Food Stamp Challenge Day 6: By the Numbers

Something I have discovered in myself ,now, since I swore off sodas, I have been consuming 2 liters of water per day…no big deal, right? For me it is. I suffer from recurring kidney stones, some of which recently fused together and became a triad of trouble requiring a procedure to remove them since they became a blockage.

Since the challenge and the water consumption increase, I have freely passed one, and that means about 11 remain in my kidneys and are small enough to pass. I always considered myself a healthy eater that consumed soda and snacks but now have realized that those items are part of my diet as well. I have only one body and now that I see the benefit of the water, it will be the drink of choice when away from home.

We were on food stamps for 7-8 years of my childhood, in the 1970′s. Most of elementary school consisted of cheese sandwiches or peanut butter & jelly sandwiches. To this day, I have an aversion to eating either, because it was day after day of the same thing for years.

By 1980, we were off food stamps, and I can only give credit to my mother. It was a combination of a better paying job, using coupons, and budgeting. She scrimped and saved all year for Christmas, as well — and honestly, I don’t know how she did it. I do remember many meals where we (my younger brother and I) would eat, but she would not. Breakfast was cereal for us and coffee for her. She’d make our lunches (a sandwich, a fruit drink beverage, and maybe a granola bar for dessert), but would go without, herself. Dinner was the only meal where she’d be likely to eat with us — some form of meat, a starch, and vegetables — though she might have salad and nothing else.

It was a rough period to say the least, but as I said, she did work her way out of that, before remarrying, and we never had to think about it again. To me, as a child, it was entirely normal. I was not a big eater anyway (not fussy, just not that interested), but I never went hungry or thought anything of it. I knew we were “poor” in the broad sense, but I really didn’t know what it meant because my needs were always provided for.

I was managing a pizza restaurant and my husband managed a fast food joint when I got pregnant with our first. I was cutting my own hours back, brought in another manager and was demoted and could NOT figure out why I was SO SICK. We had been trying to get pregnant but the pregnancy tests kept coming back negative. So what was wrong?? I went to the doctor and THEIR test said I was pregnant. (The one the night before said no.). The ultrasound put me at 10 weeks but my blood work was BAD.. so I was put on bed rest. At least we knew why I was so sick. I put in my two weeks notice at work. After a week I was let go. :( The DAY after I put in my two week notice my husband came home from work early. He had been handed a note that said he “No longer fit in” and dismissed. WHAT??? While he went looking for another job I panicked. I got us on WIC asap (we didn’t qualify by $20 and after I started crying a supervisor came over and spread the $30 bonus he had gotten two months before out over the year and we qualified). We couldn’t get in for a month though after our job losses. This meant the fast food crew member, minimum wage job he was working was all we were living on.. that and the food they let him bring home after his shifts. That’s why I cried at WIC. I had been LIVING on chicken nuggets, burgers and fries. I needed some more food! The store he was working at didn’t even have grilled chicken sandwiches or salads!!:( (It was a satellite store in walmart). After the baby was born and was 9 months old I got a job and we went off of food stamps immediately. We were so happy to have used them and moved on and gotten off where so many people are unable to get off (the system truly works against you. You make $20 more dollars this week? Think you are going to pay the electric bill on time this month? HA! $15 of food stamps GONE for the month!)

When I got pregnant with my second child I was working. He no longer had to do that fast food job, had quit and was pursuing his dream job. We were happy! We used Chlomid to get pregnant as I am considered infertile due to health issues. It was all good! He worked 1-2 days a week DJing and helped me with my job managing an apartment community. (Rent paid, utilities paid, cell phone paid and $1000 a month to “live” on). I worked up until exactly 30 days before my second child was born. I was “let go” because my boss didn’t want to share his manager with a nursing child. In an at will state you can do that! You also can’t file for unemployment unless you are “hire-able.. which means that someone will hire you and you can go to work tomorrow. At 32 weeks pregnant that is unlikely so off I went. Our savings was used to get a new apartment (don’t work here anymore, can’t live here anymore) and move. We lived off what was left of the savings while my husband looked for a job. It took him 8 months to find a job that was a “real” job that could cover the bills.. not his fun dream job. He still worked the fun dream job while looking as it was “some” money. I also babysat to pay the bills we had to a minimum. We were evicted legally but not physically four times in the next year. (An additional two times since then and had evictions filed but paid off before they went through legally an ADDITIONAL 2 times). Not to mention the late fees. So yes, he works 2 minimum wage jobs (50 ish hours a week) and his “dream” job three nights a week. We STILL are on food stamps. Why, you ask, right? Because his child support for two children is more than our monthly rent! They REFUSE to lower his child support from when he was making $35,000 a year managing restaurants. One of his checks is $50 every two weeks, if that. Our rent is an additional $100 a month for late fees and that is if we can get it paid before she files an eviction (add $220). Our utilities are $150-200 a month no matter WHAT I do (gas, water, electricity). We probably need a new water heater and could bring some of that down.. I know the hot water leak under the bathroom sink getting fixed would help but where is the money for that?? So yes, we are on food stamps and will be for a VERY long time. I should cancel the internet, yes?? No, this is the ONE thing that I have to keep me in the outside world. I don’t see my husband but a few hours a week and we have one car so I don’t get to leave the house often. I don’t get my hair done, cut, or styled.. ever. We don’t eat out. I don’t get manicures like I used to. Or pedicures. So I do spend the $20 a month on internet so that I can have some socialization.. I also try to promote my husbands “dream job” through the internet as our dream is for him to do it enough that he can quit his second job and be home more often.. and happier.. and paid more.. and in a better situation. Some months are better than others but we do what we can.

