Getting food stamps is a difficult decision that some families are forced to make during tough financial times. Although it’s not usually a decision made willingly, some are faced with the prospect of either going hungry or getting temporary assistance to make ends meet.
As most quickly find out, though, the monthly food stamp allotment for a working family is generally quite small, even with children in the household. Many families are left trying to figure out how to make food stamps go farther.
Here are a few tips to help you make food stamps go further while you need them.
Don’t Rely Only on Food Stamps
The official name for food stamps is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP for short. It’s meant to supplement household grocery budgets, not replace them. To make your food stamps go farther, obtain food and groceries from other sources as well. You can purchase a few groceries when you have a little extra money, for instance. If you’re in dire straights, you can also contact your local food bank or church for assistance.
Determine Your Needs Vs. Wants
To make food stamps go farther, most families out quickly that they need to decide what foods are necessities and what ones are just nice to have. Avoid items like sugary drinks and fatty snacks if possible. Only purchase treats like these when you have food stamps left at the end of the month.
Plan Your Meals
Planning your meals each week can also help make food stamps go further.Take a look at the sales circulars for your local grocery stores and use what’s on sale as a guide. You can also make double portions of meals and freeze the leftovers for a quick lunch or meal later in the week.
Shop Weekly
Food stamps are distributed once each month, so it can be tempting to go to the grocery store and do all of your shopping on that day. Instead, divide your monthly benefits by four and use that amount as your grocery shopping budget each week. By doing this, you can take advantage of the different sales each week and get the best savings. By saving some of your food stamps, you’ll also have a little extra to go shopping for essentials, like milk and bread, at the end of the month.
Consider Couponing
If done correctly, couponing can save you a great deal of money and make your food stamps go farther. Clip or print coupons for items that you and your family normally buy and compare them with weekly sales circulars. If possible, try to shop at a store that doubles coupons to get the most bang for your buck. Avoid purchasing something just because you have a coupon, though, since this is usually not a great use of your resources.
Ditch Brand Loyalty
At one point in time, you may have only purchased one specific brand of a particular item. If you need to make your food stamps go farther, though, you may need to be open to trying new brands. Generic brands are generally less expensive than name brands, for instance. However, there may be some cases when a name brand item is much cheaper than both the generic brand and your usual brand. This usually happens when you pair a good coupon with a good sale. In that case, it’s usually worth it to give that brand a shot.
Grow Your Own
Fresh produce can eat up a big chunk of your food stamp allotment. To get healthy fresh produce for next to nothing and to make food stamps go farther, consider growing your own. Even if you don’t have a large plot of land, you might still be able to find a little room for a small garden. If you have no room in your yard to grow a garden, ask a friend or family member if you can put a small garden on their land, or start a container garden. Keep in mind that food stamps in some states also pay for vegetable seeds as well as food.
