Public Assistance......................

[charleyd68]

What exactly do the people who condemn social programs hate about it? Is it an individual program,ie, Section 8,Medicare,Child support enforcement(yes, it is a P.A.funded program that allows the State to recoup money paid to unwed Mothers/Fathers on TANF) TANF,SNAP,Legal Aid(the guidelines  are decided upon whether you meet the poverty level)etc., Or the collective programs that are life lines for millions of impoverished families?

Since I started participating in this forum,I have seen some Moms go nuclear over other Mothers receiving PA. So, what exactly do you hate about the programs that literally keep people off the streets, and allow them some dignity?

[KCayea]

i was totally ashamed of being on it as well, and i feel now that i should have been. i am so glad i was able to get off it, I will keep your family in my prayrs so that you may be independent people again. I am very indepenent, i hate relying on anyone other then myself and my SO

Quoting MeTaL_MoMmA_08:

as someone on PA (food stamps & Medicaid)... true story.

I wanna slap some of the other moms on this site; it's like they think people ENJOY being poor & dependent on the gov't to survive...  Maybe some do? I don't know. I don't understand why anyone would want to be poor forever. I know my family isn't one of those; I hate the fact that we need the "help" (and what burns my ass is that we DIDN'T need it till we moved home to Michigan). Counting the days till we can get off assistance & the state quits playing god with my health care...

Quoting celestegood:

 It's the abusers,op.  It's the people who seem to always "know" someone who abuses it, and it is the myth that everyone on it, abuses it.

It's just a myth, though.  And its damaging to those who are on it, because they have to pay for it in shame.

[charleyd68]

Quoting LilyPondOasis:

Funny how people of this country talk down about people on PA, and how the government is using tax dollars for themselves when they retire.   Yep

What if the person seeking out PA worked 40 years for this country and got disabled, kinda like the vets of this country having to seek OUTSIDE help from other agencies cause the government whom they fought for does not fund anything much for them so private organizations HELP them. Like helping vets get homes to accomodate them since being disabled. Does the governement allot each Vet that needs a home, get one? NO, private funded, right?   They have better programs for VETS now,and they should. How the military and country treated the VETS of Vietnam was disgraceful.

It's not cause the state government has no money from paying them with PA cause theyve been supporting themselves and get a pretty good retirement, disabled or not when they leave office, but you leave your own office you worked for 40 years and you get nothing to show for and have to live below what your accustomed to and get less than what you worked hard for and put in.  yep

Maybe  JUST maybe this goverment should put more people BACK to work, help those whom are able to work get out there and bring the country back up to where it used to be and lessen the national debt  --------- instead of talking about it year after year and with every damn person on the campaign trail.   That is a seperate problem,Mitt Romney vows to end all PA whether the poor can find jobs or not.

DO something. Don't BS talk everyone in America. SHOW them.   okay

Companies folding and going under is much better AND outsourcing spending millions setting up shop in another country and not our own they say -- is cheaper.   but they still get tax breaks here whether the factories are here or not,and ROMNEY wants to give them more.

For whom? And how?   corporations

( I agree many DO abuse that system and stay in that viscious circle, but those displaced Moms going thru a divorce or a recent widow, those PA funds help, even if temporary. )    AGREED BUT There are far less then some political people want us to know

Its sad for anyone having to be on PA, especially a family in today's times. The goverment needs to take of their own and stop being so greedy!    As far as the government goes not all are opposed to social programs,and the stop/close poor people's safety nets are the platforms Romney is running on.

[charleyd68]

Quoting Toolfan1:

I live in a fairly large metropolitan area. I choose to take my son to a pediatrician's office that's not in the greatest area of the city (though not the worst, either) because I really like one particular doctor. Just about every time I go in there, there are multiple women complaining to the receptionist about the inadequacy of the Medicaid system. It usually goes something like this: "I shouldn't have to deal with this every time I come in here. I mean, what do these people get paid to do?" I shit you not, this is close to verbatim what I've heard on numerous occasions in this office. It's astonishing. And the tone in their voices is one of self-righteous entitlement. Does it not occur to these women that others are paying for them to sit at home and do absolutely no paying work? Sadly, it's a way of life for so many. And they expect that things will be handed to them.   While rude and possily ignorant,off topic of sorts the "neighborhood" predomanetly what? Not everyone does that,and nobody is sitting home NOT working unless they have a child(ren)under the age of 5. This is why this post was made because I continue to be astonished at the lack of true information people have who hate Public Assistance in all it's entities!.

