hummingwolf | In case anyone was worried

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In case anyone was worried

I finally received notification last week that my application for food stamps had been approved! Based on the date of the letter, it looks like someone approved me within hours of my last phone call to the social services office, which fact would suggest that calling the department is a good way to get results if you did not know about all the other phone calls that never achieved anything at all.

Anyway, I have spent approximately $60 of those benefits in the last few days, which leaves me with $708 to play with. Yes, that's right: since food stamp benefits are retroactive, and they took so bloody long to find someone who could clear their schedule and deal with the massive backlog of applications they have in their office, I received more than seven hundred dollars worth of benefits all at once. Benefits which may be spent only on food. My medication may be making me hungry, but it's not making me that hungry. So mostly I've been buying sensible foods (bread, yogurt, cheese, beans, frozen veggies), stocking up on nonperishable items that are good to have around when I'm too tired to go to the store (dry milk, peanut butter, canned chicken), and splurging on a few things I might not ordinarily buy. (If anyone's interested, today's lunch was chatpate choley. With pierogies.)

For those who don't know, food stamps cannot be used to buy:

any nonfood item, such as pet foods; soaps, paper products, and
household supplies; grooming items, toothpaste, and cosmetics
alcoholic beverages and tobacco
vitamins and medicines
any food that will be eaten in the store
hot foods that are ready to eat
any food marketed to be heated in the store

This means that you cannot use food stamps to buy a nice, nutritious meal from the supermarket soup & salad bar, but as long as you have enough benefits to pay for 'em, you can stock up on Mountain Dew, chewing gum, and caviar. So I'm curious: given the restrictions above, if you suddenly had over $700 to spend on food and nothing but food, what would you buy?

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That reminds me, we've got a few jars of soup for you.

Great! Personally, I think I'd go bonkers on canned foods, for the long haul. Stuff like soups. But that's just me.

Indulge in a good steak. Seafood. Buy good frozen foods like said piergies, raviolis, etc. (depends on your freezer space, too). Ground meat, etc.
I mean, you don't have to use it all at once, right?
Make chili, freeze it. Alls sorts of canned goods. You can freeze bread, too. I can also tell you how to freeze and reheat whole artisan loaves. :)

All depends on your storage space, really. :)

Yay soup!

Will there be baked goods? The oven here still hasn't been fixed, you see...

... though of course I can use food stamps to buy stuff from store bakeries, your baked goods are generally better. :-)

Fruit juice, stuff from the international aisle, and lots of frozens and freezable items like meat and bread. And then I would stuff my freezer, because I'm not sharing my freezer with anyone, because I am me and not you. Oh yeah, also, a large tin of olive oil. I can't live without olive oil.

And a ton of ice cream, because once again, I am me. A me without ice cream is hardly a me at all.

Ehh, since I'm a LowCarber: I eat mostly meat and a few veggies these days. :D

I suppose, since I've lived with very little money for a big part of my life, I tend to be cheap but I still want good quality when I can afford it. So, good food that can be stored for a longer period of time when you need it.

I don't know if food stamps ever lose their validity?

Yeah, I do need more easy-to-fix foods around for those times when I'm just too tired to fix something fresh or go to the store. I'm probably going to buy a good number of canned Indian foods over the next few weeks, as well as the more usual soups & things.

I should note that I don't need to spend all this at once--and I won't! It will be good to have lots of extra benefits around for those times when some of the more expensive fruits or cheeses are calling my name. Otherwise I get awfully sick of a diet of rice & beans.

Seafood is already on my list, believe me! Freezer space is limited at the moment, but that's okay. I don't need to use all the benefits at once--and I won't, because it's better to be able to buy a variety of foods over the next months rather than splurge all at once and then have to live on nothing but rice & beans. :-)

I'm curious, though: what kinds of frozen foods and canned goods would you buy if money were no object? Not suggestions for me--things you'd splurge on if you didn't have to worry about going over budget for the month.

I am definitely buying olive oil as soon as I see some on sale for a good price. Even though I still have olive oil. It is never good to be without olive oil.

Got some 100% fruit juice (cranberry & grape) today and was in a mild state of shock at how expensive the stuff is. No wonder I usually don't go down that aisle!

Yeah, that's why I haven't bought any in quite some time.

Oh, I don't have to use the food stamps all at once. As long as the card is active (as long as I haven't stopped using it, that is), the benefits are valid. I'd have to stop using the card entirely for 9 months (or maybe it was a year?) in order for the benefits to be lost.

Which specific foods would you buy, then? What are your favorite meats & veggies?

Congratulations, sweetie! I'm so glad you don't have to worry about this anymore (for while, anyway!).

Where do you usually buy your groceries and your toiletries?

What would I buy? If my health wasn't an issue, ice cream. Otherwise, I'd probably buy lobster and steaks!

In my case, I have a big chest freezer...so meat goes there. And frozen veggies. Microwave meals for really tired, quick eating days, if those are allowed.

