preface - I apologize if this sounds too wordy or jumbled. I had countless interruptions as I was writing this post.
- - - - - - - - -
I got the food card and went in to Walmart. This post picks up from the last post on the January 2nd outing after we had left the food stamp office. I only wanted to get a few basic items at that point because I wanted to make my biggest grocery purchase at discount and closeout stores in the next town. I spent approximately $10 in Walmart for a total of about $33 of groceries up to that point for the month. We were supposed to go discount grocery store shopping in a few days, so I didn't get any more than that.
Forty days later, I still had not gotten to get any more groceries! If I could go, he had an excuse that he couldn't. A large part of that time, though, I could not leave because I had puppies to watch. It was cold and I had to stay close to keep the momma dogs and other dogs from accidentally smashing the puppies in their effort of trying too hard to snuggle close to keep them warm. We had the puppies because T L Ogre put the dogs together, then bailed on us all, but that story will be for another post series.
So over the next 40 days, I lived on the "stock up for emergency" foods I had tucked away. Oh was I ever glad I had gone food dehydrator happy last Summer and Fall!
Of course, T L Ogre had to periodically brag about how good some of the things he was buying and eating were during the time I was getting really burned out on stale, out-dated, old tasting foods. (But I was truly glad I had them on hand) He did offer to share some bread or fruit a couple of times. I did not like the feeling that gave me so I took a piece of fruit once and that was it. His tone, body language and expressions all felt like he felt sorry for me and was giving me a hand out. Something in that just wasn't right.
A couple of times a couple of my elderly relatives made the long drive out here and brought me a "care" box with a little fresh food and basic essentials. I appreciated that more than I could ever express!
I could get T L Ogre to pick up pet supplies for me (my cost) because he finally understood that I would call animal welfare if he didn't, but not groceries. He might have picked up an occasional item in town, locally, if I begged hard enough, but it would have cost more than where I usually shop. I needed to stretch what I had left on that card, out as far as I could! There were signs all throughout that long stretch that he had been to the next town over and he had been to those stores, but he never let me know he was going so he could pick something up for me.
So, I lived forty days without going to a grocery store, only got a few grocery items at the beginning of that stretch, and it had been about a month, also, prior to that that I had not been to a store and he had only picked up a few dollar's worth of groceries (for us) during that time. I didn't like it, but it sure was an excellent test of how well I am doing with my emergency food prep skills and what I need to work on more.
Last Saturday, I finally got to go grocery shopping and use up all the funds I had left on that food card! It was a beautiful, unseasonably warm day, only one puppy is left and big enough I could leave for the day. T L Ogre needed to go over to that town for a few items, also, and said I could go if I helped with the gas. I had to stifle a laugh. He didn't have enough gas money to go on his own! I was still very sick and after the first two stores, realized I was still much weaker than I thought, but I pushed and got my shopping done! And no, he would not help me load my groceries into the truck, either. He just sat in the cab complaining that his foot hurt and he didn't have any money to get anything.
I also had to unload all of my groceries back at 'home' by myself. My hand and knee were in agony, but I finally got it all unloaded and tucked away in storage totes. I think I am enjoying my big box of fresh fruits and vegetables, best! I was sooo salad hungry. I was so thankful to have my tucked away stock of dehydrated veggies, but you just can't beat that fresh produce!
Throughout that day, as we drove around from store to store and on the trip home, he made mention of several times he had been, himself, and purchased this and that at the various stores. I said,
I didn't know you had come and gotten groceries here." He replied, "It was when you had to watch the puppies and couldn't come." Ugh! I knew he had, I had found the signs of it, but now he had to rub it in. He had the food card with him, he had my funds on it, too, he came to the stores I needed to go to for groceries, but NEVER, during that 40 day period, did he tell me he was and ask what I needed picked up! What an azz! I could have given him at least a short list each of items those times so that I didn't have to pick mold off of my bread and cheese and all. He knew that I was having to do that, too. He had to offer me some of his bread, instead, during that time so he appeared like he was doing something nice and sympathetically wonderful for me. Grrr.....