On the other hand, you have people like my sister-in-law (whom I will call M). She had two children at a fairly young age (23 with the first; 24 for the second)? with a man who had never held a job for longer than two weeks at a time.Most people don't fall in Love with W2S Yes, she obviously made a poor choice having kids with this idiot. But she realized this very early on and took action. Knowing that her kid's deserved a better life, M packed them up when they were very young and moved off on her own. Mind you, M is not college-educated and she lives in a small Midwestern town. The opportunities weren't great. She could have sat back and collected every type of PA under the sun for a number of years5 for TANF. But did M do that? No. Do you know why? Because she wanted to do everything in her power to set a good example for her kids and independently provide for them in every way possible.Many people receiving PA are doing Exactly the same thing Today, M makes $8.50 an hours working in the service industry on a full-time basis. She receives Medicaid, food stamps, and child care assistance....possibly other benefits as wellYeah, for what she makes She would have to, to survive,doesn't appear there is a family support system. And you know what? She deserves everything she gets.Yep,Like more then 3/4 of the people on it A hard-working mom who doesn't feel that anybody owes her anything,This is the typical remark,have you spoken to any of these women complaining? Has she,anyone said people owe them or did the say they don't want to work and are entitled to sit on their butts? she is a terrific role model for so many people. In fact, I consider her one of my inspirations. Any time I think I'm having a bad day, I just remember how hard she works as a single mom with a full-time job and virtually no support system.So her situation helps YOU feel better about YOURSELF?Unfortunately, I'm fairly certain this isn't the norm.You would, and are wrongAs a society, we've lost touch with the idea of personal responsibility. Unless you've toured anything other then YOUR neighborhood,and your child's pediatricians area,you can't know that! And people abuse the system,but that is a few,most are in fact hard working and use the PA they way it's intended now,since Clinton.

[charleyd68]

Yes. Unfortunately the generations of reliance is hard to shake! That generation and or thought process needs to be weeded out!

Quoting Fairegirl33:

 It when folks LIVE off these programs.. with no plan to get off... that is the problem.

 

[collectivecow]

Because like I stated: There are times that my daughter will simply refuse to eat it.  Single packets of yogurt are definitely cheaper than buying a $7.00 container that has 64oz and won't get eaten in entirety.

Quoting Tanya93:

I understand that.

She claimed that her family likes yogurt.   It lasts for weeks.   There is no reason the container would not last a couple of weeks before it was eaten.

It is just still more of the reasons why things can't be done more cheaply.

Quoting charleyd68:

That is but one of a myriad of dynamics! Situations and circumstances.

Quoting Tanya93:

If your family likes yogurt, I don't see how a large container wouldn't be.

I know my son and I eat 2-3 32 ounce containers a week.

Quoting collectivecow:

Buying things in bulk isn't always the more feasible option: You have to weigh in exactly the amount your family will actually eat, versus the amount that will go to waste.  Yes, I can spend more and buy a bulk yogurt, but will it be finished by the time the expiration date comes around?

Quoting moneysaver6:

Oatmeal costs you a "pretty penny"?!?!  You can get oatmeal for as low as $24.80/50 lbs.  That's just under 50¢/lb.  I don't think you guys get Azure there, but I know there's a United Foods co-op.  We lived in Bellbrook for awhile and ordered monthly through United.  You can get FANTASTIC prices there.  (And I agree; oatmeal is a necessity!)

There are actually several super couponers there and the $5 Dinner Mom who specializes in making dinners for her family for under $5/meal...and lives in Dayton.  Her meals are not only affordable, but are also gluten-free and at one point were all dairy-free. 

If you're looking for cheap yogurt, whether organic or not, you'll find better prices by buying the 32 oz or 64 oz containers.

Did someone say that fruits & veggies were always a certain price per lb?  I think pretty much everyone understands that the prices of fresh foods will change with the seasons.  That's why the cheapest way to eat a healthy, fresh, whole-foods diet is to buy foods when they're in-season and at their cheapest...and to learn how to preserve them to suit your needs so that you can stock up when they're on sale.

Quoting collectivecow:

I don't doubt that is true:  It doesn't account for things like - oatmeal. Oatmeal is extremely healthy for you and can cost you a pretty penny.  With a child in the house, it's almost a necessity for me to buy as a breakfast option.

Yogurt tends to be another 'must-have' in this house because it is something my daughter absolutely loves. You can buy the single cheap ones, but the price isn't necessarily better always when compared to the packs of yogurts available. 

