20% of food stamps spent on soda & junk food.

[Captain N]

Not exactly huge news and not exactly a lot of money either:

Here in Illinois a Single Mother with One Child Making $10/hour at full-time and getting child support of $500/month earns $2100/month gross

With rent of $750/month, taking $250/month out for dependent care and paying one utility that's not Heat/AC/Phone grants the Standard, Excess Shelter, and the Earned Income Deduction.

The mother gets a whole $16/month from SNAP

That 9.3% comes to $1.48 -- about the cost of a 2 liter bottle per month.

[Ulfric Trumpcloak]

Food is food.

[Citizen T]

Food in the us is addictive shit loaded with sugar

Not surprising

But i guess what you want us to do is bash those people until they don't have any joy in life for their sin of being poor

The sin is not being poor. The sin is wasting money on something on something like soft drinks (9.3% of thier SNAP funding). Drink water. I was unemployed for 18 months and it was all I could do to keep my home and my family fed. I didn't qualify for SNAP because my odd jobs and wife working part time was too much money. We drank water. Our water is horrible to drink but drinking water is $1 for 5 gallons unlike soft drinks in the $1 for a quarter gallon range. We didn't eat chips, ice cream, candt, etc. Our food money ($50/week for 2 adults and 2 teens) was spent on actual food not junk.

[Jtbrig7390]

Coffee with no sugar takes what, 30 seconds to make? (just playing devils advocate)

Some people don't like black coffee or coffee overall. If you are talking about instant coffee then you are correct on how long it can take.

[the game]

I would be more interested to see exactly how much money comes out of a persons pay check every month to pay help pay for these programs. Everyone always feels so entitled to tell people what they can and can't spend their food stamps on but nobody ever shows how much they actually pay into the programs every month.

[Violent]

Cheapest way to get the most calories.

Not even joking, eating healthy IS expensive. When you're already strapped for feeding your family of 4, the cheapest caloric intake is junk food.

[starlord]

Higher income households spent significantly more dollars per person per month from both home and eating out sources compared with lower income households ($163 versus $100, p < .001). Compared with lower income households, higher income households spent significantly more home source dollars on both fruits/vegetables (21.5 versus 10.2, p < .001) and sweets/snacks (17.3 versus 8.3, p < .001), but did not differ on home dollars spent on sugar sweetened beverages (2.0 versus 1.7, p < .46). The proportion of home beverages that were sugar sweetened beverages was significantly higher among lower income households (45% versus 26%, p < .01). Within eating out sources, lower income households spent a significantly greater percent of dollars per person at carry out places (54% versus 37%, p < .01). No income differences were observed for dollars spent at discount grocery stores, small grocery stores or convenience stores.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2988056/

looks like they spend the same amount as everyone else, but since they are poorer it takes a higher % of their budget.

[chazus]

Keep in mind another thing.

Regulating what people can and cannot buy has proven to cost more than the stuff they shouldn't be buying.

Would you rather:

1) $2m going to soda and candy, 8m going to actual food
2) $4m going to administrative/legal, 6m going to actual food

It's the same idea of 'basic income'. It sometimes literally costs less money to simply GIVE people money, than it does to have all the systems in place to help people who don't have that money.

[TITAN308]

Some people don't like black coffee or coffee overall. If you are talking about instant coffee then you are correct on how long it can take.

Doesn't have to be instant coffee.

We use one of those Keurigg type machines (off brand) and it has inserts for either coffee grounds or the instant cups. Both take about 30 seconds to make a cup.

[Fugus]

Not when it comes to drinks. Tap water costs almost nothing. Tea costs very little compared to soda. Heat up some water, make tea -> stay healthier and save money.

As someon who is on Food Stamps till the VA is done.


Water actually costs to many people. I personally buy both bottled water and soda with mine. I buy the bottled water because I am on well water and it tastes like you are eating the pipes if you try and drink it and I purchase soda as well because water gets old after a while. And that 24 pack of bottled water costs $2.50 and lasts me all week compared to that 2 liter which costs me between 1 to 2 dollars depending if on sale and then doesn't last near as long unless I have no one else over in which case it still goes at a rate of about a 2 liter per 3 to 4 days still making that stuff cost.

Sorry, but asking them to load up on water and tea (Not a fan of tea really and I go through upwards of a 3/4ths gallon of water a day drinking it normally) it gets old after a while.

And I won't lie, a great deal of my food isn't the healthiest but when you are broke it is less about what you want and what is best versus what you can afford.

[TITAN308]

Keep in mind another thing.

Regulating what people can and cannot buy has proven to cost more than the stuff they shouldn't be buying.