I really stretched the dollar out as far as I could, but I will need to still be thrifty and make it last as long as I can, as I am still at "$0" income and no longer have food stamps. About two days before the day they told me to come back in to apply, I reminded him and asked if he could take me on that day. He said, "No, just apply online. You can do it that way." That will mean a phone conference, a conversation he has access to listen in on, leaving no way for me to get opportunity to speak freely with a human services worker, which, I am sure, is why he insists I sign up online.
I'm gonna be okay. I will get through this. I will once again earn a good income and, with that income, I will purchase all of my own groceries where I want, when I want .... what I don't grow myself, that is.
Thanks for stopping in and for your support. Have a beautiful day.
Signed - Betty Sue
Showing posts with label food stamps. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food stamps. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 15, 2017
Friday, February 10, 2017
Food Stamp Saga - Part 7
During all of the Ogre's process at the Food Stamp office, another worker called me to her window. She asked what I needed. I told her but she said that since funds were already on the card, I couldn't apply for myself until the last day of the month. So, no money to my name and only $23 spent on groceries for the month. (yep, good thing I am a stocker upper when I find bargains!)
What made my heart fall the most was, I didn't get that chance to talk to a worker in person. The stocked up food will hold out for awhile, but I wanted to seize the opportunity. I was able to slip the worker a small slip of paper with the web address to this blog on it. I sat back down to wait on David, but, as I said, he had just finished, also, and proudly strutted out to the truck. At first, I thought he had gone out to get something he forgot or needed, but then saw that he was sitting in the truck so I went on out.
He looked puzzled, put his phone down and asked, "Finished already?" I told him what she had told me. He said, "Well, I guess we will split what is on the card, then." He also had a bag of chips in the truck (which he offered me some of) that were from a store we had not been to and he never mentioned he was stopping at, so that was more groceries - munchies - he purchased above that "limit" he had given me, because I had already seen him purchase his limit, as well, yet my share was only going to be half of what remained on the card. His share did not include all the munchies he has been purchasing, nor anything that he has purchased for his sister. He still took half of what was left on the card. So greedy!
He mentioned about three other stops he had to make and asked if I needed to stop anywhere else. I said no, not specifically, but if I could use the card, I wanted to get a few grocery items at Walmart when he made his stop there. (He now approves when I can and can't have the food card. He uses it whenever he pleases.) When I asked for the card for Walmart, he got hatefully sarcastic, "I guess you can! I can't get anything right now! I can't get anything until I can find a place to store it! I don't have anywhere to put anything!" (Most of our food is stored in totes outside or covered over with tarps. He has 45 acres and a house that is crumbling. He could find somewhere to store his food! He had just recently, adamantly, tried to get me to move our food from outside, back into the heavily rodent infested old house before it all freezes. He said the rodents would destroy less than a freeze (that didn't make sense and was opposite to him wanting it all outside in totes and tubs away from the rodents, and with no heat in the house, it freezes in there, too. The food is mostly all outside because he had said to put it there and often got angry because I wasn't gettting the stored food outside fast enough, away from the rodents. I needed more weatherproof totes! Actually, I needed him to quit being lazy and us get going on the food storage building we had planned to have built by now) Such manipulation and balance tilting!
Since I have lived here, the rodents in that house have destroyed hundreds of pounds of food, yet he had just recently raged at me to put all of our food back in that nasty old house. He's crazy! He just can't make up his mind! So, he insists I put our food supply back in with the rodents (I refused), grocery money is unaccounted for, he gave me a tiny spending limit, I find multiple signs that he is purchasing and eating his food when he is away from home and out 'running errands', it sounds like he tried to keep me from knowing the money on the card this month stuck, and HE refused to put HIS food in that rodent infested house! Sounds to me like he intended to not only starve my animals, but me as well! Manipulation at its finest! It's that "greedy little first grader pitching a fit because HE wanted the biggest "cookie"" type thing.
If you set aside the danger and frustration, he is hilarious!
Part 8 coming up shortly. Thanks for stopping in and have a very good day.
Signed - Betty Sue
What made my heart fall the most was, I didn't get that chance to talk to a worker in person. The stocked up food will hold out for awhile, but I wanted to seize the opportunity. I was able to slip the worker a small slip of paper with the web address to this blog on it. I sat back down to wait on David, but, as I said, he had just finished, also, and proudly strutted out to the truck. At first, I thought he had gone out to get something he forgot or needed, but then saw that he was sitting in the truck so I went on out.
