Food Stamps

In the four-part series over the last two weeks, we took a look at some of the ways being on food stamps affects the saying “money can’t buy happiness.” But with Christmas just around the corner, being on food stamps can be a very tough time. Here’s a few ways to make the holiday lighter.

1. It Can Always Be Worse: This may seem like a trite point, but you can always find someone else in the world that has it worse than you. Just the fact that you’re reading this in the United States right now gives you a huge leg up on a huge number of the world’s citizens, with this country offering unparalleled opportunities for just about anything. There’s a saying that goes something like this: if you were to put all your problems into a bag and throw that into a pile with everyone else’s problems in the world, you would grab your bag out first every time.

2. True Spirit of Christmas: We’re not disputing that it’s nice—more than nice—to have the option of being able to buy large-screen TVs, game consoles or new designer clothes. They may not be essential, but they do make a person feel nice and like they have options in the world. But buying these things—and they are just that—takes away from the true spirit of Christmas, which is to cherish time spent with loved ones.

3. Giving: One bright side (if we can call it that) of being on food stamps is that you may have time on your hands. While this can sometimes be thought of as a bad thing, as extra or spare time can be equated with no job, at Christmas, use this time to volunteer and give back to the community.

4. Health: Your health may not be exactly where you want it to be, but you’ve still got a lot more than most people. And even if you don’t feel that you do, you’ve still got options and access to medications and treatments that a great deal of people don’t. You don’t even have to think of expensive drug plans or insurance deductibles, but just the fact that you have access to fresh water—something that’s been proven to cut down on virulent diseases mostly wiped out in the United States.

5. Freedom: Above all else, remember that this Christmas, you have the simple, yet essential, gift of freedom. Whatever street you want to walk down, you can. Whatever opinion you have, you won’t get jailed and sentenced to death for expressing it. And whoever you want to be friends with or marry, you (mostly) can. Cherish the gift of freedom this Christmas, especially keeping in mind that it’s not a worldwide human right.

From everyone at FoodStamps, have a very Merry Christmas and wonderful holiday season!