WIC..pay for each item separately?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As an adult, I'd never take that as a gift.

Be an adult and pay for it yourself.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Then we walk to the parkign lot and the woman is getting into her Lincoln Navigator. Tried to think that the car was paid off before they got into the situation of needing to be on WIC. Can someone educate me on WIC?

Stop being so judgemental.

Not on WIC but I have a nice car that was paid for in full by a relative.

Just hope you and/or your DH don't lose your job, savings, and everything else.

You'd be suprised what you might do if you get hungry enough, lady.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

As for the time it takes in line - I'm a huge couponer - how is wic checks any different from the manuf. formula checks or regular coupons that take a while - they are such a help.

Because if you forget to tell the cashier or you get a cashier who's never wrung up coupons before, it's not a big deal, they can scan them in at the end of your sale. If you do that with WIC your cashier will have to cancel out your sale, which means waiting for the supervisor to show up and do it. If you mess up and get the size wrong on your coupons, again no big deal, the coupon just won't work and you purchase it normally. The big deal comes I guess is if you're doing your WIC shopping and you don't have the cash to pay for what you need but got the wrong size or whatever.

It's not a big deal once you get used to doing it. My problem with it, was again you are only allowed certain amounts of certain brands of items. Like with bread. They introduced Whole Wheat bread into the program and you could pick from around 3 different breads. After trying all three, nobody really like them; I just continued to pay for bread out of pocket. Then they expanded the list, with a xeroxed insert to maybe 10 brands, one of which was Nature's Promise and that was a big hit in my house. That was a huge problem every time because the system didn't recognize that it was allowed. Anytime I wanted to use my checks for bread, it turned into an uncomfortable wait until a manager came over and made me show them my new paperwork. Fun times.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

As for the time it takes in line - I'm a huge couponer - how is wic checks any different from the manuf. formula checks or regular coupons that take a while - they are such a help.

Because if you forget to tell the cashier or you get a cashier who's never wrung up coupons before, it's not a big deal, they can scan them in at the end of your sale. If you do that with WIC your cashier will have to cancel out your sale, which means waiting for the supervisor to show up and do it. If you mess up and get the size wrong on your coupons, again no big deal, the coupon just won't work and you purchase it normally. The big deal comes I guess is if you're doing your WIC shopping and you don't have the cash to pay for what you need but got the wrong size or whatever.

Not with the formula coupons/checks... they have to be done in a specific way and they are not handled like coupons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

As for the time it takes in line - I'm a huge couponer - how is wic checks any different from the manuf. formula checks or regular coupons that take a while - they are such a help.

Because if you forget to tell the cashier or you get a cashier who's never wrung up coupons before, it's not a big deal, they can scan them in at the end of your sale. If you do that with WIC your cashier will have to cancel out your sale, which means waiting for the supervisor to show up and do it. If you mess up and get the size wrong on your coupons, again no big deal, the coupon just won't work and you purchase it normally. The big deal comes I guess is if you're doing your WIC shopping and you don't have the cash to pay for what you need but got the wrong size or whatever.

Not with the formula coupons/checks... they have to be done in a specific way and they are not handled like coupons.

Yes but eventually, they do stop giving you formula checks and start giving you food checks. But you're right, the formula ones are pretty hassle free. You get a certain amount but each state has it for a different brand. I dont know if it's still the case, but in MD it was Similac.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lincoln Navigator!?!?!?
That annoys me.
I don't have a Lincoln Navigator - and I would love one. Maybe if I cheated the system, I too could afford one.

UGH

15:32 here. And how do you know that's what she's doing? I worked, and paid taxes, for 16 years before I had kids and had to sign up for WIC. If the experience of getting checks wasn't so frustrating, and the choices so limited and in some cases unhealthy (I can't have Giant brand organic apple juice, but JUICY JUICE is OK!?! Really?), I'd have no problem taking everything I could get out of the system. I paid enough into it, now that I need help the system can damn well pay me back.

You sound bitter for someone who is getting something for free! You may not think it's for free because you "paid" into it for 16 years, but there are many people who pay into the system for many more years than that and don't ever get anything back. You sound ungrateful!! It people with this attitude- "I'd have no problem taking everything I could get" - that hurt the system.

I've never been on WIC, but my sister has been and while I understand the system's not perfect she actually APPRECIATED the help and busts her ass every day to stay off welfare now that the kids are a little older. She takes what she needs for now, but understands it's help while she's getting on her feet.

