Can You Live on a Food Stamp Budget of $28 a Week?

by ABC News U.S. Posted 2012/12/04 13:10:25

Related Topics: Food, Food Stamps, Food Stamp Challenge, Cory Booker, Poverty, Lifestyle

23,139 votes
Read all 847 opinions
Lightning Report View Results and Demographics + View Demographics

Loading Demographics... Click an icon to see demographic results Display unknown and private
	Yes	6,058 votes	26%
	No	17,081 votes	74%

Social media-savvy Mayor Cory Booker posted a photo of a crumpled receipt Monday morning to Facebook and Twitter.

The Newark, N.J., mayor wasn’t filing expenses; he was showing supporters what he’ll be eating for the next week as he takes on the food stamp challenge. Starting Tuesday and going until Dec. 12, Booker will eat only what he can buy with $29.78, which is slightly more than the $28 individuals receiving food stamps tend to spend on average.

+21

Add a comment above

Rob Clary 2012/12/04 18:51:19

Yes

+18
Yes, of course!
I'd do just fine off ramen noodles, cooked beans, tomato paste and kool-aid.
FEAST!
If the welfare bums can't stretch a dollar, maybe it's time to learn how to wash toilets or whatever. I get tired of people on the dole sniveling over their handout being too small.
>> See Replies

More polls by ABC News U.S.

Dustin 2013/01/18 20:24:09

Yes

Yes but not healthy long term and definitely not balanced diet. Eventually you would starve I did this for a while and eventually I would just puke ramen cheap rice meals. And i live in a fairly cheap state in a higher cost of living area it would pretty much just be ramen.

reply
Diana455 2013/01/14 21:25:30

Yes

It's $28 per INDIVIDUAL. Per WEEK. My husband and I only spend about $40 per week for BOTH of us . And that includes meat, fish, fresh and canned veggies and fruits, milk eggs, etc. We eat healthy food. Ding Dongs and soda pop are not food.

reply
josh parker 2012/12/31 01:58:29

Yes

Families sure to hell cant, but all i need are cheap beer, dip, and condoms.lol

reply
Royo 2012/12/16 15:28:59

Yes

Might not be healthy but it's manageable.

reply
)o( Belle )o( 2012/12/16 10:43:08

No

Not with 2 children

reply
Diana455 to )o( Bel... 2013/01/14 21:29:33

Read it again. It's $28 per person!!! So, assuming you are a single mom, that's $84 per week. If you can't feed yourselves on that, you must be eating caviar and frozen gourmet pizza 24/7. Go to the library and borrow a cookbook.

reply
)o( Bel... to Diana455 2013/01/18 03:46:02 (edited)

In Australia No you can't live off 80 dollars a week especially with a 6 month old baby and a 21 month old toddler. And yes hunny I own alot of cookbooks so yes I know how to cook

reply
Deliciously Melicious 2012/12/11 18:19:25

No

+1
Not in a healthy way. Sure I could eat Ramen, and crap, but that is hardly nutritious. And people wonder why there is such a weight problem in the US. Healthy food costs quite a bit more, and if you are trying to "stretch a dollar" your not eating healthy.

reply
SA 2012/12/11 16:27:20

Yes

+1
Beans, rice, potatoes, tortillas in one week can be at least 6 different meals. That can be bought where I live for about 10 dollars. I can feed 3 on this.

reply
C-ZAR™,... to SA 2012/12/11 16:37:39

+1
My grandmother cooked like that, staples that are cheap, fill you up and last awhile, cook a big pot and you can stretch that for a few days

reply
SA to C-ZAR™,... 2012/12/11 16:40:09

+1
I learned how to feed a small army from the way my Mom did it! LOL

reply
C-ZAR™,... to SA 2012/12/11 16:43:06

Yup, lol
So did mine

reply
C-ZAR™, Emperor of the PHÆT 2012/12/11 13:47:56

Yes

+2
I have, I guess all of these "No's" don't know how to survive out here, sad, lol

reply
SA to C-ZAR™,... 2012/12/11 16:31:12

+1
I make a BIG pot of beans, rice and potatoes for my family of 3 and make it into different meals.

