49.1 million Americans are below the poverty line —$24,343 for a family of four.  An additional 51 million are in the new category “near poor”; those with incomes less than 50 percent above the poverty line (source U.S. census).

For both categories of Americans food stamps under the SNAP program are a necessary source of income to battle hunger.

For those of us who have been around awhile we used to call them food stamps.  Today technology has prevailed and instead of those coupon books of food coupons government food assistance is given to people on a credit card as part of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).  Recently Rock Center Brian Williams gave an insightful report on the 46 million people who are currently using the SNAP program to feed their families.  AS shown in the piece many of the SNAP recipients today are not loafers who refuse to work or are looking for a government handout.

Recently the news media has come around to reporting what many Americans already know; even if you have a job in America you still could have a very difficult time paying your housing costs and feeding your family.  Current studies citing the “New Poor” outline a class of people who although employed are one paycheck away from homelessness and/or hunger.

If you can’t see the video below, click here

There is no shame in receiving any assistance that allows you to feed your family, and people from all races, backgrounds and circumstance are in need.  Here at the Survival Guide we believe that feeding your family is of the utmost importance and any assistance we can provide we will.  Below is an article on how to get food stamps along with a sample budget that we have used to provide groceries and meals for a family of four:

How to Get Food Stamps (SNAP) to Feed My Family

How to Feed a Family of 4 on $275 a Month

The second article contains other links to the breakfast, lunch and dinner meal breakdowns based on the food purchased on this plan.  It may not be perfect and you don’t have to follow it exactly, but it should give you some ideas about what is possible with $300/month.  I have personally used this budget and it works.  

God Bless and Stay Strong

Note: for those haters who read this article and think that most people on food stamps are gaming the system and getting assistance when they don’t need it, here are the facts:

In 2009 the GAO (government accounting office) did several studies on fraud committed in the SNAP Program and found that only 3.53% of applicants received food stamps in error or fraud (source: Government Accounting Office)

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