He looked puzzled, put his phone down and asked, "Finished already?" I told him what she had told me. He said, "Well, I guess we will split what is on the card, then." He also had a bag of chips in the truck (which he offered me some of) that were from a store we had not been to and he never mentioned he was stopping at, so that was more groceries - munchies - he purchased above that "limit" he had given me, because I had already seen him purchase his limit, as well, yet my share was only going to be half of what remained on the card. His share did not include all the munchies he has been purchasing, nor anything that he has purchased for his sister. He still took half of what was left on the card. So greedy!
He mentioned about three other stops he had to make and asked if I needed to stop anywhere else. I said no, not specifically, but if I could use the card, I wanted to get a few grocery items at Walmart when he made his stop there. (He now approves when I can and can't have the food card. He uses it whenever he pleases.) When I asked for the card for Walmart, he got hatefully sarcastic, "I guess you can! I can't get anything right now! I can't get anything until I can find a place to store it! I don't have anywhere to put anything!" (Most of our food is stored in totes outside or covered over with tarps. He has 45 acres and a house that is crumbling. He could find somewhere to store his food! He had just recently, adamantly, tried to get me to move our food from outside, back into the heavily rodent infested old house before it all freezes. He said the rodents would destroy less than a freeze (that didn't make sense and was opposite to him wanting it all outside in totes and tubs away from the rodents, and with no heat in the house, it freezes in there, too. The food is mostly all outside because he had said to put it there and often got angry because I wasn't gettting the stored food outside fast enough, away from the rodents. I needed more weatherproof totes! Actually, I needed him to quit being lazy and us get going on the food storage building we had planned to have built by now) Such manipulation and balance tilting!
Since I have lived here, the rodents in that house have destroyed hundreds of pounds of food, yet he had just recently raged at me to put all of our food back in that nasty old house. He's crazy! He just can't make up his mind! So, he insists I put our food supply back in with the rodents (I refused), grocery money is unaccounted for, he gave me a tiny spending limit, I find multiple signs that he is purchasing and eating his food when he is away from home and out 'running errands', it sounds like he tried to keep me from knowing the money on the card this month stuck, and HE refused to put HIS food in that rodent infested house! Sounds to me like he intended to not only starve my animals, but me as well! Manipulation at its finest! It's that "greedy little first grader pitching a fit because HE wanted the biggest "cookie"" type thing.
If you set aside the danger and frustration, he is hilarious!
Part 8 coming up shortly. Thanks for stopping in and have a very good day.
Signed - Betty Sue
Tuesday, January 31, 2017
Food Stamp Saga - Part 6
When we got to the food stamp office (DHS), he tried to get me to go in first and sign up. I was puzzled. "Don't I need to be off of your card first?" He mumbled some senseless bs, then said, "Either way, maybe so." I also asked, "Isn't there a waiting room or something inside? I mean, I don't see why either of us needs to sit out here in the cold to wait our turn." He stuttered, then said there was a waiting area where you take a number, then it is called when it is your turn. It may take several hours or not even get your turn until the next day. I unbuckled, got out, said, "We are here, I'll take my chances. You take me off first, then I will apply." He had an odd look on his face, but went on in. Of course he had to open the door for me, to look good for them. All throughout our relationship, he seldom opened a door for me, now and then on occasion, but seldom.
We took our numbers from the front window, him first. Although there were a few people in the waiting room, there was only one person ahead of us. After just a few minutes, the receptionist called his number. He had me taken off of his card in no time. He bounced out of that office with a childish grin on his face and a victorious spring in his step, seemingly very pleased he had his own food stamps all to himself! He was also determined that he was going to wait out in the cold truck while I went in for my turn, rather than in the warm waiting room. It was pretty cold that day.