Would you rather:

1) $2m going to soda and candy, 8m going to actual food
2) $4m going to administrative/legal, 6m going to actual food

It's the same idea of 'basic income'. It sometimes literally costs less money to simply GIVE people money, than it does to have all the systems in place to help people who don't have that money.

The system can already distinguish what you can and cannot buy. Beer for example.

WIC is the same way. It is very specific in what you can buy. (milk, cheese, formula for example) WIC won't allow you to buy a steak.

[Raskayz]

The sin is not being poor. The sin is wasting money on something on something like soft drinks (9.3% of thier SNAP funding). Drink water. I was unemployed for 18 months and it was all I could do to keep my home and my family fed. I didn't qualify for SNAP because my odd jobs and wife working part time was too much money. We drank water. Our water is horrible to drink but drinking water is $1 for 5 gallons unlike soft drinks in the $1 for a quarter gallon range. We didn't eat chips, ice cream, candt, etc. Our food money ($50/week for 2 adults and 2 teens) was spent on actual food not junk.

Good for you ? How about you let people who do like soft drinks get them ?

[Jtbrig7390]

Doesn't have to be instant coffee.

We use one of those Keurigg type machines (off brand) and it has inserts for either coffee grounds or the instant cups. Both take about 30 seconds to make a cup.

Ya and some people don't have the spare money to buy one of those machines. When your dealing with a family you need shit you can grab and go.

Not everyone has even 30sec+ to make coffee and once again not everyone likes coffee.

The choice between a 89 cent 40oz coke or a make a coffee isn't a hard one for some. Even more so when you hate the taste of coffee.

[Violent]

The solution is to ban junk food and soda then. For everyone. If you want it, make your own.

Well Hell, while we're at it.. No unprotected sex without the express proof of means to support a child if one is created....

Or is that a lil, Nazi-esk? lol

[Citizen T]

I would be more interested to see exactly how much money comes out of a persons pay check every month to pay help pay for these programs. Everyone always feels so entitled to tell people what they can and can't spend their food stamps on but nobody ever shows how much they actually pay into the programs every month.

How much is immaterial. There are hundreds (thousands?) of programs that are all coming from our paychecks. 9% wasted in all of them means 9% of my taxes is wasted. I don't mind it being used to help others but do mind it being wasted.

[TITAN308]

As someon who is on Food Stamps till the VA is done.


Water actually costs to many people. I personally buy both bottled water and soda with mine. I buy the bottled water because I am on well water and it tastes like you are eating the pipes if you try and drink it and I purchase soda as well because water gets old after a while. And that 24 pack of bottled water costs $2.50 and lasts me all week compared to that 2 liter which costs me between 1 to 2 dollars depending if on sale and then doesn't last near as long unless I have no one else over in which case it still goes at a rate of about a 2 liter per 3 to 4 days still making that stuff cost.

Sorry, but asking them to load up on water and tea (Not a fan of tea really and I go through upwards of a 3/4ths gallon of water a day drinking it normally) it gets old after a while.

And I won't lie, a great deal of my food isn't the healthiest but when you are broke it is less about what you want and what is best versus what you can afford.

Buying bottled water over using a re-usable filter right on the sink faucet is a waste of money.

https://www.amazon.com/faucet-mount-...node=680337011

Countless filters for under $20.00

[Citizen T]

Good for you ? How about you let people who do like soft drinks get them ?

Liking them doesn't count for anything. I like $200 Scotch but don't expect anyone else to help me pay for it.

[Jtbrig7390]

Buying bottled water over using a re-usable filter right on the sink faucet is a waste of money.

https://www.amazon.com/faucet-mount-...node=680337011

Countless filters for under $20.00

So you think poor people have the time to spend $20 on amazon + shipping....... Or have the spare funds to replace filter's if need be.

[TITAN308]

Ya and some people don't have the spare money to buy one of those machines. When your dealing with a family you need shit you can grab and go.

Not everyone has even 30sec+ to make coffee and once again not everyone likes coffee.

The choice between a 89 cent 40oz coke or a make a coffee isn't a hard one for some. Even more so when you hate the taste of coffee.

I'm not sure what your argument is here other than making excuses for people in this context. Even old school coffee pots take 1-2 minutes to make a pot of coffee. This sounds a lot like people who are constantly late for work because they can't be bothered to take a few extra minutes to get out of early. Your argument sounds anecdotal at best.

So you think poor people have the time to spend $20 on amazon + shipping....... Or have the spare funds to replace filter's if need be.

I think people who are posting on the internet, from a computer or smart device can afford a $12 filter. Yes.

[Jtbrig7390]

Liking them doesn't count for anything. I like $200 Scotch but don't expect anyone else to help me pay for it.

Good one, compare a $200 scotch to a $1 soda......

Makes total sense.....

- - - Updated - - -

Your argument sounds anecdotal at best.

Pot meet kettle.....