Well you and your sister can have my share because I'm not in the program any more. If our fortunes take a dip again, who knows? Right now, I'd rather find other ways to cut corners and live within our means than put up with the government headaches that go along with the help. As far as having an attitude of taking all I could get, you are very much mistaken. I paid into it for years, and very much hope to be into a position to be paying into it again. When I needed it the most (for formula) it was a wonderful resource, even if it came with a bunch of hassles. As far as taking everything I can get...... I probably qualified for foodstamps and cash assistance. In fact they asked me about it point blank at WIC but I didn't think our situation was that desperate. We still had a roof over our heads and DH still had a job.

What I wish I had known was that the county has some kind of reimbursement program for those who can't afford childcare.

As far as being bitter, its more frustration at the inflexibility of the program. When I left it seems that regulations had changed. There were new choices for things like whole wheat bread, but it was only 100% stone ground. Tortillas could only be whole wheat or corn. At our house ww tortillas are a non starter, but at my supermarket out of all the brands of corn tortillas, none were on the approved list. One of the good things was that in the summer there were vouchers for fresh produce from farmers market and iirc there was a check for up to $6 worth of vegetables at the supermarket. I shouldn't have to tell anyone that $6 won't go very far. I think that would maybe cover a few bananas, 8oz of button mushrooms, a green pepper and maybe there'd be a little leftover for an onion. So I could make an omelet and maybe give the baby bananas. No organics, which I understand since they tend to be more for less sometimes. But diary is milk and cheese, and the allowable options included processed cheese slices? Why no yogurt?

I don't need your share because my DH and I are doing just fine. We have very strict budgets, I do extreme couponing (I shop at HT, spend $60/wk for a family of 4 and have 2 fridges full of food), I have a very secure job, and we waited to have children until we worked our asses off to get through college and build a comfortable life. My half-sister on the other hand was raised with her mom and ended up having 3 kids before she was 23. Her and her DH have, however, busted their asses to keep a roof over their head and food on their table. She used WIC and other benefits for the kids and while somewhat embarrassed she only took the benefits that she needed and has slowly gotten off them. So, while I see the benefits helping those who need it, I would hope most would have my sister's attitude that it is a hand up and not to be abused.

Regarding your attitude to take all you can get, I am only quoting you. If your not the poster above, then I wasn't responding to you.

As for $6 for veggies, I could easily feed my family on that each week. There are ways to stretch your money at the grocery store and buy a whole lot for a little. I haven't paid for yogurt in 6 months and have more than we can eat, so some is frozen and some gets donated to our daycare.

[Anonymous]

I have not read through all this bullshit, but if I found myself needing WIC, the first thing I would do was sell my gas guzzing Navigator. Wake-UP people, there are pleanty of people who work the system. We do not live in utopia.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have not read through all this bullshit, but if I found myself needing WIC, the first thing I would do was sell my gas guzzing Navigator. Wake-UP people, there are pleanty of people who work the system. We do not live in utopia.

Well if you had, then maybe you would have seen that its possible the lady was a foster mother, or had a child SN because those qualify you for WIC too.


Next time you go in the kitchen, why not have a tall glass of Shut the Hell Up instead of all that Bitch Juice you've been drinking?

[Anonymous]

FACT:

WIC does not cover any organic baby food or any puree with meat in it.

So systematically, lower-income babies are afforded less-healthful options---even when the prices are the same.

What, pray tell, is the public health benefit of no organic fruit/veg puree and no mixes with protein (e.g. turkey and sweet potato).

We also are not allowed to self-check-out or make use of the 15 items of less aisle (even when using a single check for a handful of items). Ostensibly, such convenience would somehow reward us inappropriately. And, of course, anyone receiving assistance MUST be monitored.

If the store doesn't have all 13 cans of formula or the full 16 jars of 4oz baby food that is allowed, you can't use your check. So what do you do about the food you were counting on that day? We have to either make another trip or find what you need in stock at another store. (This happens quite often at the Soviet Safeway on 17th. Oh, and this store only seems to have pears and sweet potato in stock. Sometimes, they also have peas. That's it for variety. What does your child eat?)

The level of degradation WIC recipients are subject to at grocery stores is utterly staggering. A woman at Safeway was notorious for yelling about the brand name of eggs that WIC recipients could get or the type of milk. None of this was in accordance with the literature I had to carry with me each and every time I went to collect DS's supplies.

Honestly, until I had a very serious talk with the manager, this woman basically treated these interactions as entertainment (Shame Game time!!!) and would run over to whichever line was processing WIC checks, just so she could review the items and antagonize the mom. Loudly!