So why do I think he was so determined to have me go in first while he waited out in the cold truck, and that he waited outside when I finally did go in? My answer to that is simply my deductive reasoning, my thoughts, opinions and conclusion. At first I was totally confused and puzzled. Now, after an incident with the phone (I know. I still haven't gotten to that post quite, yet), I realize he was probably waiting out in the truck so he could dial in to my phone to hear what all I might be saying to the DHS worker. Both of our phones do work in that town. (Many of the newer phones come with an app where you can call into another phone and listen to everything going on in the room through the speaker. If a phone doesn't have it, an app can be easily acquired and installed. His nephew's cell phone does have this app (It came with his phone) and he has told me a few times, in the past, about it. To make them legal, this app is sold under the pretense that it is for parents to use to keep up with their children, but it gets used for countless other uses.)
By me going in first, if he used such an app, he could hear all I was saying to the worker, then counter it in conversation when he went in. That is how the mind of a narcissist works, always having to make sure they aren't the one that looks bad. They will go to whatever extreme they have to to accomplish this. When I didn't go in first, I think he still raced back out to the truck to get on his phone to listen to what he could, to keep fully informed for future use against me. Am I being paranoid? NO .... it is a huge possibility and I am just watching my own back as closely as possible. I have to protect me. If he does hear anything that would anger him, that he would take as something that was said against him, he could/would go into a violent rage again, and I want to prevent as much of that as I possibly can.
Part 7 of the Food Stamp Saga coming soon, where I discuss my turn in the food stamp office.
Thanks for stopping in and ;have a good day.
Signed - Betty Sue
We took our numbers from the front window, him first. Although there were a few people in the waiting room, there was only one person ahead of us. After just a few minutes, the receptionist called his number. He had me taken off of his card in no time. He bounced out of that office with a childish grin on his face and a victorious spring in his step, seemingly very pleased he had his own food stamps all to himself! He was also determined that he was going to wait out in the cold truck while I went in for my turn, rather than in the warm waiting room. It was pretty cold that day.
So why do I think he was so determined to have me go in first while he waited out in the cold truck, and that he waited outside when I finally did go in? My answer to that is simply my deductive reasoning, my thoughts, opinions and conclusion. At first I was totally confused and puzzled. Now, after an incident with the phone (I know. I still haven't gotten to that post quite, yet), I realize he was probably waiting out in the truck so he could dial in to my phone to hear what all I might be saying to the DHS worker. Both of our phones do work in that town. (Many of the newer phones come with an app where you can call into another phone and listen to everything going on in the room through the speaker. If a phone doesn't have it, an app can be easily acquired and installed. His nephew's cell phone does have this app (It came with his phone) and he has told me a few times, in the past, about it. To make them legal, this app is sold under the pretense that it is for parents to use to keep up with their children, but it gets used for countless other uses.)
By me going in first, if he used such an app, he could hear all I was saying to the worker, then counter it in conversation when he went in. That is how the mind of a narcissist works, always having to make sure they aren't the one that looks bad. They will go to whatever extreme they have to to accomplish this. When I didn't go in first, I think he still raced back out to the truck to get on his phone to listen to what he could, to keep fully informed for future use against me. Am I being paranoid? NO .... it is a huge possibility and I am just watching my own back as closely as possible. I have to protect me. If he does hear anything that would anger him, that he would take as something that was said against him, he could/would go into a violent rage again, and I want to prevent as much of that as I possibly can.
Part 7 of the Food Stamp Saga coming soon, where I discuss my turn in the food stamp office.
Thanks for stopping in and ;have a good day.
Signed - Betty Sue
Monday, January 30, 2017
Food Stamp Saga - Part 5
It has been awhile since I wrote the last installment of the food stamp topic, so I hope I pick back up in the right place and make sense. If not, feel free to ask me questions. I have just had so much going on, and my emotions are really starting to get to me, and Internet time is getting more and more rare. I apologize for the delay in the story segments........
We made several stops on that day, at which I know for fact that his food purchases added up to be quite a bit more than the $23 he was allotting each of us. I figured he was cutting in to the next month's funds himself, anyway, but I wasn't allowed to. There was still a lot of grocery funds unaccounted for from that current month. Who knows where it all went. I figure either his sister got a good bill of groceries that month (above what I know we gave her) or he ate a lot of good munchies when he ran errands, or a combination of the two.
