Rachelle Williams ofDo you often run out of food stamps doc

Table of ContentsAbout the Food Stamp Guide………...Page 3 The End of the Month Food Stamp Dilemma………....Page 4 Grocery Shopping on a Food Stamp Budget………Page 5 Using Coupons with Food Stam

by Rachelle Williams of

Do you often run out of food stamps before the end of the month? Are you struggling to keep your family fed each month? You can find the solution to these issues inside this free eBook

Please enjoy this eBook, and feel free to share it with anyone who might benefit from the tips inside Email this book or send them to the Food Stamp Guide at the address below to download a free copy:

http://www.foodstampguide.blogspot.com/

Table of Contents

About the Food Stamp Guide……… Page 3 The End of the Month Food Stamp Dilemma……… Page 4 Grocery Shopping on a Food Stamp Budget………Page 5 Using Coupons with Food Stamps……… Page 7 Budget Friendly Holiday Shopping with Food Stamps……….Page 10

In Conclusion……….Page 12 About the Author………Page 13

About the Food Stamp Guide

The Food Stamp Guide is a blog that was started in 2009, at first, to help people learn

how to apply for and maintain food stamps in each state

The blog has since evolved into a resource to help people who struggle with all types of financial issues

My name is Rachelle, and I am the owner

of the blog and the author of this eBook

I grew up in a low-income household, and

I know what it is to struggle, so I want to

do what I can to help

One thing that has always stood out in my mind was how my family always seemed to run out of food towards the end of the month

Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches and Ramen Noodles were staples during the last week of the month for us, and it was the same scene for almost everyone in my

neighborhood

Food stamps have grown up, gotten a new name (SNAP Benefits - which nobody

actually uses), and they come in a digitized form on a fancy debit card (EBT card) However, some of the issues have remained the same

I wrote this free eBook, How to Stretch Your Monthly Food Stamp Benefits, because I know that food insecurity in the last week of the month is still an issue for people who receive food stamps

The news reports show that food banks are seeing a huge surge in the amount of people who come to them seeking food, especially during the end of the month I

understand a big part of the reason for the issue, I know how to prevent it, and so I created this eBook specifically to combat the issue

I truly hope that you use these tips to help stretch your food stamp benefits, so you and your family will always have enough food to eat

The End of the Month Food Stamp Dilemma

When most people get their monthly food stamp benefits, they usually spend them all at once and end up not having enough to last until the end of the month

The problem is that people do not equate food stamps with real money.

The solution to running out of food by the end of the month is to think about your food stamp deposit allotment as an actual money deposit The next part of the solution is for you to concentrate on saving as much as you can

When you learn to stretch your monthly food stamp benefits, you will not have to worry about what you will feed your family during the dreaded last week of the month

Many people do not even realize that it is perfectly okay to have unused food stamps each month As long as you do not allow your SNAP benefits to stay unused on your EBT card for more than a year, you should be fine

The good news is saving money (food stamps) on food does not have to be a big

headache If you start to implement small changes, you will immediately see positive results

You will eventually find that cutting back on food costs does not have to mean cutting back on quantity or quality

There are a few relatively easy tips and tricks that go along with thinking of your food stamp benefits as money; keep reading to learn about these simple tricks

Grocery Shopping on a Food Stamp Budget

If you receive food stamps and you constantly run out of food at the end of the month, there are two things you need to know First, you are not alone, and second, there is a legitimate reason for your grocery dilemma (beyond not thinking of your food stamps as real money)

The issue of not having enough money to meet your monthly grocery budget is not just

a problem unique to food stamp recipients

There are plenty of people out there who cannot afford the cost of food, they run out of food prematurely, and then they have to scrape by until their next payday

The problem with food stamp allotments is the fact that once it is gone, it’s gone until your next allotment

People who spend cash money at the grocery store can usually dip into other bill money

to buy more food - this is not so easy for food stamp recipients

Furthermore, there is a good reason why many people tend to run out of food before the end of the month

According to the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA), the cost of groceries has increased, and it is expected to keep increasing

Since there does not seem to be an end in sight to the high price of groceries, we need

to make changes in the way we shop for groceries so we can keep our families fed; especially, those of us who receive food stamps