If I can make meals for 3 on this budget, there is no excuse not to...lol Of course we'll have beans 3 times a day, but it is possible.

reply
kitty 2012/12/11 06:42:15

No

reply
Dave 007 2012/12/09 12:56:52

Yes

It could be done. Just buy the basics and go to the store with the lowest prices. I see way too many people with food stamps buying ice cream, chips, bottle water with them. FOOD STAMPS ARE NOT A PRIVILEGE!

reply
Preplovesyou 2012/12/09 05:26:43

Yes

Heck yes. Hopefully I never have to, but it's possible. People can eat off that in a month. Bread, lunch meat, ramen noodles. It's possible.

reply
libertybelle 2012/12/08 23:02:19

Yes

+1
Yes..I could..but I don't eat 3 meals a day anyway. I know a young guy in his 20's that is lazy and shiftless..rides a bike because he never bothered to get a job in order to buy a car..he gets food stamps..before Obama he received $100/mo. after Obama was elected it went to $200/mo. If I were Queen for a day..he would get nothing. Hunger is a great motivator.

reply
Bumblebeedle 2012/12/07 22:38:46

No

Maybe... It really depends on where I'm going that week

reply
Tracie Richards 2012/12/07 17:35:21

Yes

+1
Absolutely. But then again, I'm comfortable cooking from scratch and I use coupons like a mad woman.

reply
Phyl *In God i Trust* 2012/12/07 06:13:04

No

Last time I got them was alone $35.00 for a month.

reply
amorris72200 2012/12/07 03:14:17

No

I get $140 a week from the hubby to spend on groceries, that includes cleaning supplies, and greeting cards, and other non-food items! It's "JUST" enough to get by sometimes. and I shop around to many local stores!

reply
amorris... to amorris... 2012/12/07 03:15:55

I should add there is me, him, and our two boys, ages 9 and 11!

reply
Summer 2012/12/07 00:52:51

Yes

+1
I'm very resourceful

reply
Chris 2012/12/06 23:43:35

No

Maybe. You'd mostly be eating beans, potatoes and ramen noodles. It's certainly possible it could work. They should provide a pamphlet educating people on what to buy so they know how to optimize that budget.

reply
SA to Chris 2012/12/11 16:44:15

Substitute the ramen noodles with rice. It's healthier and not expensive. I can feed 3 on this amount of money and have done it before.

reply
cranejumper 2012/12/06 23:25:46

No

liberals should be doing this also

reply
Kevin 2012/12/06 21:59:04

No

+1
I don't do the give me something thing, so I don't worry about it. I was raised believing that food for myself and family is my own responsibility!! There's this thing out there called a job and after you work they pay you $. Then how you spend that $ is on you and only you!!!

reply
Reshintoe 2012/12/06 21:07:09

Yes

+1
I've said this a few times in replies already but I'm a fairly big guy, I maintain a body weight of around 270lbs and I do this eating only one medium sized meal a day and a high protein snack during the middle of my day. I drink a lot of water through out the day which helps curb the desire to eat and I have lived like this for years, doing this I've never broken a bone, I don't bruise easy, and I rarely get sick and when I do it goes away quickly. all of this is because for the most part I treat my body right I get a moderate amount of exercise I probably don't sleep as much as I should (2 to 3 hours a night), but I'm not sleepy or bedraggled all day. I have a job that requires me to be mental alert and requirement a medium to low level of physical activity.

all that being said, Welfare is not intended for people to live on for an extended period of time nor is it meant to be the soul source of your income, but lets assume for a minute you lost your job and are getting no benefits from that you would have the following that you could apply for.

Cobra (this maintains your health care through your previous employer at the same rate as when employed) or Medicare (some states also offer additional government assisted health care)

so your covered medically fairly well,

unem...

I've said this a few times in replies already but I'm a fairly big guy, I maintain a body weight of around 270lbs and I do this eating only one medium sized meal a day and a high protein snack during the middle of my day. I drink a lot of water through out the day which helps curb the desire to eat and I have lived like this for years, doing this I've never broken a bone, I don't bruise easy, and I rarely get sick and when I do it goes away quickly. all of this is because for the most part I treat my body right I get a moderate amount of exercise I probably don't sleep as much as I should (2 to 3 hours a night), but I'm not sleepy or bedraggled all day. I have a job that requires me to be mental alert and requirement a medium to low level of physical activity.

all that being said, Welfare is not intended for people to live on for an extended period of time nor is it meant to be the soul source of your income, but lets assume for a minute you lost your job and are getting no benefits from that you would have the following that you could apply for.

Cobra (this maintains your health care through your previous employer at the same rate as when employed) or Medicare (some states also offer additional government assisted health care)

so your covered medically fairly well,

unemployment (which varies depending on several factors much its at least a few hundred a week).