I just feel it's intellectually dishonest to say that fruits and vegetables always cost a certain amount per lb.  etc...

It really is indicative of the season and the cost to import such foods.  Like, I'm more likely to get a good watermellon for a cheaper price because it's coming in season right now than I am a butternut squash.

Quoting Tanya93:

Those aren't bad prices for stuff.

I just firmly believe you can make a meal that fills and has vitamins for 5 dollars for three in many, many areas of the country.

Quoting collectivecow:

Anything marked with a PC is a sale item: Three potatoes cost me $2.97 cents. I paid $1.00 for 3 kiwi's because they are on sale.  The same is said for the berries (which was a great sale item, so you can see I bought a few different ones on my daughter's request. She actually bit into a roma tomato yesterday thinking it was a berry and everyone seemed to have found it hilarious >.>). 

Prices are not indicative of permanent prices: They reflect what is currently in season. Any fruits or vegetables that you buy out of season will cost more $$.

[Tanya93]

And you can't buy a 32 ounce container that isn't 7?

Yep.  Always reasons that people can't eat on budget.

Quoting collectivecow:

Because like I stated: There are times that my daughter will simply refuse to eat it.  Single packets of yogurt are definitely cheaper than buying a $7.00 container that has 64oz and won't get eaten in entirety.

Quoting Tanya93:

I understand that.

She claimed that her family likes yogurt.   It lasts for weeks.   There is no reason the container would not last a couple of weeks before it was eaten.

It is just still more of the reasons why things can't be done more cheaply.

Quoting charleyd68:

That is but one of a myriad of dynamics! Situations and circumstances.

Quoting Tanya93:

If your family likes yogurt, I don't see how a large container wouldn't be.

I know my son and I eat 2-3 32 ounce containers a week.

Quoting collectivecow:

Buying things in bulk isn't always the more feasible option: You have to weigh in exactly the amount your family will actually eat, versus the amount that will go to waste.  Yes, I can spend more and buy a bulk yogurt, but will it be finished by the time the expiration date comes around?

Quoting moneysaver6:

Oatmeal costs you a "pretty penny"?!?!  You can get oatmeal for as low as $24.80/50 lbs.  That's just under 50¢/lb.  I don't think you guys get Azure there, but I know there's a United Foods co-op.  We lived in Bellbrook for awhile and ordered monthly through United.  You can get FANTASTIC prices there.  (And I agree; oatmeal is a necessity!)

There are actually several super couponers there and the $5 Dinner Mom who specializes in making dinners for her family for under $5/meal...and lives in Dayton.  Her meals are not only affordable, but are also gluten-free and at one point were all dairy-free. 

If you're looking for cheap yogurt, whether organic or not, you'll find better prices by buying the 32 oz or 64 oz containers.

Did someone say that fruits & veggies were always a certain price per lb?  I think pretty much everyone understands that the prices of fresh foods will change with the seasons.  That's why the cheapest way to eat a healthy, fresh, whole-foods diet is to buy foods when they're in-season and at their cheapest...and to learn how to preserve them to suit your needs so that you can stock up when they're on sale.

Quoting collectivecow:

I don't doubt that is true:  It doesn't account for things like - oatmeal. Oatmeal is extremely healthy for you and can cost you a pretty penny.  With a child in the house, it's almost a necessity for me to buy as a breakfast option.

Yogurt tends to be another 'must-have' in this house because it is something my daughter absolutely loves. You can buy the single cheap ones, but the price isn't necessarily better always when compared to the packs of yogurts available. 

I just feel it's intellectually dishonest to say that fruits and vegetables always cost a certain amount per lb.  etc...

It really is indicative of the season and the cost to import such foods.  Like, I'm more likely to get a good watermellon for a cheaper price because it's coming in season right now than I am a butternut squash.

Quoting Tanya93:

Those aren't bad prices for stuff.

I just firmly believe you can make a meal that fills and has vitamins for 5 dollars for three in many, many areas of the country.

Quoting collectivecow:

Anything marked with a PC is a sale item: Three potatoes cost me $2.97 cents. I paid $1.00 for 3 kiwi's because they are on sale.  The same is said for the berries (which was a great sale item, so you can see I bought a few different ones on my daughter's request. She actually bit into a roma tomato yesterday thinking it was a berry and everyone seemed to have found it hilarious >.>). 

Prices are not indicative of permanent prices: They reflect what is currently in season. Any fruits or vegetables that you buy out of season will cost more $$.