Fast Forward to the First of January -
We went to the DHS office on January 2nd. He had told me the night before that he was going there when he got off work the next day and that I could ride along with him if I wanted to so I could get signed up for my own food stamps. He was going there to take me off of his card. It really kinda surprised me that he was so anxious to get this done because with me on there, the amount of food stamps he got more than doubled. Taking me off would drop his to less than half of what he was getting with me on the card, but I was okay with that, so I said, yes, I would go with him. Actually, what I was looking at the most wasn't the chance to sign up for my own food stamps, but the opportunity to get to talk to a counselor, case worker, anyone, at the food stamp office about what was going on here at home! I wanted to tell them, face to face, about my hand and get some advice, see if they could help me go get it examined, maybe. I just wanted someone in authority to hear me! Without any transportation, I have not been able to do that and the fact that, here he was, offering to take me himself, was too good to be true!
That next day after he got off work (of course he had sternly commanded that I be ready to jump in the truck the second he got home) he got out of the pickup, walked up to me (several feet between us) and started naming excuses why I shouldn't go. (I was excited that the idiot was giving me opportunity to speak with a DHS case worker in person. I guess he finally figured that that might not be so wise.). He used the 'little dog' as an excuse. (We always take him with us so a couple of the big dogs don't play too rough with him, unsupervised, and hurt him) . . . . or I could go another day if I still had stuff to do here, etc. I ignored all the excuses and went!
Stay tuned for Part 6 of Food Stamp Saga, about our visit to the DHS office.
Thanks for stopping in and have a good day.
Signed - Betty Sue
We made several stops on that day, at which I know for fact that his food purchases added up to be quite a bit more than the $23 he was allotting each of us. I figured he was cutting in to the next month's funds himself, anyway, but I wasn't allowed to. There was still a lot of grocery funds unaccounted for from that current month. Who knows where it all went. I figure either his sister got a good bill of groceries that month (above what I know we gave her) or he ate a lot of good munchies when he ran errands, or a combination of the two.
Fast Forward to the First of January -
We went to the DHS office on January 2nd. He had told me the night before that he was going there when he got off work the next day and that I could ride along with him if I wanted to so I could get signed up for my own food stamps. He was going there to take me off of his card. It really kinda surprised me that he was so anxious to get this done because with me on there, the amount of food stamps he got more than doubled. Taking me off would drop his to less than half of what he was getting with me on the card, but I was okay with that, so I said, yes, I would go with him. Actually, what I was looking at the most wasn't the chance to sign up for my own food stamps, but the opportunity to get to talk to a counselor, case worker, anyone, at the food stamp office about what was going on here at home! I wanted to tell them, face to face, about my hand and get some advice, see if they could help me go get it examined, maybe. I just wanted someone in authority to hear me! Without any transportation, I have not been able to do that and the fact that, here he was, offering to take me himself, was too good to be true!
That next day after he got off work (of course he had sternly commanded that I be ready to jump in the truck the second he got home) he got out of the pickup, walked up to me (several feet between us) and started naming excuses why I shouldn't go. (I was excited that the idiot was giving me opportunity to speak with a DHS case worker in person. I guess he finally figured that that might not be so wise.). He used the 'little dog' as an excuse. (We always take him with us so a couple of the big dogs don't play too rough with him, unsupervised, and hurt him) . . . . or I could go another day if I still had stuff to do here, etc. I ignored all the excuses and went!
Stay tuned for Part 6 of Food Stamp Saga, about our visit to the DHS office.
Thanks for stopping in and have a good day.
Signed - Betty Sue
Tuesday, January 10, 2017
Food Stamp Saga - Part 4
The drive in to town with T L Ogre was a very silent one. I tried to make small talk a time or two to break the silence but got my head sarcastically bitten off each time. You could say something as simple as "the sky is blue, isn't it pretty" and he will counter with raging sarcasm and hate. He is full of hate 24/7, now. So I just settled into the silence.
