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Food Stamps

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The budgets for families on government benefits are very tight. SNAP benefits are only to supplement an existing income, providing money to a family that would spend 30 percent of household income on food. There are some restrictions on what you can buy with food stamps, such as alcohol, tobacco and hot foods. While you can’t buy ready-made items like sub sandwiches or freshly cooked chicken, you can purchase a lot of really healthy and appetizing food to last you on a budget. Here are some ideas to get you started.

 

1. Seasonal Foods

 

Seasonal foods are cheaper in price and allow you to work with fresher ingredients. You can find a variety of seasonal food charts online that can tell you the cheapest foods by month. For example, broccoli, grapefruit and oranges are cheapest in January, while apricots, zucchini and watermelon are cheapest in June. The flavor will also be the best in these foods because it is the right harvest time. Fruits and vegetables aren’t the only things with season. You can find that the freshest seafood will be listed in the grocery store so you know which fish is freshest.

 

2. Beans, rice, and pasta.

 

You can do a lot with these foods because they are sold in bulk and make a lot of food. With the right spaghetti sauce, spices and meat, you can create entirely different meals and save some for leftovers through the week. The good thing is that you can find that even whole wheat and brown rice is cheaper than before. Barley and oats are also two other items that can make a lot of food and sell for a cheaper price tag. You can create a really wholesome breakfast with apple slices, walnuts, raisins, cinnamon, and oats.

 

3. Weekly coupon deals.

 

This isn’t necessarily one type of food, but you can find some seriously good deals in the weekly pamphlet at the grocery store, even on items like meat and dessert foods. You should always look for buy one, get one deals and items that are marked down incredibly far, and base recipes around these items. You can also shop at different locations and use coupons, or go to a co-op or Save-A-Lot grocery store, where you can find cheaper food items.

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