[charleyd68]

Thank You.

Quoting little.worthen:

i dont hate PA, or the idea of it.

I hate that i have to give MY money to the government so that so many people can abuse it. It's bullshit. The idea of PA is great. But realistically, it just doesnt work.

ETA: also, my sister was on it and for a family of three got $700!!! i feed my family of 4 on $200 a month. the amount of money they get is also bullshit. 

[collectivecow]

I still eat on a budget: Sorry I don't have 40 hours a week to spend couponing because I have more important things to do.

I still eat healthy: Forgive me for not knitpicking on a grocery purchase and forgive me for NOT having stores where I can buy RICE GRAIN IN BULK (are you kidding me? I've never ONCE found a store that lets you scoop up rice that way).  

Somehow you feel entitled to knitpick at my grocery list instead of actually worrying about the people who are defrauding the system.

When I discuss things like: My daughter will absolutely refuse to eat yogurt at times. Perhaps it isn't because "I've never purchased a large container of yogurt". Perhaps I have already tried that.

Perhaps it stems from the fact that my daughter follows patterns and I realized after purchasing such items that a good amount went to waste. I don't need your 'approval' because the simple fact of the matter is: You will NEVER be satisfied with an answer.

Quoting Tanya93:

And you can't buy a 32 ounce container that isn't 7?

Yep.  Always reasons that people can't eat on budget.

Quoting collectivecow:

Because like I stated: There are times that my daughter will simply refuse to eat it.  Single packets of yogurt are definitely cheaper than buying a $7.00 container that has 64oz and won't get eaten in entirety.

Quoting Tanya93:

I understand that.

She claimed that her family likes yogurt.   It lasts for weeks.   There is no reason the container would not last a couple of weeks before it was eaten.

It is just still more of the reasons why things can't be done more cheaply.

Quoting charleyd68:

That is but one of a myriad of dynamics! Situations and circumstances.

Quoting Tanya93:

If your family likes yogurt, I don't see how a large container wouldn't be.

I know my son and I eat 2-3 32 ounce containers a week.

Quoting collectivecow:

Buying things in bulk isn't always the more feasible option: You have to weigh in exactly the amount your family will actually eat, versus the amount that will go to waste.  Yes, I can spend more and buy a bulk yogurt, but will it be finished by the time the expiration date comes around?

Quoting moneysaver6:

Oatmeal costs you a "pretty penny"?!?!  You can get oatmeal for as low as $24.80/50 lbs.  That's just under 50¢/lb.  I don't think you guys get Azure there, but I know there's a United Foods co-op.  We lived in Bellbrook for awhile and ordered monthly through United.  You can get FANTASTIC prices there.  (And I agree; oatmeal is a necessity!)

There are actually several super couponers there and the $5 Dinner Mom who specializes in making dinners for her family for under $5/meal...and lives in Dayton.  Her meals are not only affordable, but are also gluten-free and at one point were all dairy-free. 

If you're looking for cheap yogurt, whether organic or not, you'll find better prices by buying the 32 oz or 64 oz containers.

Did someone say that fruits & veggies were always a certain price per lb?  I think pretty much everyone understands that the prices of fresh foods will change with the seasons.  That's why the cheapest way to eat a healthy, fresh, whole-foods diet is to buy foods when they're in-season and at their cheapest...and to learn how to preserve them to suit your needs so that you can stock up when they're on sale.

Quoting collectivecow:

I don't doubt that is true:  It doesn't account for things like - oatmeal. Oatmeal is extremely healthy for you and can cost you a pretty penny.  With a child in the house, it's almost a necessity for me to buy as a breakfast option.

Yogurt tends to be another 'must-have' in this house because it is something my daughter absolutely loves. You can buy the single cheap ones, but the price isn't necessarily better always when compared to the packs of yogurts available. 

I just feel it's intellectually dishonest to say that fruits and vegetables always cost a certain amount per lb.  etc...

It really is indicative of the season and the cost to import such foods.  Like, I'm more likely to get a good watermellon for a cheaper price because it's coming in season right now than I am a butternut squash.

Quoting Tanya93:

Those aren't bad prices for stuff.

I just firmly believe you can make a meal that fills and has vitamins for 5 dollars for three in many, many areas of the country.

Quoting collectivecow:

Anything marked with a PC is a sale item: Three potatoes cost me $2.97 cents. I paid $1.00 for 3 kiwi's because they are on sale.  The same is said for the berries (which was a great sale item, so you can see I bought a few different ones on my daughter's request. She actually bit into a roma tomato yesterday thinking it was a berry and everyone seemed to have found it hilarious >.>). 

