I saw a congresswoman talking about this on TV. I could not glean from the conversation whether the amount was $21 per family or $21 per person. If it is $21 per family, obviously it would be extremely tough to pull off well-balanced meals for this amount (assuming no other supplemental food sources such as WIC or free school lunches). However, if it is $21 per person, I know several middle class families that spend less than this per person per week.
For my own family of three, I rarely spend more than $75 or $85 a week and that include sundries, organics, several convenience items, and very few coupons. My predominant savings technique can be implemented by anyone -- I buy what's on a sale.
I was tempted to send the congresswoman a copy of a weekly grocery store ad (free in the mail or at the store) and a sample grocery list to show her that it could be done with a bit of planning. In fact, I was flipping through the Stater Bros. ad at the time and thought it could be done even without coupons or going to multiple stores.
It's not that I begrudge poor people food, especially since most of the beneficiaries of food stamps are small children. I just don't want to throw taxpayer dollars at a problem that could be solved by smarter shopping.
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