Nuts, seeds, pasta would be high on my list. Tuna or other canned meats. Canned beans, and greens (I snack on a can of spinach or collards from the can when I feel too tired to do anything much but eat). Bread can freeze well, especially if you use for toast. Jarred or canned fruits, jellies, preserves.

Knowing how fickle and problematic govt agencies are, I'd save as many of those as I can for rougher times.

That thought had crossed my mind. For the moment, though, I should be getting food stamps as long as my Social Security situation doesn't change. But yeah, given how long it took me to get the SSI benefits in the first place, that "as long as" does give one pause for thought...

(Not sure if the final payment of back benefits will have any effect on food stamps or not--if so, that wouldn't be a big deal, since the final payment could be stretched for a while anyway if necessary. I hope it's not necessary, of course, since that money could be better used on other things.)

I usually prefer fresh or frozen vegetables to canned, but maybe I should buy a can of callalloo. :-) Nuts are high on my list too, though I'm better off not buying too much at once since I tend to eat them all at once.

Out of curiosity, what specific meats & microwave meals would you buy?

Nowadays, I eat as clean food as possible. Just clean raw meat, eggs, real fat cream and butter, cabbage, brussel sprouts, broccoli, onions. Potatoes occasionally.
I feel better than I've done for years with the food I eat and I'm convinced that it's healthy food = without additives, preservatives, sweetener or sugar.
I basically eat stuff when I can see what it is and where it comes from.
I've stopped completely eating candy and all things "created" and I don't eat cereal of any kind at all. No flour, no wheat, malt, rice etc.

But I don't want to sound like a missionary or anything. ;) Sorry if I come off as a fanatic!

I usually go to the regular chain grocery stores, though there are a few international foods stores I like too (mostly latin groceries, though there's a Thai grocery I want to visit sometime soon).

I like ice cream, but I don't like it enough to buy a whole container of it. Steak is something I might get, though I can't convince myself to splurge on the more expensive cuts! Lobster doesn't really appeal to me for some reason. On the other hand, it will be good to be able to afford something from the fresh seafood case other than the catfish pieces (even though I love catfish pieces!).

Mostly I am going to remain sensible and use my benefits responsibly, buying lots of nutritious foods. But it is so nice</em. to have other options!

I basically eat stuff when I can see what it is and where it comes from.

That's my ideal too, though I don't always eat that way--especially when I'm too tired to fix anything. And unlike you, I think I feel better if I eat some brown rice! But, except for treats like the canned Indian meals I want to buy, I usually do like to be able to look at the foods I eat at home and know what all the ingredients are--fish, onion, red pepper, broccoli, rice, olive oil (a good combination, by the way :-)).

Sorry if I come off as a fanatic!

That's okay! I actually love to hear what other people eat and why.

For you:

Dry goods that keep a long time, canned foods and meats with long expiration dates.

Varieties of dried rices and beans and other things that would keep you.

Me?

Various meats one step p than I would normally get, and some of the above.

If I didn't have the diabetes hanging over me, the list would be longer.

Actually, at the moment I'm crazy about brussel sprouts. I never knew they were so delicious!

You get some, frozen or fresh (although they might boil longer if they are fresh, not sure).
Take a pan (it's called that, right?), not a frying pan but one you boil stuff in. Melt some real butter in it, a real big chunk. Put in the brussels, pour some water over but not much. They shouldn't be covered completely in water, just a bit. Add a little salt.
Then you boil for 10-15 minutes under a lid (I've lost my english right now, is that's what it's called??) until they're soft.
YUMMY!!

Fried broccoli with garlic is also a fave of mine! :D And some cheese over that...

I'm so glad you got your benefits!

I am aware of the food stamp rules because it was part of my cashier training. I think that some of the rules make no sense. I don't want to say people can't get junk food but ready to eat hot foods? We sell pre-cooked chickens that aren't that expensive and make great healthy meals and I totally don't get why they can't be included.

With over $700 in benefits - I'd buy organic fresh veggies and lots of organic canned goods and a few Amy's freezer pizzas. Maybe some 100% cranberry or pomegranite juice - expensive but nutritious and good! Organic berries and fruit too. Make breakfast smoothies. :) If you eat it, honey and pure maple syrup are expensive but awesome.

How long are the benefits good for? Do you have to spend them up in a certain time frame? If not I'd probably get a few splurge items and save most of it for a rainy day.

Yes! Get some nice fresh cuts of fish.

Yea food stamps!

I'd go out right away and stock up on all of my usual staples, only in bulk, cause I could (and it'd be cheaper in the long run, but I never really have enough $ to get things in bulk on a regular basis). So all my favorite canned soups and veggies, pasta, rice, couscous, dry beans, nutritional yeast, microwave popcorn, oils and vinegars, spices and dried herbs, etc. The kinds of things I always like to have on hand and get frustrated when I find I've run out on the exact day I'm really craving some. To a smaller degree - my favorite frozen meals and frozen veggies, snacks and chocolates, juices, etc.

I'd also likely try a lot of new things, since the worry about wasting all that money on something I end up not wanting to finish would be somewhat diminished.