FWIW, I always line my items up according to the order of the checks: 13 cans of formula, followed by 32 jars of baby food, then three boxes of rice cereal. I do this to facilitate the process and to reduce potential tension.

FWIW, I'm convinced that I get the shit I sometimes do when people assume I'm Latina. This is another reason I make a point of speaking up and making conversation as I pull out my checks.

Do you go through all of this preparation and worry when you make a grocery run for baby food?

The moms I meet at the WIC education sessions are great. They love their kids too, just like all of us on the Forum presumably do. It's often a helpful, supportive environment where we learn about breastfeeding and the important role of fathers and other health/nutrition issues. It's a really valuable program.

There's politics. Then there's motherhood. PLEASE connect with the compassion you have as parents and try to understand one Lincoln Navigator doesn't erase the vast, powerful good this program provides for millions of children who would otherwise be at greater disadvantage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FACT:

WIC does not cover any organic baby food or any puree with meat in it.

So systematically, lower-income babies are afforded less-healthful options---even when the prices are the same.

What, pray tell, is the public health benefit of no organic fruit/veg puree and no mixes with protein (e.g. turkey and sweet potato).

We also are not allowed to self-check-out or make use of the 15 items of less aisle (even when using a single check for a handful of items). Ostensibly, such convenience would somehow reward us inappropriately. And, of course, anyone receiving assistance MUST be monitored.

If the store doesn't have all 13 cans of formula or the full 16 jars of 4oz baby food that is allowed, you can't use your check. So what do you do about the food you were counting on that day? We have to either make another trip or find what you need in stock at another store. (This happens quite often at the Soviet Safeway on 17th. Oh, and this store only seems to have pears and sweet potato in stock. Sometimes, they also have peas. That's it for variety. What does your child eat?)

The level of degradation WIC recipients are subject to at grocery stores is utterly staggering. A woman at Safeway was notorious for yelling about the brand name of eggs that WIC recipients could get or the type of milk. None of this was in accordance with the literature I had to carry with me each and every time I went to collect DS's supplies.

Honestly, until I had a very serious talk with the manager, this woman basically treated these interactions as entertainment (Shame Game time!!!) and would run over to whichever line was processing WIC checks, just so she could review the items and antagonize the mom. Loudly!

FWIW, I always line my items up according to the order of the checks: 13 cans of formula, followed by 32 jars of baby food, then three boxes of rice cereal. I do this to facilitate the process and to reduce potential tension.

FWIW, I'm convinced that I get the shit I sometimes do when people assume I'm Latina. This is another reason I make a point of speaking up and making conversation as I pull out my checks.

Do you go through all of this preparation and worry when you make a grocery run for baby food?

The moms I meet at the WIC education sessions are great. They love their kids too, just like all of us on the Forum presumably do. It's often a helpful, supportive environment where we learn about breastfeeding and the important role of fathers and other health/nutrition issues. It's a really valuable program.

There's politics. Then there's motherhood. PLEASE connect with the compassion you have as parents and try to understand one Lincoln Navigator doesn't erase the vast, powerful good this program provides for millions of children who would otherwise be at greater disadvantage.

As a taxpayer, I want people who need assistance to get it. But I also demand that there be accountability and oversight. This is not unreasonable. Get a better job or stop making babies you cannot afford if you don't like the "degradation."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Regarding your attitude to take all you can get, I am only quoting you. If your not the poster above, then I wasn't responding to you.

As for $6 for veggies, I could easily feed my family on that each week. There are ways to stretch your money at the grocery store and buy a whole lot for a little. I haven't paid for yogurt in 6 months and have more than we can eat, so some is frozen and some gets donated to our daycare.

Why haven't you paid for yogurt in 6 months? Are you stealing it? Or do you own a cow?

Anyhow that's beside the point -- what I really want to know is how do you feed your family on just $6 a week for vegetables? Unless you have a garden?

I only have $40 until the next paycheck and could really use some frugal dining tips -- family of 4, big eaters. Do share your secrets! $6/week in veggies and fruits -- wow!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FACT:

WIC does not cover any organic baby food or any puree with meat in it.

So systematically, lower-income babies are afforded less-healthful options---even when the prices are the same.

What, pray tell, is the public health benefit of no organic fruit/veg puree and no mixes with protein (e.g. turkey and sweet potato).

We also are not allowed to self-check-out or make use of the 15 items of less aisle (even when using a single check for a handful of items). Ostensibly, such convenience would somehow reward us inappropriately. And, of course, anyone receiving assistance MUST be monitored.