Prices are not indicative of permanent prices: They reflect what is currently in season. Any fruits or vegetables thatyou buy out of season will cost more $$.

[Tanya93]

I've never said people had to buy rice in bulk.

I simply stated when bitching about prices of things, you could buy a bigger container.   if she won't eat it, then she doesn't get it.  I simply do not fathom that a 32 ounce container of yogurt can't be eaten in 4 weeks or frozen for popcicles. .

Quoting collectivecow:

I still eat on a budget: Sorry I don't have 40 hours a week to spend couponing because I have more important things to do.

I still eat healthy and on a budget: Forgive me for not knitpicking on a grocery purchase and forgive me for NOT having stores where I can buy RICE GRAIN IN BULK (are you kidding me? I've never ONCE found a store that lets you scoop up rice that way).  

Somehow you feel entitled to knitpick at my grocery list instead of actually worrying about the people who are defrauding the system.

When I discuss things like: My daughter will absolutely refuse to eat yogurt at times. Perhaps it isn't because "I've never purchased a large container of yogurt". Perhaps I have already tried that.

Perhaps it stems from the fact that my daughter follows patterns and I realized after purchasing such items that a good amount went to waste. I don't need your 'approval' because the simple fact of the matter is: You will NEVER be satisfied with an answer.

Quoting Tanya93:

And you can't buy a 32 ounce container that isn't 7?

Yep.  Always reasons that people can't eat on budget.

Quoting collectivecow:

Because like I stated: There are times that my daughter will simply refuse to eat it.  Single packets of yogurt are definitely cheaper than buying a $7.00 container that has 64oz and won't get eaten in entirety.

Quoting Tanya93:

I understand that.

She claimed that her family likes yogurt.   It lasts for weeks.   There is no reason the container would not last a couple of weeks before it was eaten.

It is just still more of the reasons why things can't be done more cheaply.

Quoting charleyd68:

That is but one of a myriad of dynamics! Situations and circumstances.

Quoting Tanya93:

If your family likes yogurt, I don't see how a large container wouldn't be.

I know my son and I eat 2-3 32 ounce containers a week.

Quoting collectivecow:

Buying things in bulk isn't always the more feasible option: You have to weigh in exactly the amount your family will actually eat, versus the amount that will go to waste.  Yes, I can spend more and buy a bulk yogurt, but will it be finished by the time the expiration date comes around?

Quoting moneysaver6:

Oatmeal costs you a "pretty penny"?!?!  You can get oatmeal for as low as $24.80/50 lbs.  That's just under 50¢/lb.  I don't think you guys get Azure there, but I know there's a United Foods co-op.  We lived in Bellbrook for awhile and ordered monthly through United.  You can get FANTASTIC prices there.  (And I agree; oatmeal is a necessity!)

There are actually several super couponers there and the $5 Dinner Mom who specializes in making dinners for her family for under $5/meal...and lives in Dayton.  Her meals are not only affordable, but are also gluten-free and at one point were all dairy-free. 

If you're looking for cheap yogurt, whether organic or not, you'll find better prices by buying the 32 oz or 64 oz containers.

Did someone say that fruits & veggies were always a certain price per lb?  I think pretty much everyone understands that the prices of fresh foods will change with the seasons.  That's why the cheapest way to eat a healthy, fresh, whole-foods diet is to buy foods when they're in-season and at their cheapest...and to learn how to preserve them to suit your needs so that you can stock up when they're on sale.

Quoting collectivecow:

I don't doubt that is true:  It doesn't account for things like - oatmeal. Oatmeal is extremely healthy for you and can cost you a pretty penny.  With a child in the house, it's almost a necessity for me to buy as a breakfast option.

Yogurt tends to be another 'must-have' in this house because it is something my daughter absolutely loves. You can buy the single cheap ones, but the price isn't necessarily better always when compared to the packs of yogurts available. 

I just feel it's intellectually dishonest to say that fruits and vegetables always cost a certain amount per lb.  etc...

It really is indicative of the season and the cost to import such foods.  Like, I'm more likely to get a good watermellon for a cheaper price because it's coming in season right now than I am a butternut squash.

Quoting Tanya93:

Those aren't bad prices for stuff.

I just firmly believe you can make a meal that fills and has vitamins for 5 dollars for three in many, many areas of the country.

