I had to go on food stamps for awhile right after I finished undergrad because I was in AmeriCorps--voluntary national service--so I was making $680/month and our rent was $725! Then my fiance (now hubby) quit his well-paying job because it was horrible and we were up a creek, so I swallowed my pride and got on food stamps. It was so embarrassing to go to a grocery store and have the clerk not know how to handle food stamps back when they were paper, while everyone glared at you for holding up the line. For someone who grew up in a (lower) middle class home, it was practically unimaginable to take public assistance!

But it got us through. Eventually another job came along before my benefit eligibility ran out. I hope never to be so strapped again that I have to take a calculator to the grocery store and keep a running tally of the bill as I shop. But I still shop at thrift stores - I can often buy nicer clothes at thrift stores than new on my budget.