what happens when the foodstap are gone?

[StormySar]

This is all just stuff i'v heard, and it could all be rumor...

But I'm hearing that the food staps program wont be around forever. Sooner or later, there just wont be any money for it.

What will the families who are on food stamps do? Will the US turn into a third world country with children dying every few seconds from hunger?

[sanguine_speed]

I'm sure with less resources overall, people will suffer.
But I also see a shift in community-building and skill-sharing.

[lolar2]

It's possible that if that were to happen, more money would be allocated from elsewhere in the federal budget. Only if that were the political mood of the moment, of course.

[Staceyy]

I think people would learn to garden, use Angel Food Ministries, farm or stockpile, or a combination of these. These methods mainly must be done in advance. Better get started because there is a learning curve.

[oneKnight]

So long as people are paying taxes, there will be money for foodstamps or it can be allocated from other tax/gov funds.
When nobody is paying any taxes then the lack of foodstamps won't be our biggest problem, IMO.

[Porcelain Interior]

I only see the food stamp program dying if we all suddenly needed them, them obviously there wouldn't be any way to fund the program.

Definitely something to think about as a worst case senario.

We ALL need to be very prudent with our resources right now.

[Pumpkin_Pie]

I am on foodstamps, and I have at least a month's stockpile. I could probably make it last a month and a half to two months if I really had to. I think that all families on foodstamps should have a stockpile set aside for times when their monthly allotment doesn't go as far as they had hoped, or if the amount they receive goes down due to financial collapse. Not that I am expecting the end of the foodstamp program, but it doesn't hurt to be prepared.

[WC_hapamama]

Originally Posted by lolar2

It's possible that if that were to happen, more money would be allocated from elsewhere in the federal budget. Only if that were the political mood of the moment, of course.

It's in the best interests of politicians to make sure that their constituents aren't starving for lack of food stamps... unless that politician's "territory" is made up of entirely wealthy people.

[Pinoikoi]

Originally Posted by Staceyy

I think people would learn to garden, use Angel Food Ministries, farm or stockpile, or a combination of these. These methods mainly must be done in advance. Better get started because there is a learning curve.

I agree with this for the most part. However I think there is still a far too large portion of society that has people that are limited in their ABILITY to do these things.. I mean gardening requires time and continued effort.. and with people dealing with addiction (for example), I can't see the daily tasks really being followed through on.. I mean, if someone is high for three days straight wouldn't their plants die off in the meantime? (sorry this isn't more eloquent).. How about people that have limited mobility? Container gardening is a possibility for them, but the amount that is produced I think would end up much smaller..

[WC_hapamama]

Originally Posted by Pinoikoi

I agree with this for the most part. However I think there is still a far too large portion of society that has people that are limited in their ABILITY to do these things.. I mean gardening requires time and continued effort.. and with people dealing with addiction (for example), I can't see the daily tasks really being followed through on.. I mean, if someone is high for three days straight wouldn't their plants die off in the meantime? (sorry this isn't more eloquent).. How about people that have limited mobility? Container gardening is a possibility for them, but the amount that is produced I think would end up much smaller..

Gardening also needs space and time, which a lot of people may not have. I'd be hard pressed, even with container gardening, to produce enough food to be practical for my family.

I'm a condo dweller, and our patio is pretty much completely in the shade. No where to grow veggies for free, and the community garden plots around here are NOT cheap or convenient to get to.

[Buddhamom]

I wonder if it would help our country shift to be a less consuming society of non necessary items.

[cloudswinger]

Originally Posted by Buddhamom

I wonder if it would help our country shift to be a less consuming society of non necessary items.

Won't have any choice, if you don't have the money, you can't buy non necessary items.

But, you don't have to work in the garden every single day, if someone goes on a 3 day binge, it won't exactly kill the garden.

Food stamps will be affect by the same budget crunch that everything else will, especially as the baby boomers start to retire. The population of workers coming up is smaller, so a higher rate of tax will be required to keep the boomers supported at least for social security. It's a big ponzi scheme. Just hope you're not the ones left holding the (empty!)bag.

