Last week I met a woman who told me she was on food stamps. I don’t even remember her name, the sad woman with pretty hair. She told me her husband lost his job, he couldn't find another job, she couldn't pay her car insurance, it was going to get canceled, and then she wouldn't be able to commute to work. I couldn't believe she was telling a total stranger on line at the post office something so personal. I was touched by her honesty; I could never be that open about my life. I can't even tell my friends/family that my kids sometimes curse me out, let alone have that much transparency about a hardship. I didn't know how to handle what she was telling me. I wanted to help. Was she reaching out? Would she be offended if I offered her $20 bucks? I asked her if there was anything I could do to help. She politely said no, I gave her my email and told her if she needed anything to let me know.
I was touched by her struggle and what she told me about food stamps, how difficult it was for her to budget her weekly grocery bill for a family of four. I needed to do something...what? Maybe I would mirror her budget for a couple of weeks. I would budget my food bill on what a family of four gets in food stamps. See if my family of four could do it. Teach my kids this woman's reality... As I'm holding a tall caramel macchiato, $3.65...disgusted.
I looked online for information about food stamps. The program is called SNAP, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Plan. Per USDA's food and nutrition website, the average monthly snap benefit is $133.85 per person, about $1.50 per person, per meal. This brought back memories from when I was first pregnant 20 years ago, we got some help then; It was called WIC. It paid for formula. I wish we could get some help now. But from the looks of it, you have to basically be homeless to get public assistance. The woman with the pretty hair said she was getting about $536.00 per month in food stamps. She was budgeting about $134.00 per week for food for her family of four.
On Monday I went to my local supermarket, budgeted myself $150.00, after all I needed toilet paper and paper towels. I bought chopped meat for spaghetti and meatballs and tomato sauce, figured that would last a couple of days. Pasta, butter and chicken cutlet that should last a few more. I got milk, eggs, no frills bread, pancake mix and no frills syrup, cereal, OJ and Apple Juice. Paper towels and TP. The bill was a just a little over $150.00. I was not going to spend another dime on food. We would struggle a little bit. It would be for a cause, a family a lesson. To make a difference, some good would to come out of the horrible feeling I had for the sad woman with the pretty hair. I got home and cooked, we would have food in the fridge for the next few days.
By Wednesday my kids were freaking out. "Mom, there's no food in the house!". No yogurt, no ice cream, no cookies, no soda, no fruit...."Mom there's nothing to eat!" … I told them, eat the leftover meatballs or Chicken cutlet. By the time I got home from work Thursday my husband had gone food shopping. Seems there was nothing to eat in the house. (condescending). He got drinks, hamburgers, cold cuts, ice cream, cookies and fruit. He spent $200.00. There it was, like a mystical number, his $200 combined with my $150 spent earlier was what I usually spend every week; About $350 dollars on groceries, for a family of four per week. Are we the norm? How was the woman with the pretty hair cutting it.
As I'm talking to my husband about how sad I felt for that family, I opened a small can of Ginger Ale, took a couple of sips, and put it down on my nightstand. Next morning I woke up, and threw out the half empty can. As I'm tossing out the can, I thought about the woman with the pretty hair, her hardship and the Ginger Ale...excess, the left overs and Starbucks. Will I ever be able to drink Ginger Ale again…disgusted.
XO
Teresa
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