Holly, What have you tried doing to lower your utilities?
Our bill used to be $250-$350 and over $400 during the really cold months.
I tried lowering the temp in the house and would freeze my butt off…….AND the bill was still high!

I have finally, finally gotton our bill down to a reasonable amount, $101……but shooting for $50 next month.
Unplugging everything and lowering the temp on the water heaters really does help. We have 2 water heaters. This month I turned off both. We will be washing laundry with cold water.
I turn on the other water heater for 1 hour every 3 days. The water stays hot for a while(still need to buy a water heater blanket though) and by the third day the showers are really cold(so there really fast showers for me ;0)
It’s been really exciting looking at the bills every month, watching them drop….looking forward to next months bill.

The internet actually saves me money, so it’s definitely a necessity. I use it to print coupons, I use it to sell stuff on ebay and craigslist, and I love earning points through swagbucks(by printing coupons, using their search, etc) I earn about $20 in amazon gift cards through swagbucks and buy my “wants” that way.
This month with the $20 I earned, I’m buying an unbreakable french press. I’ll be heating my water on my wood stove…so no more coffee maker…less electricity being used = more savings…..or at least that’s the plan….

First off, really enjoying reading the challenge posts as well as the comments!

Second, we were on Food Stamps/EBT here in GA for about 6 months. My husband was out of work, so he watched our son while I worked in the part-time job I’d had for the past 3 years. EBT was a blessing, and damn if that isn’t some of the healthiest food I’ve eaten. We lost eligibility when my husband got a new job, and while it didn’t pay enough to make up for the allotment we had been getting for groceries on EBT, we were able to eat well. We currently have a grocery budget of $120 every two weeks. This took place last year. It’s gotten us by pretty well over the course of the year, and now, I finally have a new job that’s growing into full-time, my husband just finished school to be an EMT and is now searching for that new job while currently maintaining his old one, and we’re expecting our second (and final) child! The past year has been really tough, as the job my husband picked up last year was a 3rd shift job. He works four nights a week. At my old job, I was working 4 days a week. Our son attends a local in-home daycare while I’m at work, but during the day, my husband was in classes for EMT 5 days a week. So for the past year, we’ve hardly seen each other. I’ve become accustomed to sleeping alone in bed because most nights he was at work. But like I said, school is done, he’s passed his certification test, and I have a new job that allows me to work from home a lot of the time.

It takes a lot of work, patience, and luck, but you can get back on top of things. That last year for us really sucked, but boy are we excited about this one. Coming through to the other side like this has REALLY done some awesome things for our marriage, too.

And those brownies look delicious.

Many years ago, with first husband and new baby, we were on food stamps. At the same time, we also gardened and preserved food. My ex hunted and fished. We thought that they were very generous with the amount of food stamps that they gave us, always had a bit leftover at the end of the month, even eating very well. In Virginia, if a person knows how to cook to some degree, I think they should be able to eat fairly well, if they know about nutrition. I have made up a couple of menus using the 4. 50 per person amount. Quite ‘doable,’ if one knows how to cook and budget.

Molly, considering your situation, I’m curious to know if you watch “Downsized,” and what you think of it.

I checked out small clips on youtube……looks interesting…..but I haven’t seen enough to really have an opinion about it.
It would be nice to have a reality show showing how real people have downsized. It might help other people and give them ideas.
But from the little clips that I have seen…..I don’t have that much sympathy for someone that lived waaay beyond their means and now has to downsize….that’s reality…and they have to deal with it. They created their own economic crisis…..