people is carbohydrate consumption. Processed white flour and bread. White rice. Potatoes. Seasoned with fatty meats, salt, butter. All of which can be bought on so little money. Over-processed foods with little of no nutritive value.

THEN...the extra weight a person carries around from the empty calories can lead to diabetes, heart disease, liver failure, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc. And who has money for prescription medications or the healthful diet the doctor prescribes?

I stand by my position on education(not going there, no-no), but for the poorest people, buying healthy food is out of their reach. The health problems caused by their poor diets are a even greater burden, again, out of their reach to fix with no health insurance.

I suppose that technically a person who maintains a high enough calorie consuption isn't starving, but you don't have to starve to die from poor nutrition.

It has cost our family a ton (and that's with careful shopping and coupon clipping) more on our grocery bill to eat foods without additives, or prepared, processed foods. It takes more time to prepare and cook now. I thank God I have both the money and the time to feed my family decent food.

But what if you don't? I am kind of tempted to take the $21 challenge and see what I can buy, even at Aldi.

[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.

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by preciousjeni

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


Here's some info from a few pages back:

I appreciate your calling my attention to it, but it doesn't really explain at what point a person qualifies and for how much in food stamps. Is it the single person making less that 11,000 who qualifies for the $21 bucks a week? So even such a person would have some limited about of money to supplement the stamps.

I'm not saying it's enough, but the congressional stunt is silly.

[AGDee]

Originally Posted by Alphagamuga

I appreciate your calling my attention to it, but it doesn't really explain at what point a person qualifies and for how much in food stamps. Is it the single person making less that 11,000 who qualifies for the $21 bucks a week? So even such a person would have some limited about of money to supplement the stamps.

I'm not saying it's enough, but the congressional stunt is silly.

I'm not sure they would have much more to spend on food. $10,000 a year is $833 a month. One of my mom's friends who is looking to move into a section 8 apartment makes about that. The rent for his apartment is going to be $375 a month plus all utilities. Figure $100 for heat, electricity and water each month. Add some money for a phone.. $30 minimum. He has a car that is paid for, so he only has to pay car insurance.. about $50 a month for the minimum required by law in Michigan. His medicare premium is $60 a month and he pays about $200 a month for prescriptions. That's $835 and he hasn't bought toilet paper, napkins, shampoo or hygiene products, etc. The $21 a week in food stamps only pays for actual food, none of those other things. He hasn't done laundry yet or bought gas for his car. That's a pretty minimal amount of money to live on.

I don't think it's silly for the congressman to get a taste of how some people live.

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by AGDee

I'm not sure they would have much more to spend on food. $10,000 a year is $833 a month. One of my mom's friends who is looking to move into a section 8 apartment makes about that. The rent for his apartment is going to be $375 a month plus all utilities. Figure $100 for heat, electricity and water each month. Add some money for a phone.. $30 minimum. He has a car that is paid for, so he only has to pay car insurance.. about $50 a month for the minimum required by law in Michigan. His medicare premium is $60 a month and he pays about $200 a month for prescriptions. That's $835 and he hasn't bought toilet paper, napkins, shampoo or hygiene products, etc. The $21 a week in food stamps only pays for actual food, none of those other things. He hasn't done laundry yet or bought gas for his car. That's a pretty minimal amount of money to live on.

I don't think it's silly for the congressman to get a taste of how some people live.

Oh, if they really got a taste of it, it wouldn't be silly. But I don't really think that's what's happening here.

I certainly don't think that people are living well and getting food stamps, but they aren't living like congress lives except for $21 dollar for food.

It's the artificial nature of what they are doing that offends me about it. It's just a publicity stunt. (And I think it's only four people total, right?)

If your mom's friend disabled in some way? (I don't mean that in an insulting way; I'm just wondering what his circumstances are.)

It's hard to talk about this issue without making it sound like I feel 21 dollars is enough and I don't think that it is. On the other hand, what would be the right amount per person to give out weekly for food? How much money should a person have to earn to feed oneself? Is the answer that a person should not have to earn any money? That "enough" money for food should be provided by the government for able bodied adults?

[AGDee]

Originally Posted by Alphagamuga

Oh, if they really got a taste of it, it wouldn't be silly. But I don't really think that's what's happening here.

I certainly don't think that people are living well and getting food stamps, but they aren't living like congress lives on except for $21 dollar for food.

It's the artificial nature of what they are doing that offends me about it. It's just a publicity stunt.

If your mom's friend disabled in some way? (I don't mean that in an insulting way; I'm just wondering what his circumstances are.)

Yes, he is disabled and his income is his Social Security Disability. The VA and Worker's Comp both say the other should pay for stuff and it's a big mess. He had old war injuries that weren't debilitating at the time but then after working a physically demanding job for a couple decades, his hips and back and majorly screwed up and he should have hip replacements. It's a pretty major mess. He can't get his pension benefits for another 10 years or so either.

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by AGDee

Yes, he is disabled and his income is his Social Security Disability. The VA and Worker's Comp both say the other should pay for stuff and it's a big mess. He had old war injuries that weren't debilitating at the time but then after working a physically demanding job for a couple decades, his hips and back and majorly screwed up and he should have hip replacements. It's a pretty major mess. He can't get his pension benefits for another 10 years or so either.

I'm sorry.

I'm a little surprised he has to pay any health related costs since he'd have the VA stuff, but I guess it depends on how long he was in and whether he can receive treatment from them. (Not that just the health costs are the problem.)

I'm also a little surprised that workman's comp would fight it. Was he able to find a lawyer to represent him for free?
I guess he's going to need one.

Does he have family who can help him?

[preciousjeni]

Originally Posted by Alphagamuga

I appreciate your calling my attention to it, but it doesn't really explain at what point a person qualifies and for how much in food stamps. Is it the single person making less that 11,000 who qualifies for the $21 bucks a week? So even such a person would have some limited about of money to supplement the stamps.

I'm not saying it's enough, but the congressional stunt is silly.

http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/10101.html

Also check out the pre-screening tool: www.foodstamps-step1.usda.gov

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by preciousjeni

http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/10101.html

Also check out the pre-screening tool: www.foodstamps-step1.usda.gov

Thanks! I'm trying to play with the site to figure out what the level of benefits are.