And then I'd take the money I've been setting aside for groceries but don't need to anymore and finally get some other household things that I've been needing but can't afford right now - like saving up for a new chair for Dave since his computer chair broke months ago and it's not good for his back to keep sitting in that broken one. Stuff like that.

There may well be. It depends in large part on the amount of warning prior to seeing you.

And I appreciate the sentiment; it's even true in some case, but in others not so much. After all, I don't make much of anything yeast-risen.

I strongly suggest shopping at "ethnic" supermarkets like Han ah Reum, or um, damn, I can't recall the name of that Latin American place... anyway. They tend to be a hell of a lot cheaper, and have some more interesting options.

And yes, when possible you may indeed bum rides.

I actually get olive oil from World Market, of all places. It's very high quality for the price. But I've no idea if they take food stamps... probably not, I'm afraid.

Hopefully I'll be at the next Mad Science (almost typed Mad Scones there for some reason). Oh, and if you need any ingredients, I do now have the ability to buy some to donate to the cause!

I've actually never heard of Han ah Reum until this morning. Looks like I've been hanging out in the wrong neighborhoods (or, based on what I'm seeing online, not paying enough attention in the right ones when I've been in them). There are several Latin stores close to home, though, at least one of which must accept food stamps.

Interestingly, when Giant has comparable products, I've found their prices to be competitive with the ethnic stores. They often don't have the products, though.

If you boil stuff in it, it's probably going to be a pot rather than a pan (though I know I've ended up boiling things in pans, too!). Either way, the thing you put on top is called a lid. :-)

You've reminded me that it's been too long since I've had brussesls sprouts. Broccoli is one food I eat almost daily, though.

What about veggies? Do you like any vegetables? I need to get to a store that sells bok choy.

I think the ready-to-eat foods rule makes a certain amount of sense in that most of them are more expensive than regular groceries and it would be terribly easy to waste precious benefits on them if you were allowed to do so. Still, there have been times when I could have killed for something from a salad bar that I couldn't buy anything from with the food stamps.

The first time I ever applied for food stamps, it took them even longer to approve me--which meant that by the time I was able to use them, I had over $900 in benefits. And then someone at social services told me I had better spend them quickly or I was in danger of having benefits reduced! That time, I really did stock up on a lot of things--beans, rice, canned vegetables in particular--and also bought lots of gourmet items, many of which I gave away to other people. It was crazy! But as far as I know now, having my benefits reduced is not really a danger, as long as my financial situation stays the same otherwise. I will spend more of the benefits than I otherwise would, just in case, but I do intend to save a lot just in case.

Benefits are valid as long as the card is active. That is, if I've used the card within the last nine months, all the benefits will still be available to me.

And then I'd take the money I've been setting aside for groceries but don't need to anymore and finally get some other household things that I've been needing but can't afford right now

I only wish I could do that! Heating bills have been much too high this year, though; I'm saving as much money as I reasonably can to get through the winter. I hope to be able to breathe easier in the spring and/or when I get my final SSI backpayments, whichever comes first (though I need to find out whether and how the backpayments will affect food stamps before I relax too much).

The regular supermarket prices are roughly equivalent on ethnic products - sometimes - though i've noticed a major disparity in that the ethnic stores ahve everything from top-flight to low-end, and the regaulr places only have middle-to-upper stuff. However, the ethnic places are often cheaper on "normal" stuff, especially produce. Granted, this may be a quality issue.

Also, when buying beans, would you like to make use of our crockpot? I've been thinking of making a big batch of juiced-up Flying Mayan beans and canning them.

Mmm.... Mad Science Scones. They should have dates, a bit of orange peel, cinnamon, and caffeine!

Well, see below regarding using the crockpot and such. I know it's easier to spend less on food when one has a fully-armed kitchen.

Thing about the ready-to-eat is, bear in mind you're actually in better shape than many people on food stamps: you have a kitchen! Barbara Ehrenreich raised a good point in Nickel and Dimed: it's very hard to conserve food money when you don't have cooking facilities. Dried beans are something like 1/5 the cost of canned beans, but they're not much used if you don't have the means to cook them for hours. Uncooked meat is cheap, but what if you don't have a refrigerator?

I see their point in trying to push people toward cheaper foods, but I suspect there's a basic disconnect on the options available.

Oh yes, lots of frozen veggies. I tend to think of veggies as more ephemeral, although canned veggies have log shelf lives.

Fresh fruits and veggies, chicken breasts and good steaks. Cans of tropical fruit salad, dark chocolate, rice crackers. And fresh crab legs, even though they're $21 a lb.

Probably some canned soups, the Progresso low fat/low sodium ones.

I'm glad you've got money for food.

Well, nobody ever said I couldn't buy a few ephemeral things. In a typical month, I do spend rather a large percentage of my food budget on fresh fruits & veggies.

Mmm... ephemera.

I'm glad too! Found at least one Indian grocery that accepts food stamps near one of my doctor's offices, so that's another place to go for more variety in my diet. Hooray!

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In case anyone was worried

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