I won’t get SNAP in November. That extra $700+ helps make sure my four children and I have access to a variety of nutritious food options. I might have to use the food bank, but the extreme budget cuts have severely impacted those.
I thought I would make a short list of ways I spend my paycheck outside of rent, utilities, car insurance, and gas. Just to demonstrate how much it means to lose that $700, here is a list of household items.
laundry detergent
dishwashing soap
garbage bags
cleaning supplies (SNAP pays for vinegar and baking soda for some homemade stuff, but that cannot clean everything)
non-prescription medication (cough drops, herbal teas, cold medicine, fever-reducing medicine, band aids)
school fees (field trips, instrument accessories, band uniform, PE uniform, various and diverse participation fees)
shampoo, conditioner, and hair detangler (lots of long and/or curly hair in this house) (also haircuts, even cheap ones take money, to do anything at home takes time and tools)
toothpaste, dental floss, and toothbrushes
socks and underwear
batteries and lightbulbs
cat food
winter gear (often thrifted, as are many of the clothes that we own)
When I use SNAP to buy food, it frees up dollars from my paycheck to buy these other things. You cannot put a price tag on human dignity, which all of the things above contribute to. The number of people abusing the system is so small that it is ridiculous even to discuss it.
Plenty of people are talking about the overall economic impact that SNAP dollars have, and I think that the above list in essential to add to conversation. Because now people have to make tougher choices, buy cheaper food, go without medication, scrape the tubes and bottles of the last drop, and see if they can make it stretch even farther.
I have three jobs, and cannot make enough money to live because of a market that serves the millionaires and billionaires. I work three jobs so I can give my children transportation to and from sports so they can participate with their peers, and so I can take them to appointments for their physical and mental well-being. I do freelance writing so that I can afford the small luxury of streaming services.
So many ridiculous comments online show how deeply the poor are despised and dehumanized.
So let me tell you about being poor; I have been doing it for a long time. I can knit, crochet, sew, can fruits and vegetables, cook from scratch, garden, and forage. I can outdo any tradwife worth her salt, and I can outlast any MAHA mommy blogger. I have homeschooled, homebirthed, and homemade items to oblivion. I have thrifted, accepted hand-me-downs, watched for sales, used all the coupons, and made many homemade gifts.
My letter from SNAP indicated that I still need to complete all the bureaucratic paperwork, despite their inability to provide essential services to my family and millions of others. I am supposed to prove to the government that my children and I are worthy of being fed.
Whether it's the loss of paychecks for so many federal employees (who still have to go to work or wait with bated breath to see if they will be fired) or the loss of SNAP and WIC (women, infants, and children), both parties have decided that they want to quibble about a non-issue.
I believe that every human should receive food, shelter, and medical care, the undocumented included. I hope that Congress will return to session soon.
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