We got into town and he asked where all I needed to go. He agreed with each place I mentioned, saying he had to go into the town nearest us on Wednesday (2 days later) and he could pick up what I needed then. In other words, he wanted to make sure he knew everything I was purchasing and had full control over it. I argued that I wanted to have everything basic I needed for the next few days since a long, hard, cold spell was coming. (He sarcastically argued that several days wasn't long, a month was long, but not several days to a week.) Again, he said he could pick those things up two days from now (cat food and dog food were two of those items, along with groceries and personal items). He just wasn't going to let me go into a store!
Then.... the grocery argument! Mind you, it was the first of the month and our funds had just been put on our card, plus most of last month's should have still been on it, also, since we had purchased very little groceries during December. I said that one of the places I needed to stop was the grocery store, I needed to get some groceries and had my list made.
He narrowed his eyes and got gruff. He said he wasn't sure, there may not be enough, he had to check. ...... Huh? Not enough!?...... He said that he didn't want to spend any of this months' and maybe have to pay some back when we reapply. I said, "But there should still be quite a bit left from last month, most of it." He was furious and went right back into his screaming rage! How dare I question the amount on the card! He screamed, "We got some and it adds up fast!"
I said, "Not that fast." (we are both very thrifty shoppers and only a few things had come home, that I knew of, maybe a bag or two full all total) His rage built and he finally exploded that he had bought his sister a "few things" so she could have Christmas dinner at her house. He said she didn't have enough on her card to do that (She doesn't get a lot but her nephew and little great niece that live with her do get quite a bit on their card and it all goes into the household groceries - dang food stamp family, his handicapped sister does probably need it, but dang. We had already contributed 2 home grown butchered meat chickens (I agreed to two, but a third one is missing), a huge bag of sugar, a bowl of egg salad that I made, a couple dozen farm eggs for cooking the dinner, and not sure what all else) He was absolutely livid that I dared to question where our grocery funds went! He sarcastically said that there was about $46 left that we could split for now. That wasn't even a third of what should have been left on the card from the previous month. His sister or someone got a nice mess of groceries for the past month (without my knowledge or input) and I came home with $23 of groceries. Good thing I am a stock upper.
Stay tuned for Part 5 of the Food Stamp Saga where the dollar amount on that card keeps changing.
Thanks for stopping in and thanks for listening. Have a good day!
Signed - Betty Sue
We got into town and he asked where all I needed to go. He agreed with each place I mentioned, saying he had to go into the town nearest us on Wednesday (2 days later) and he could pick up what I needed then. In other words, he wanted to make sure he knew everything I was purchasing and had full control over it. I argued that I wanted to have everything basic I needed for the next few days since a long, hard, cold spell was coming. (He sarcastically argued that several days wasn't long, a month was long, but not several days to a week.) Again, he said he could pick those things up two days from now (cat food and dog food were two of those items, along with groceries and personal items). He just wasn't going to let me go into a store!
Then.... the grocery argument! Mind you, it was the first of the month and our funds had just been put on our card, plus most of last month's should have still been on it, also, since we had purchased very little groceries during December. I said that one of the places I needed to stop was the grocery store, I needed to get some groceries and had my list made.
He narrowed his eyes and got gruff. He said he wasn't sure, there may not be enough, he had to check. ...... Huh? Not enough!?...... He said that he didn't want to spend any of this months' and maybe have to pay some back when we reapply. I said, "But there should still be quite a bit left from last month, most of it." He was furious and went right back into his screaming rage! How dare I question the amount on the card! He screamed, "We got some and it adds up fast!"
I said, "Not that fast." (we are both very thrifty shoppers and only a few things had come home, that I knew of, maybe a bag or two full all total) His rage built and he finally exploded that he had bought his sister a "few things" so she could have Christmas dinner at her house. He said she didn't have enough on her card to do that (She doesn't get a lot but her nephew and little great niece that live with her do get quite a bit on their card and it all goes into the household groceries - dang food stamp family, his handicapped sister does probably need it, but dang. We had already contributed 2 home grown butchered meat chickens (I agreed to two, but a third one is missing), a huge bag of sugar, a bowl of egg salad that I made, a couple dozen farm eggs for cooking the dinner, and not sure what all else) He was absolutely livid that I dared to question where our grocery funds went! He sarcastically said that there was about $46 left that we could split for now. That wasn't even a third of what should have been left on the card from the previous month. His sister or someone got a nice mess of groceries for the past month (without my knowledge or input) and I came home with $23 of groceries. Good thing I am a stock upper.
