Alright, I have to speak out to this. I got laid off Sept 08, and knowing no one was going to be hiring for at least a year, signed up for college and also got myself my MHIC license so I could get whatever came down the line.
With the college expenses for a Home Inspection license, and no health insurance for my kids, and the expenses of everyday life plus a business start up, I was forced to apply for food stamps. It was embarrassing to go to the store as a contractor and paying with an EBT card, but that's the reality.
However, as a thrifty grocery shopper for 40 years, I have developed certain habits that I am very proud of. I go early Sunday to get last day sale meat for my freezer, which I fill with whatever is on sale. Sometimes it's pork chops, sometimes chicken, sometimes beef, but I always stock up on what's on sale and store accordingly.
Then came food stamps. I did the same habits for me and my son, and after 3 or 4 months, not knowing how much was left on the account, I called the phone number and holy crap, I had over 1,000 dollars still on the card! I'm sorry, but we just plain couldn't eat that much! So, since I was coming up for renewal/ review, I went out and bought lobster, scallops, shrimp, T-bones, Fillet Mignon and such just because my freezer is so small and can only hold so much volume.
My thoughts were that if I didn't spend it, they would think I didn't need it, so I went to friends for help spending the money, I mean, i didn't want to lose my benefit and have to spend the time to re-apply, so I had to do what I had to do. We had limited freezer space, so we had to buy T-bones, lobster, crab, fillet Mignon just to get it spent and still have A way to store it!
So if you see a 300 lb person buying high end food with an EBT card, yo will be able to understand the reality of the situation!
Thank the good Lord I'm off them now!
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
8 comments:
We do what we have to do plain and simple.I have'nt always been proud of what it took for my family to get by but I did what I had to do.Just don't ever forget the hard times.There will always be those who abuse the system,and there will be those like you and I who had no other choice.
We use ours for meats that we resale at discount. Damn good extra money.
Heavens forbid you'd have to take the time you have between sleeping and not working to re-apply! You are part of the problem. You did well to save, had an opportunity to do some good, but then decided you were too lazy to take the chance that you might have to re-apply for benefits. Quit being lazy. Think of those of us with families, job, mortgages, etc... we shouldn't have to shoulder your weight. Don't blame "the system" for your choice to use the taxpayers. You decided to do that. You had a choice. You should be ashamed of yourself!
3:49 PM,
you must be young. there are people who have worked for 45 years and more who has lost their jobs. we aren't lazy. most employees don't want to hire people at this age or older. I say, if you need assistance and have worked in the past, take your invested taxes and use it. to hell what other folks says. when i turn 55 and unemployed with no money in hand, you betm i will live off the assistance a tax paying working class.
We use ours for meats that we resale at discount. Damn good extra money.
July 14, 2012 12:47 PM
You should use some of that money for spelling lessons.
heavens forbid you would have gotten an education! Maybe if you weren't so damn lazy and would have worked harder to better yourself you would be doing alright! I'm tired of working my ass off so you lazy bastards can sit around and complain how bad you got it living off me and every other working person.
6:19 I am not young. I don't begrudge people the help they need during rare lufe events. What I loathe is this person blaming "the system"for "forcing" them to buy high ticket items with publuc assistance. No one forced that choice. They decided to become a person on welfare that uses the assistance unwisely. That is a statement on their character, not mine.
are you kidding me? This makes me sick. truly sick to my stomach. this is what's wrong with this country right now. Entitlement state indeed.
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