EBT card (SNAP) and coupons

[loaslaen]

what I am going on is that I know several people that get them but never have enough for the full month. They end up haveing to spend money out of their pocket for food when they need TP and other things also but have to have the food worse. If they would only use coupons they would be in much better shape..One of these people went as far as to tell me that she ant going to ahve people thinking that she is poor becuase they see her useing coupons.I rolled my eyesafter all she is paying with foodstamps and worries about such a thing

Oh, I definitely agree with you that it's better to spend a little in tax to save ALOT in food stamps and stretch out the amount of food you can buy. I'm just saying that it might not be an easy thing for someone on food stamps to do because there's obviously a lack of funds if they are on food stamps. Worrying about "looking poor" is just a poor excuse though. Better to look poor than look shallow and conceited.

[Troop1379]

I have done a class at my SS for coupons. some of the feed back I got was they do have to pay a little tax at some stores. But some you don't. Some really want to learn how to have. I had one lady tell me that why should i try and save it is free money and it is not coming out of my pocket. Since i heard that i have not done on again. I was just a little up set and I do know most people are not like that.

[434Teresa]

I have done a class at my SS for coupons. some of the feed back I got was they do have to pay a little tax at some stores. But some you don't. Some really want to learn how to have. I had one lady tell me that why should i try and save it is free money and it is not coming out of my pocket. Since i heard that i have not done on again. I was just a little up set and I do know most people are not like that.

Not all people are like that but there is more of them than you think there would be. Like someone said some get more foodstamps than they need each money for they have very little money income or no money income, but those people also get free rent, and so much paid on light bills and other free stuff from the state. But here they have put a time limit on how long you can get all that "free" stuff in your life time. So now those folks are going to have to put in a effort to their up keep or find a family member or someone else to keep them up....I know people that lived on wlfare,foodstamps and free rent for 20 or more years and never even tried to find a job. They would just have more kids so they always had kids under 18 so they could keep the benifits comming but now all the rules on that has changed. I know jobs are hard to come by but I am talking about people that have never had a job or wantted to have one. I feel for kids of these people fro now that the rules on these programs have limits on how long you can get help ect now the kids will suffer more but the cycle has to change soemwhere.

I have nothing against people getting help when they NEED it. I think that people that work and need help should receive it, in form of foodstmps or help with a light bill ect from time to time. The people that have made these forms of help a way of life is whom I think needs to grow up and learn what its like to have to work and still not be able to pay your basic bills or get any help doing it for you make $10 to much. Then lets see if they think so little of the " free" money that they had been getting.

[loaslaen]

Not all people are like that but there is more of them than you think there would be. Like someone said some get more foodstamps than they need each money for they have very little money income or no money income, but those people also get free rent, and so much paid on light bills and other free stuff from the state. But here they have put a time limit on how long you can get all that "free" stuff in your life time. So now those folks are going to have to put in a effort to their up keep or find a family member or someone else to keep them up....I know people that lived on wlfare,foodstamps and free rent for 20 or more years and never even tried to find a job. They would just have more kids so they always had kids under 18 so they could keep the benifits comming but now all the rules on that has changed. I know jobs are hard to come by but I am talking about people that have never had a job or wantted to have one. I feel for kids of these people fro now that the rules on these programs have limits on how long you can get help ect now the kids will suffer more but the cycle has to change soemwhere.

I'm tired of the assumptions that people have kids just to get "free money". Maybe people CHOOSE to be home with their kids and raise them instead of letting daycare and strangers raise them. Maybe some people feel that their JOB in life is to be a wife and mother, not slave to the system. Maybe some people feel sorry for the kids that don't have their parents around because their parents are always working. Maybe some didn't have their parents around when they were kids and want more for their kids. Life isn't always about how much money you make, it's what you do with what you have.

There's plenty of people who use the system in other ways and don't have their priorities straight, so I'm tired of it falling on those deemed "poor". I'm tired of all of the "don't have kids if you can't afford them", when there are plenty of people who can afford children, but neglect them and spoil them, and cause more problems than what just being "poor" can cause. People that struggle in life often have a greater appreciation for life, and for the value of a dollar. I'm tired of hearing from people that "think" they know someone because they are looking in from the outside, but don't really know what the struggles, priorities, motivation, and hearts of others really is.

[loaslaen]

I have done a class at my SS for coupons. some of the feed back I got was they do have to pay a little tax at some stores. But some you don't. Some really want to learn how to have. I had one lady tell me that why should i try and save it is free money and it is not coming out of my pocket. Since i heard that i have not done on again. I was just a little up set and I do know most people are not like that.