[justmama]

Originally Posted by Buddhamom

I wonder if it would help our country shift to be a less consuming society of non necessary items.

or people like myself with a very short growing season and no money would starve. but yeah. . . . . . . we'd consume less all right.

[Calidris]

Originally Posted by Pumpkin_Pie

I am on foodstamps, and I have at least a month's stockpile. I could probably make it last a month and a half to two months if I really had to. I think that all families on foodstamps should have a stockpile set aside for times when their monthly allotment doesn't go as far as they had hoped, or if the amount they receive goes down due to financial collapse. Not that I am expecting the end of the foodstamp program, but it doesn't hurt to be prepared.

I'm not sure that would work, if the money funding the program wan out, after all the foodstamps are not cash, and if the issuers are no longer paying for them, I doubt that groceries etc would accept them.

[lolar2]

I think she means a stockpile of food, not of benefits.

[Ianthe]

Originally Posted by Pumpkin_Pie

I am on foodstamps, and I have at least a month's stockpile. I could probably make it last a month and a half to two months if I really had to. I think that all families on foodstamps should have a stockpile set aside for times when their monthly allotment doesn't go as far as they had hoped, or if the amount they receive goes down due to financial collapse. Not that I am expecting the end of the foodstamp program, but it doesn't hurt to be prepared.

me too.

We actually didn't get FS this month, because of all the hoops one has to jump through to get on FS. But we have a stockpile of food, and it will be fine until I get them again. It's the little things that we use a lot that are hard to keep in the house though..

[Staceyy]

I am using a combination of stockpiling, Angel Food Ministries and gardening. As I said, it takes time and there is a learning curve. I have no idea what I'm doing regarding gardening, but I am taking the time to learn. Because I am so inept, I decided to try planting some cucumbers last year in the ground, I purchased an earthbox from Amazon as my container garden to grow some tomatoes, and I also purchased an Aerogarden for my kitchen table to grow lettuce. Surprisingly, all three methods worked for me, but I would have starved with the few vegetables I was able to grow. This year I'm stepping up my game and planting more. I figure over time I should be able to master this.

[Pumpkin_Pie]

Yep, I meant a stockpile of actual groceries, rather than keeping the amount on the card. In my state, you can't have more than two months worth of allotment on your card, or your benefits are cancelled. So, we are currently getting $240 a month for myself and my 2 year old son. If I saved up $480, the following month, I would be cut off, and I would only have 30 days to spend the amount on the card, or it would disappear.

I currently have in my pantry:
Canned beans/veggies/fruit (not sure how many, but at leats enough for 20-30 meals)
Canned soups (again, not sure how many, but at least 20-30 cans)
About 6 boxes of cold breakfast cereals
Two boxes of powdered milk in 2 quart individual packages. Enough to make 8-10 gallons (I think. I am not anywhere near the pantry right now)
About 10-15 pounds of dried beans
About 5 pounds of rice (we are not big rice eaters, but could be in a pinch)
About 10 jars of peanut butter (thank-you WIC)
A ton of individual applesauce cups/cereal bars/fruit leathers. (toddler diaper bag snacks)
Plus one shelf of various things. Granola, crackers, flavored seltzer, and other things I can't think of off the top of my head.

I also have about 10 or so pounds of cheese in my fridge (thank-you again, WIC), and at least 15 pounds of frozen chicken breasts in my freezer.

I realize it is not a doomday scenario completely stocked pantry, but I use what I have, and I rotate regularly, and it makes me feel much more comfortable to have it around in case money is super tight one of these months. I just feel like it is my responsibility as a single mama on an extremely low income to keep food in my house. If I didn't have enough to feed my son, I would feel like a failure as a mama. Not that I am saying people who don't have a stockpile are a failure, just that it is my hangup to be able to feed my son, no matter what.