Stay tuned for Part 5 of the Food Stamp Saga where the dollar amount on that card keeps changing.
Thanks for stopping in and thanks for listening. Have a good day!
Signed - Betty Sue
Wednesday, January 4, 2017
Food Stamp Saga Part 3
We usually did most of our grocery shopping together, but sometimes he just let me go in if we were short on time or his foot was hurting or another necessary reason.
Then November came and he did more of the shopping. December came and he completely took over the grocery card. One time I was with him, but we were in a big hurry, he was going in to the store to pick up something for his sister and asked what we needed, too. I wasn't feeling well so I sat in the truck with the dog and watched the stuff in it so no one would steal anything. There was only time for a quick run in that day, not full grocery buying. A couple of times after that he went in to town for errands and asked if I needed anything. He made it clear we "didn't want to get much right now." I couldn't figure out why. I asked him to get a couple of things for holiday cooking and it really seemed to annoy him. He didn't get as much sugar as I asked for, only a little (I was going to make candy).
December came and went and almost no groceries were purchased to my knowledge, very few. And those 2 bags of sugar that he did bring home just before Christmas .... he took half of it over to his sister's house for Christmas cooking, so I didn't get to make candy to take for Christmas dinner. The other bag was for daily use. We were still "together" at this point. He broke "us" off on the first of this month (January) and said he was going to take me off of the food stamps and make me get my own.
On the 2nd, T L Ogre said that he had to go to the next town (where we usually shop) when he got off work and I could ride with him if I wanted to and needed to get anything. I had to pay "half" of the gas, which was actually more than half of what it took for that trip. Yep, he skimmed again. (that will be more clear in a future post). I needed several things before the hard cold spell hit, so I went with him.
Keep watching for Part 4 of the Food Stamp Saga.It's an eye popper. It will probably be tomorrow as I am out of safe time on here, today.
Signed - Betty Sue
Then November came and he did more of the shopping. December came and he completely took over the grocery card. One time I was with him, but we were in a big hurry, he was going in to the store to pick up something for his sister and asked what we needed, too. I wasn't feeling well so I sat in the truck with the dog and watched the stuff in it so no one would steal anything. There was only time for a quick run in that day, not full grocery buying. A couple of times after that he went in to town for errands and asked if I needed anything. He made it clear we "didn't want to get much right now." I couldn't figure out why. I asked him to get a couple of things for holiday cooking and it really seemed to annoy him. He didn't get as much sugar as I asked for, only a little (I was going to make candy).
December came and went and almost no groceries were purchased to my knowledge, very few. And those 2 bags of sugar that he did bring home just before Christmas .... he took half of it over to his sister's house for Christmas cooking, so I didn't get to make candy to take for Christmas dinner. The other bag was for daily use. We were still "together" at this point. He broke "us" off on the first of this month (January) and said he was going to take me off of the food stamps and make me get my own.
On the 2nd, T L Ogre said that he had to go to the next town (where we usually shop) when he got off work and I could ride with him if I wanted to and needed to get anything. I had to pay "half" of the gas, which was actually more than half of what it took for that trip. Yep, he skimmed again. (that will be more clear in a future post). I needed several things before the hard cold spell hit, so I went with him.
Keep watching for Part 4 of the Food Stamp Saga.It's an eye popper. It will probably be tomorrow as I am out of safe time on here, today.
Signed - Betty Sue
Food Stamp Saga Part 2
T L Ogre, on the other hand, then decided he would see if he could get food stamps. He was making decent money hauling metal and stuff when I met him, but soon after quit. He only hauled a load now and then in desperation to pay a bill. He also took an occasional odd job here and there. He has a therapeutic massage business, but that, too, became few and far between.
He finally took a job at Walmart. He felt like the pay was low enough he could get food stamps. He applied but was turned down because he was barely over the bracket. He constantly griped about how Walmart had to be doing that on purpose, keep employees' pay just above the limit. Eventually, for numerous reasons, he quite the Walmart job and took a job with fewer hours (19/wk) and less pay (provider for a relative).
