That’s right, I said it.

I think you’re nuts.

You who?  You who talks about people “getting fat off the system”

Yes, people do get fat off food stamps.  You have $400 to spend for 31 days to feed 4 people.  How are you going to do that?  Well you’re certainly not buying fresh veggies or good quality meats!! NO SIR!  And what was that? You have a pre-k kid and you have to buy snacks once a month for 20 kids!  AND A BEVERAGE?!?!  Oh my!  Well there’s $50 cause its all got to be prepackaged.  Now you’ve got $350 to feed 4 people for 31 days.  You may spend no more than $2.82 per person per day.  94 cents per meal if you don’t have any snacks or beverage costs.

Mac and cheese?  yes please!

How do you metaphorically get fat off the system?  Well you don’t.  You might see people living off the system, but I bet anything that you don’t want to live that life!

Do people think its easy to get state benefits?  Its not – mentally, its draining and degrading.  As far as the process, its relatively easy IF YOU NEED IT, but you must prove your expenses, assets and income.  Sure, you can fake it to an extent, but they do check these things out.  Can you get state benefits without needing them? Heck yeah!  But what is it that you can get?

Well lets see, you can get food stamps, public housing (which is low cost rent and covers section 8), TANF (cash benefits, about $200/month on average), insurance, day care assistance, occasional assistance in paying for utilities, occasional bus passes in some areas and…thats pretty much it.  There are a few other things you can get, but not a lot and it depends on the area.  Now, how can YOU live off that?  I bet you wouldn’t be getting fat off the system.

Can you imagine the stress of living in those financial boundaries?  Not cool.  BUT its hard to get out of the system once you’re in it.  You work hard and you get a 50 cent/hour raise – congrats! Except now you’ve lost $400/month in food benefits, your rent went up $200, you lost your insurance for the kids and your daycare costs just skyrocketed.  I bet you want to shove that 50 cents an hour right up your case workers nose, right?  But its not his/her fault.  Its the system.  You do better, you lose all help – FAST.  There isn’t much of a reduction program.  You don’t start to do better and wean off benefits – you get pulled off of them so fast your head spins!  This is why you see people who just don’t get off the state benefits.  They can’t.  They might appear to be doing great off the system, but they’re not – they’ve found the balance where they can make the most possible without losing their benefits.  They might even have to play around with the system in order to make it.

Can you blame them?  If they do any better then they lose their insurance, the kids daycare goes up, they can’t afford their new found grocery bills, and the stress is killer.

I hear often of people knowing someone who knows someone who had a baby to get more food stamps.

It doesn’t happen folks.  No one plans a pregnancy to get $100 in food stamps.  They might get pregnant and make a joke about their benefits going up, but don’t take that seriously.  It doesn’t make any sense to have a child in order to increase benefits.  Financially its ridiculous.  If you REALLY think people do this, you need to re-evaluate your mind set.  Go to school folks.

Ok so mama’s off her rant here.

My food choices are getting better yay me!  But still not perfect.  I had a bad few weeks where I just couldn’t get it together.  I wanted a quick fix and when I could find one I just ate.  Not good.  This week I’ve been doing a lot better.  Last night wasn’t so hot, my cousin came over and we ordered pizza!! booooo!!  but I think this week’s weigh in will be good anyway.  I have a good feeling.