Quote:
Originally Posted by Hellion
^If I remember right they consider what you are paying for rent/utitlities, your phone bill, and medical expenses which currently for me is only meds since medicaid covers the rest when making a determination.
Also aside from the rent and phone bill, I have to pay for bus fare and sometimes gas money which can add up, a co-pay for my meds and as of late food(since Its not coming out of food stamps really except 22$ worth) then of course stuff that can vary from month to month like needing new socks, or having to get toiletries and feminine products ect, or shoes, clothes.
|
Okay, I'm an extremely thrifty person so I have some ideas. Some may seem too extreme or not worth while for some people, but here goes:
1. I frequent online "free stuff" forums like Fat Wallet so I can get lots of samples of lotion, deodorant and other stuff to reduce the money I have to spend on toiletries. In fact, not only do I check it every few days or so, but I also search it for stuff I use the most.
2. For socks, underwear, and much clothing as possible, I study Black Friday and Day after Christmas Sales ahead of time. I use the best sales to stock up for the entire year on stuff like socks and underwear.
3. If I were a female, I would go places where feminine products are available for free and put a few extra in my purse each time. Healthclubs and graduate schools are two good candidates I've been told. You can sometimes find a free week's pass online to try out a healthclub.
4. If you are disabled, elderly or a student, find out if there is a discount rate on your bus pass. If you have significant medical problems, read policies about any disability pass to see if it could possibly apply to you.
5. You may or may not be able to go to a bunch of counseling sessions, buy a larger supply of medications, or schedule all your upcoming doctors appointments in one month to boost your medical expenses and show that to the food stamp office to get a better amount of food stamps. If they only check once and approve you for the year, this MIGHT work for you.
6. Check to see if any local farmers markets or grocery stores have a program where you can get double or triple the value for your food stamps. Boston's has farmer markets where you can trade in food stamps for double the amount of money in "bounty bucks" which can be used to purchase food at the markets. If you go on a cloudy day, merchants might drastically decrease prices or just give stuff away if it starts raining.
7. Make a list of non-perishable food you use on a regular basis and stock up when it goes on a good sale.
That's all I can think of for now. Good luck!