Right after switching jobs, he went back to the DHS office, applied again and proudly got his food benefits started. He said, "I've paid in for so long, it's about time to get something back! I don't feel guilty at all, It's my turn!"
As soon as I moved in here, he went right back down and added me to his card. He was happy and pleased to see how much more we got in food benefits. He kept his job at the low hours it was and decided not to add another patient, nor add another part-time job.
I am always embarrassed when I go to the store and have to pull that card out, but he repeatedly stated that it was his turn to get something back and it didn't bother him. He also told me I didn't need to go out and get a job, that all the money I saved with the way I stretched the food budget so well, made things from scratch, found bargains on so many other basics, and other things I did around here saved enough to be like a job. I kept complaining that I needed an income, too. He kept arguing that all the money I saved us was an income. Now I see that his thought was probably, "If she works, it will reduce our food funds." and "I can't let her out of my site. I can't control her as well that way."
Keep watching for Part 3 about our food stamps.
Signed - Betty Sue
He finally took a job at Walmart. He felt like the pay was low enough he could get food stamps. He applied but was turned down because he was barely over the bracket. He constantly griped about how Walmart had to be doing that on purpose, keep employees' pay just above the limit. Eventually, for numerous reasons, he quite the Walmart job and took a job with fewer hours (19/wk) and less pay (provider for a relative).
Right after switching jobs, he went back to the DHS office, applied again and proudly got his food benefits started. He said, "I've paid in for so long, it's about time to get something back! I don't feel guilty at all, It's my turn!"
As soon as I moved in here, he went right back down and added me to his card. He was happy and pleased to see how much more we got in food benefits. He kept his job at the low hours it was and decided not to add another patient, nor add another part-time job.
I am always embarrassed when I go to the store and have to pull that card out, but he repeatedly stated that it was his turn to get something back and it didn't bother him. He also told me I didn't need to go out and get a job, that all the money I saved with the way I stretched the food budget so well, made things from scratch, found bargains on so many other basics, and other things I did around here saved enough to be like a job. I kept complaining that I needed an income, too. He kept arguing that all the money I saved us was an income. Now I see that his thought was probably, "If she works, it will reduce our food funds." and "I can't let her out of my site. I can't control her as well that way."
Keep watching for Part 3 about our food stamps.
Signed - Betty Sue
Food Stamp Saga Part 1
I had never been on food stamps in my life until I was grown, all of my kids were grown and I had had a heart attack. At that time I was living mostly on bread and margarine (the bread so old it is sold for animal feed) and my health was suffering. I had opened a small business that was not taking off, which put me in financial stress and groceries got very skimpy. I applied because my health was in danger.
I was on food stamps when David and I got together. He was making money and doing fine on groceries at first, but then his income dwindled. He was so down over his lack of food that I sometimes cooked a couple of meals to send home with him. A little more time passed and I ended up sharing some groceries with him every month for several months. He gladly and eagerly took them. He also eagerly took any groceries anyone helped us with on occasion.
When it once again came time to renew my food card, I decided not to. I was making a few bucks here and there, finally, and decided it was time to give them up. I had also been working on a home loan modification so long that I didn't figure I would qualify, either. I was finally off of food stamps! I was buying my groceries and it felt great! I can make a few dollars go a very long way with sticking to closeouts and deep sales. I did not intend to ever have to go on food stamps again!
Stay tuned for part 2, coming up....
Signed - Betty Sue
I was on food stamps when David and I got together. He was making money and doing fine on groceries at first, but then his income dwindled. He was so down over his lack of food that I sometimes cooked a couple of meals to send home with him. A little more time passed and I ended up sharing some groceries with him every month for several months. He gladly and eagerly took them. He also eagerly took any groceries anyone helped us with on occasion.
When it once again came time to renew my food card, I decided not to. I was making a few bucks here and there, finally, and decided it was time to give them up. I had also been working on a home loan modification so long that I didn't figure I would qualify, either. I was finally off of food stamps! I was buying my groceries and it felt great! I can make a few dollars go a very long way with sticking to closeouts and deep sales. I did not intend to ever have to go on food stamps again!
Stay tuned for part 2, coming up....
Signed - Betty Sue
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