If the store doesn't have all 13 cans of formula or the full 16 jars of 4oz baby food that is allowed, you can't use your check. So what do you do about the food you were counting on that day? We have to either make another trip or find what you need in stock at another store. (This happens quite often at the Soviet Safeway on 17th. Oh, and this store only seems to have pears and sweet potato in stock. Sometimes, they also have peas. That's it for variety. What does your child eat?)

The level of degradation WIC recipients are subject to at grocery stores is utterly staggering. A woman at Safeway was notorious for yelling about the brand name of eggs that WIC recipients could get or the type of milk. None of this was in accordance with the literature I had to carry with me each and every time I went to collect DS's supplies.

Honestly, until I had a very serious talk with the manager, this woman basically treated these interactions as entertainment (Shame Game time!!!) and would run over to whichever line was processing WIC checks, just so she could review the items and antagonize the mom. Loudly!

FWIW, I always line my items up according to the order of the checks: 13 cans of formula, followed by 32 jars of baby food, then three boxes of rice cereal. I do this to facilitate the process and to reduce potential tension.

FWIW, I'm convinced that I get the shit I sometimes do when people assume I'm Latina. This is another reason I make a point of speaking up and making conversation as I pull out my checks.

Do you go through all of this preparation and worry when you make a grocery run for baby food?

The moms I meet at the WIC education sessions are great. They love their kids too, just like all of us on the Forum presumably do. It's often a helpful, supportive environment where we learn about breastfeeding and the important role of fathers and other health/nutrition issues. It's a really valuable program.

There's politics. Then there's motherhood. PLEASE connect with the compassion you have as parents and try to understand one Lincoln Navigator doesn't erase the vast, powerful good this program provides for millions of children who would otherwise be at greater disadvantage.

No, but I don't have babies that I can't afford to feed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FACT:

WIC does not cover any organic baby food or any puree with meat in it.

So systematically, lower-income babies are afforded less-healthful options---even when the prices are the same.

What, pray tell, is the public health benefit of no organic fruit/veg puree and no mixes with protein (e.g. turkey and sweet potato).

We also are not allowed to self-check-out or make use of the 15 items of less aisle (even when using a single check for a handful of items). Ostensibly, such convenience would somehow reward us inappropriately. And, of course, anyone receiving assistance MUST be monitored.

If the store doesn't have all 13 cans of formula or the full 16 jars of 4oz baby food that is allowed, you can't use your check. So what do you do about the food you were counting on that day? We have to either make another trip or find what you need in stock at another store. (This happens quite often at the Soviet Safeway on 17th. Oh, and this store only seems to have pears and sweet potato in stock. Sometimes, they also have peas. That's it for variety. What does your child eat?)

The level of degradation WIC recipients are subject to at grocery stores is utterly staggering. A woman at Safeway was notorious for yelling about the brand name of eggs that WIC recipients could get or the type of milk. None of this was in accordance with the literature I had to carry with me each and every time I went to collect DS's supplies.

Honestly, until I had a very serious talk with the manager, this woman basically treated these interactions as entertainment (Shame Game time!!!) and would run over to whichever line was processing WIC checks, just so she could review the items and antagonize the mom. Loudly!

FWIW, I always line my items up according to the order of the checks: 13 cans of formula, followed by 32 jars of baby food, then three boxes of rice cereal. I do this to facilitate the process and to reduce potential tension.

FWIW, I'm convinced that I get the shit I sometimes do when people assume I'm Latina. This is another reason I make a point of speaking up and making conversation as I pull out my checks.

Do you go through all of this preparation and worry when you make a grocery run for baby food?

The moms I meet at the WIC education sessions are great. They love their kids too, just like all of us on the Forum presumably do. It's often a helpful, supportive environment where we learn about breastfeeding and the important role of fathers and other health/nutrition issues. It's a really valuable program.

There's politics. Then there's motherhood. PLEASE connect with the compassion you have as parents and try to understand one Lincoln Navigator doesn't erase the vast, powerful good this program provides for millions of children who would otherwise be at greater disadvantage.

No, but I don't have babies that I can't afford to feed.

Nice! We qualified for WIC when my children were born. DH was active duty military and we were living overseas and a WIC application was handed to us during our first OB appointment. We had just moved and I was in the process of looking for a job when I got pregnant and the pregnancy was difficult and put an end to the job hunt. Despite the fact that my DH earned a whopping $23k we could afford to feed the baby but a little bit of help was welcomed. Especially when we needed lactose free milk (not formula) and the $3.50/half gallons were covered.