The following list will give you some concrete ideas for how to go grocery shopping on a

food stamp budget:

 Always Shop with a Well-Planned Grocery List If you stick to the items on

your list, you will be less apt to spend your food stamp dollars on impulse buys Also, you will find that you are spending less of your food stamps when you do not have to make multiple grocery runs for forgotten items, this is why your list needs to be well planned Set aside time on the weekends to sit down and carefully plan out your grocery list

 Skip the Convenience Foods Many of us fall victim to the pre-washed, pre-cut

bags of vegetables and fruits The problem is we pay for the convenience of not having to wash and cut up our foods Leaving these grocery items behind will net a huge savings in our monthly good budget

 Skip the Brand Name Food Items & Opt for Generics We all know that brand

name items cost more than generic brands for most grocery store items

Somehow, we continually fall for the clever marketing schemes, and we grab the brand names and never even consider the generic brands If we want to stretch our food stamp dollars, we really need to buckle down and choose generic

brands whenever they are available

 Join Supermarket Discount Clubs, Cards, Programs, etc Just about every

supermarket chain has some sort of discount program When we join their clubs

or programs, and actually use the benefits, we will find huge savings at the cash register, and these savings will really rack-up over a month’s time

 Buy Locally Grown, In-Season, Produce Locally grown produce is usually

fresher and less expensive than the stuff that has been shipped in to your state

In addition, it is a good idea to learn how to shop for the produce that is in

season while you are currently shopping

 Do Not Buy In Bulk Just for Savings If you have a huge family, buying in bulk

is a smart idea However, many of us fall victim to buying items in bulk simply because they are on sale If you know you are not going to use a lot of a

particular item, do not buy it just because there is a huge deal on the item

 Never go Grocery Shopping on an Empty Stomach This is the quintessential

grocery shopping no-no If you go grocery shopping on an empty stomach you are more likely to throw all kinds of foods into the grocery cart Make sure that you fill up before you take your trip to the grocery store so you will not be

tempted to buy unnecessary items

 Comparison Shop at Different Grocery Store Chains Many times the cost

difference at grocery store chains is enough to warrant shopping at more than one store Pull out the weekly grocery store circulators from your Sunday

newspaper, or your mailbox, and compare the sales at the local grocery store chains in your area

Using Coupons with Food Stamps

When I was doing the research to complete this mini eBook, I was surprised to learn that many people do not know that they can use coupons with food stamps

This might be another reason why people run out of food stamps before the end of the month

If you are not already using coupons with your food stamps, you are throwing money right out of the window

You absolutely can use coupons with your food stamps, and you should use them every

time you go to the grocery store

Remember, when we think about food stamps like money you will start to really

appreciate any amount of savings

According to the Promotional Marketing Association Coupon Counsel, if you spend just

20 minutes each weak clipping coupons, you can save up to $1000 a year

Now just imagine for one moment how $1,000 a year might affect your monthly food stamps allotment $1,000 a year equals about $83 a month and $83 might make the difference between a week with Ramen Noodles, and a week with healthy nutritious

food for your family

An another thing… have you actually ever taken a moment to sit down and watch those shows about extreme couponing?

I know it sounds a little cheesy, but these people use the power of coupons to walk out

of the grocery store with two full shopping carts full of groceries that they have spent only about $30 for…

I have seen some episodes where the grocery store actually owes the customer money back Granted, that is not going to happen with food stamps - because you cannot get money back, but I’m sure you catch the message in what I’m saying here

No matter how cheesy it sounds, extreme couponing can save you far more than

$1,000 a year, so it might be worth your while to spend a little time checking out the concept

Even if you do not get into extreme couponing, I hope by now, you can see how clipping coupons would significantly cut down on the amount of food stamps you spend each month

But…before you start getting clip happy, you have to

know that there is a trick to using coupons to your

advantage; so, pay close attention:

Manufacturers use coupons to get you to buy items

you would not normally buy and new items they are

trying to introduce to consumers The trick to saving

money (food stamps) with coupons is to only use

coupons for items you would normally purchase

It really is that simple, but there are a few more tips that I can give you so that you will

save as many of your “food stamp dollars” as you can with coupons:

 Set Up a Simple System Pick one specific day of the week to sit down and

scour the Sunday newspaper coupons and choose only the items you would normally buy Obviously, Sunday is probably the most popular choice because

of the big coupon section in the Sunday newspaper, but you pick the day that is best for you

 Sort the Coupons Once you have chosen and clipped your coupons, take the

time to organize them according to the aisle they would likely appear in your grocery store(s)

 Join the Mailing Lists Grab a paper and pad and jot down the items you buy

the most for your family Then go to the Internet and locate the manufacturer’s website for those items Each manufacturer usually has a mailing list that you can join that will allow them to send you coupons Sometimes they are physical mailing lists, and sometimes they are email lists (so you have to print out the coupons), and sometimes the lists can be a combination of both Either way, this

is an extra measure of savings for you because these particular types of coupons are usually not the same ones you find in the Sunday paper

 Double Your Savings with Store Promotions Check the weekly flyers that

grocery stores constantly send to your mailbox Most people toss them on the trash on sight, but you could be tossing away a lot of savings Scour the weekly grocery store flyers and combine those savings with your coupons and you will really start to see the true power of doubled savings Likewise, you should do the same thing with supermarket discount card programs (rewards club, shopper cards, etc.)

 Pay Close Attention to Coupon Directions Be sure to read the expiration

dates, rules, and regulations that go with each coupon You do not want to end

up at the checkout with a lot of coupons that you cannot use for one reason or another

 Double Check those“Two- For-One” Deals Sometimes when we see

two-for-one deals, we automatically assume that we will get half off if we only purchase one item A lot of the time, this is assumption is not true You might have to pay the regular full price for one half of a two-for-one deal, so you might actually save more money if you go ahead and buy two items instead of one

Clipping coupons might, at first, seem like more work than what it is worth, but when you learn how to beat the manufacturers at their own game, you will see the savings start to pile up

I have heard that some people are actually embarrassed to “hold up the line” while using coupons To them I say, “Honey, please!” Who cares about what the next person

in line thinks about your coupon stash?

All that really matters is that you can really stretch your monthly food stamp benefits by using coupons

Keep that thought in your mind ahead of what others think and you will be much better off for it, and you will find that you are not running out of food stamps before the end of the month

However, if it really bothers you that much, you could consider claiming a self check-out stand where you will generally have a little more privacy with your transaction

If you spread out all of your stuff, and appear to be taking your time, most impatient people will avoid getting in line behind you like the plague

Budget Friendly Holiday Shopping with Food

Stamps

For many of us, the holidays are a time when food is the focal point of the celebrations

Think about it, what would Thanksgiving be without the turkey, dressing, and cranberry sauce? How would we ever be able to celebrate Easter without a ham, or Christmas without Christmas dinner?

Even the lesser holidays are centered around food as well: Memorial Day and Labor Day cookouts, Fourth of July picnics, Halloween candy, etc Also, do not forget about birthdays, because birthday party celebrations always call for a cake, punch and

traditional party foods - these things all cost money, or in the case of many people, they cost a lot of food stamps

Have you ever been in a situation where the holidays or a birthday comes around, and your family members think that you are supposed to contribute more food simply

because they know you get food stamps?

They somehow think that you should bring a lot of food because you receive food

stamps, so you do not have to spend “real money” to buy food”.

If this has ever happened to you before, you should make sure that it does not happen again It goes back to that concept I keep preaching about how you should start to think

of your food stamps as money

Outside of the specific items you cannot buy with food stamps, they spend just like money, so you should not let anybody coax you into thinking that you should part with your food stamps any more easily than you should part with your money

Check out the following list for some tips you can use if you want to save the next time a

holiday or birthday comes around and your family is looking at you to cater the function

with your monthly SNAP benefits:

 Just Say No Just like our former First lady, Nancy Reagan, always used to say,

just say no The next time your family members ask you to supply all or most of the food for a holiday function or other get-together, tell them you cannot do it Let them know that you only have enough food stamps to feed your family on a