Food stamps (apparently 28 dollars a week but against most states also have supplemental programs and there are several government programs you can apply for and privately funded ones as well)

you can apply for additional funds for several things including

Dependents (children and the spouses)
Rent (yes you can apply for additional money for rent)
utilities
on going medical cost
Disability

it goes on and on and on, I tired of hearing people piss and moan about a hand out from the government when your lucky they give you anything at all. people need to stop actiing like parasites and contribute to the world of course if you did that then you'd piss and moan about taxes which the government takes so it can support lazy people who don't want to support themselves.
(more)

reply
zyggie to Reshintoe 2012/12/07 08:13:55

Parasites are those who govern these lands. They sit around "taking choices" on how things should be managed, and a huge amount of cash gets deposited on their accounts. How can you be such an insult to the human race? Minds resembled to yours are the ones that show of not being properly educated in our history, completely satisfied with mediocre living, and exactly the progress of a bad education that those ones "governing" us wanted and NEEDED most of all, to be receiving NOWADAYS, all the amount of cash they do... while EVERYONE else complains. You and all of the ones such way, are the reason why we are still submitted fooled slaves.

reply
Reshintoe to zyggie 2012/12/13 20:43:56 (edited)

first of all your going off on a whole other tangent to the question presented for debate. Second your turned your argument into a slight against myself and the government neither of which are the issues of debate once again, in addition to turn your own insult on its head you presented no counter points to anything I said so your reply isn't really a reply at all its just an attack which says volumes more about the difference in our intellectual levels; which is not to be construed as an insult more a rebuff to your point of saying I am uneducated, so if you want to insult me and or undermine the statement I made then please by all means I am always open to a debate on the issue at hand, if you wish to discuss a different topic in an adult manner that would either be an intellectual excise or a discussion of solutions or perhaps even just a general discussion on a topic then I'd be more than happy to receive a message from you,

All that being said I do actually agree that the government is full of parasites, but that does not mean I feel that the people who live off of their well fare programs who really are the sort of mindless sheep that keep things as they are because it benefits them.

Now I'll go "uneducated" on you. My life style may be mediocre but I live that way by cho...

first of all your going off on a whole other tangent to the question presented for debate. Second your turned your argument into a slight against myself and the government neither of which are the issues of debate once again, in addition to turn your own insult on its head you presented no counter points to anything I said so your reply isn't really a reply at all its just an attack which says volumes more about the difference in our intellectual levels; which is not to be construed as an insult more a rebuff to your point of saying I am uneducated, so if you want to insult me and or undermine the statement I made then please by all means I am always open to a debate on the issue at hand, if you wish to discuss a different topic in an adult manner that would either be an intellectual excise or a discussion of solutions or perhaps even just a general discussion on a topic then I'd be more than happy to receive a message from you,

All that being said I do actually agree that the government is full of parasites, but that does not mean I feel that the people who live off of their well fare programs who really are the sort of mindless sheep that keep things as they are because it benefits them.

Now I'll go "uneducated" on you. My life style may be mediocre but I live that way by choice I have the means to eat large means four or five times a day without issue but I do not require it so I do not do it, I eat what I need and that is the only part of my life that I told you about and that is hardly a bases for saying that its "mediocre" and you know nothing of my political or social contributions, in fact you know nothing about me but you instantly assumed your some how better than me. I will also take this moment to point out that everything you said made you sound exactly like one of those "government parasites" you seem to loath so much, so maybe you should do a little introspection before you try to insult me or them again.
(more)

reply
[insert witty moniker here] 2012/12/06 20:55:16

No

I can't even live on a toilet paper budget of $28 a week.

reply
SA to [insert... 2012/12/11 16:45:46

I can feed 3 on this budget and have done it in the past.

reply
piscespoet to [insert... 2013/01/09 23:00:22

+1
You are definitely eating the wrong things if you need that much toilet paper each week.

reply
catlinyantha 2012/12/06 20:06:39

No

what about rent ?

reply
Reshintoe to catliny... 2012/12/06 20:34:49

Food stamps and housing are separate, some people don't apply for both but generally if you get one you get the other. Medical, phone and Internet are also seperate (yes there is welfare internet). you can look up section 8 housing if your curious.

reply
zyggie to Reshintoe 2012/12/07 08:18:53

Not everyone that applies, receives the help solicited. Still, if all the unemployed people did, the government would still deny help to a big amount, for they limit such help, still being unemployed people who would need so. It's never enough for us, but more than enough for them who get paid incredible amounts for making choices.

reply
Reshintoe to zyggie 2012/12/13 20:47:03 (edited)

See my reply to your attack on my post for details, but again your making this about something its not supposed to be about.

reply
unicorns vs narwhals 2012/12/06 20:00:06

Yes

That wouldn't be too hard.

reply
zyggie to unicorn... 2012/12/07 08:33:13

+1
Have you? (In a healthy way?)

reply