The qualifications for WIC are different than the qualifications for Welfare because one has nothing to do with the other. The income levels are different and so are the people that they cover. WIC is funded by the Department of Agriculture.

[Anonymous]

Karma is a bitch people.

Some of you elitist bitches better hope that you are never in a position to need a hand-out. You'll be eating your words, and prob. paying for them with some WIC credits.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Regarding your attitude to take all you can get, I am only quoting you. If your not the poster above, then I wasn't responding to you.

As for $6 for veggies, I could easily feed my family on that each week. There are ways to stretch your money at the grocery store and buy a whole lot for a little. I haven't paid for yogurt in 6 months and have more than we can eat, so some is frozen and some gets donated to our daycare.

Why haven't you paid for yogurt in 6 months? Are you stealing it? Or do you own a cow?

Anyhow that's beside the point -- what I really want to know is how do you feed your family on just $6 a week for vegetables? Unless you have a garden?

I only have $40 until the next paycheck and could really use some frugal dining tips -- family of 4, big eaters. Do share your secrets! $6/week in veggies and fruits -- wow!

I am not this poster but another and I don't do the extreme shopping but its easy with the couponing - get on the coupon sites - there are tons and start reading and learning - I usually save at least $40-50 on each shopping trip and that's not with my supplemental Target when they have coupons with manuf. There are lots of things in our stockpile that I paid close to very little for - you have to be flexible with your eating, change up brands depending on the coupons with the sales, etc. There are always coupons either online or in the paper for Yogurt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Regarding your attitude to take all you can get, I am only quoting you. If your not the poster above, then I wasn't responding to you.

As for $6 for veggies, I could easily feed my family on that each week. There are ways to stretch your money at the grocery store and buy a whole lot for a little. I haven't paid for yogurt in 6 months and have more than we can eat, so some is frozen and some gets donated to our daycare.

Why haven't you paid for yogurt in 6 months? Are you stealing it? Or do you own a cow?

Anyhow that's beside the point -- what I really want to know is how do you feed your family on just $6 a week for vegetables? Unless you have a garden?

I only have $40 until the next paycheck and could really use some frugal dining tips -- family of 4, big eaters. Do share your secrets! $6/week in veggies and fruits -- wow!

I never pay for yogurt any more (or pay very little) because of couponing. Just this week I got 8 Stonyfield organic yogurts for 13 cents each and that's the most I pay for them. With sales and coupons I usually get multiple packs of yogurt for free at one time and freeze what we won't eat that week. Many items freeze well, so the strategy is to stock up when items are on sale, with coupons, and freeze what you won't eat right away. I freeze bell peppers, mushrooms, carrots, broccoli, etc. Fruit also freezes if you flash freeze them (cut up, lay on wax/parchment paper on a baking sheet until frozen. Bananas don't turn brown and nothing sticks together after you put them in a ziploc in the freezer.

I shop at Harris Teeter, Target, and CVS for all of our groceries and household items. Recently Target has had $1 off produce so I got 6 bananas for 14 cents and Romaine lettuce for $1. I save so much on staples items that I have a larger budget for fruits and veggies. For example, I don't pay more than 25 cents/box for pasta or 75 cents a box for cereal.

CVS and Target are also awesome for personal and household items. CVS actually owed me 10 cents for a box of diapers so I had to purchase a candy bar since they won't actually give money back. I haven't paid for tooth paste or tooth brushes in a year either. Razors and blades, which are normally really expensive, have cost me pennies to a few dollars at most.

I also just got energy efficient GE light bulbs for 25 cents today at Target.

I get the sale/coupon matches on websites that don't cost anything. I don't know where you live or which stores you prefer, but you can start at www.becentsable.net. From there you can look at the grocery store list and pick your state and store. You will find a list of several blogs and websites to use. My favorites are southernsavers.com and 30dollarweeklygrocerychallenge.com. She actually went a whole year only spending $30/wk on groceries. I think she only had a toddler and DH at the time.

If you are really interested in the couponing and have questions after looking at the websites, post your email and I will answer any questions you have. I've been doing this for some time now and have showed many of my friends and relatives how to do it. It does take a little extra time, but now that I have a system down I only spend about 30 minutes/week making my list for all 3 stores and pulling/printing coupons. I find that I am quicker at the stores (except Target b/c I like to browse clearance sections) because I have a list and that is all I buy. I know the store layouts and get in/get out.