If some people won't coupon and save their OWN money, then why should it be a surprise that someone wouldn't feel the need to save money they didn't personally earn? Instead of judging her on her comment, maybe you could have made a stronger argument FOR couponing. It's a shame that you would not have a class again and help others based on one person's comment.

[434Teresa]

I'm tired of the assumptions that people have kids just to get "free money". Maybe people CHOOSE to be home with their kids and raise them instead of letting daycare and strangers raise them. Maybe some people feel that their JOB in life is to be a wife and mother, not slave to the system. Maybe some people feel sorry for the kids that don't have their parents around because their parents are always working. Maybe some didn't have their parents around when they were kids and want more for their kids. Life isn't always about how much money you make, it's what you do with what you have.

There's plenty of people who use the system in other ways and don't have their priorities straight, so I'm tired of it falling on those deemed "poor". I'm tired of all of the "don't have kids if you can't afford them", when there are plenty of people who can afford children, but neglect them and spoil them, and cause more problems than what just being "poor" can cause. People that struggle in life often have a greater appreciation for life, and for the value of a dollar. I'm tired of hearing from people that "think" they know someone because they are looking in from the outside, but don't really know what the struggles, priorities, motivation, and hearts of others really is.

I am all for parents staying at home with their kids. But if there is a hubby and wife one of them needs to work. I dont care if it is fast food/ picking up trash,in a office or factory. What I said about people having more kids to keep gettting benfits is not assumptions I have had people to tell me that and I have heard people that I dont know say that they need to have another kid so they dont lose their benifits. And as for single moms on welfare/foodstamps/free rent and anything else they can get, well they dont need to have anymore kids until they are able to care for them and the rest of the chidern can all have the same dad. I know things happen and people dont stay together but so many sinlge moms have kids that from the age 18 to toddler age and none of them have the same dad and they just keep having kids and living on the state until all the kdis are of age. But now they can only get welfare for 5 years and they have to be looking for a job or taking school classes of some kind to keep it or even working a part time job of some kind..I think the state finally saw the pattern and said it was time for a change.

If one parent works a full time all the time job I do not see anything wrong with the other parent staying at home and even getting some type of state help such as food stamps. But for someone to make state benfits a way of life because they want to stay at home with the kids is just not right. Many many single parents want to stay at home with their kids but get and go to work so they can buy food,clothes keep a home for them ect and because they know how hard it is to do they dont keep having kid after kid even if they really want more. So there for I cant see someone being on free ride from the state for 25 years becuase they have kids that range from 25 to 5 years old. So yes I guess I am on the side of dont have kids if you cant afford to care for them view of things becuase if someone is already on a full free ride with state benfits they dont need to have anymore kids until they have a job.

[sugarrush]

I am in alabama and i use my EBT card and coupons together and i have never paid the tax on my coupons. it's great. i can honestly say, by doing this, i have been able you allow my ebt card to roll over 3 times a month which saves me so much money.

[CouponLuv72]

what I am going on is that I know several people that get them but never have enough for the full month. They end up haveing to spend money out of their pocket for food when they need TP and other things also but have to have the food worse. If they would only use coupons they would be in much better shape..One of these people went as far as to tell me that she ant going to ahve people thinking that she is poor becuase they see her useing coupons.I rolled my eyesafter all she is paying with foodstamps and worries about such a thing

Food stamps is not intended to be enough for the whole month. It is to supplement the need of the family. Just wanted to toss that one out there

[Doryjane]

Yesterday I bought some food and 3 bags of candy. I used a coupon for $1.00 off the candy and I ended up having to pay the sales tax on that coupon.

I also want to remind anyone receiving benefits that in most states you can use it to purchase seeds or plants that produce food. I have a huge garden and saved a lot of money last year on produce. We have been on benefits for a couple months since dh lost his job, but I am still going to garden, and it makes me happy that I can stretch my food budget. If it was not for that option, I would not be able to afford it.

How would I find out if the state of Kentucky lets you use them for garden seeds??

[OneHotMomma]

"SNAP benefits can be used just like money to purchase almost any food item, except ready-to-eat hot foods. You may also use SNAP benefits to buy seeds and plants to grow fruits and vegetables. The following items cannot be purchased with SNAP benefits: tobacco, alcohol, pet food, soap and other household products, medicines, and other non-food items."

From the Kentucky Child & Family homepage but SNAP is a federal program, so if you can do this in one state you should be able to do it in all 50 states. I know you can in Ohio.