Quoting collectivecow:

Anything marked with a PC is a sale item: Three potatoes cost me $2.97 cents. I paid $1.00 for 3 kiwi's because they are on sale.  The same is said for the berries (which was a great sale item, so you can see I bought a few different ones on my daughter's request. She actually bit into a roma tomato yesterday thinking it was a berry and everyone seemed to have found it hilarious >.>). 

Prices are not indicative of permanent prices: They reflect what is currently in season. Any fruits or vegetables thatyou buy out of season will cost more $$.

[collectivecow]

Thanks for that, but it just doesn't always work that way with developmentally disabled children.  The same way it doesn't work to just have my daughter without gloves and earmuffs on outside at times.

I never bitched about the price of food: You didn't make the rice comment - someone else did: I will admit to that mistake. However, I simply said that the statistics were unrealistic and got torn apart for purchasing healthy food choices that YOU felt were to expensive. That is something you would have to take up with the supermarkets and the lousy corporations who exploit people in various regions.

Not the single mother who has worked her a$$ off for ten years at crap pay and finally got laid off because the company went down the tubes, while she was trying to support her daughter.

Quoting Tanya93:

I've never said people had to buy rice in bulk.

I simply stated when bitching about prices of things, you could buy a bigger container.   if she won't eat it, then she doesn't get it.  I simply do not fathom that a 32 ounce container of yogurt can't be eaten in 4 weeks or frozen for popcicles. .

Quoting collectivecow:

I still eat on a budget: Sorry I don't have 40 hours a week to spend couponing because I have more important things to do.

I still eat healthy and on a budget: Forgive me for not knitpicking on a grocery purchase and forgive me for NOT having stores where I can buy RICE GRAIN IN BULK (are you kidding me? I've never ONCE found a store that lets you scoop up rice that way).  

Somehow you feel entitled to knitpick at my grocery list instead of actually worrying about the people who are defrauding the system.

When I discuss things like: My daughter will absolutely refuse to eat yogurt at times. Perhaps it isn't because "I've never purchased a large container of yogurt". Perhaps I have already tried that.

Perhaps it stems from the fact that my daughter follows patterns and I realized after purchasing such items that a good amount went to waste. I don't need your 'approval' because the simple fact of the matter is: You will NEVER be satisfied with an answer.

Quoting Tanya93:

And you can't buy a 32 ounce container that isn't 7?

Yep.  Always reasons that people can't eat on budget.

Quoting collectivecow:

Because like I stated: There are times that my daughter will simply refuse to eat it.  Single packets of yogurt are definitely cheaper than buying a $7.00 container that has 64oz and won't get eaten in entirety.

Quoting Tanya93:

I understand that.

She claimed that her family likes yogurt.   It lasts for weeks.   There is no reason the container would not last a couple of weeks before it was eaten.

It is just still more of the reasons why things can't be done more cheaply.

Quoting charleyd68:

That is but one of a myriad of dynamics! Situations and circumstances.

Quoting Tanya93:

If your family likes yogurt, I don't see how a large container wouldn't be.

I know my son and I eat 2-3 32 ounce containers a week.

Quoting collectivecow:

Buying things in bulk isn't always the more feasible option: You have to weigh in exactly the amount your family will actually eat, versus the amount that will go to waste.  Yes, I can spend more and buy a bulk yogurt, but will it be finished by the time the expiration date comes around?

Quoting moneysaver6:

Oatmeal costs you a "pretty penny"?!?!  You can get oatmeal for as low as $24.80/50 lbs.  That's just under 50¢/lb.  I don't think you guys get Azure there, but I know there's a United Foods co-op.  We lived in Bellbrook for awhile and ordered monthly through United.  You can get FANTASTIC prices there.  (And I agree; oatmeal is a necessity!)

There are actually several super couponers there and the $5 Dinner Mom who specializes in making dinners for her family for under $5/meal...and lives in Dayton.  Her meals are not only affordable, but are also gluten-free and at one point were all dairy-free. 

If you're looking for cheap yogurt, whether organic or not, you'll find better prices by buying the 32 oz or 64 oz containers.

Did someone say that fruits & veggies were always a certain price per lb?  I think pretty much everyone understands that the prices of fresh foods will change with the seasons.  That's why the cheapest way to eat a healthy, fresh, whole-foods diet is to buy foods when they're in-season and at their cheapest...and to learn how to preserve them to suit your needs so that you can stock up when they're on sale.

Quoting collectivecow:

I don't doubt that is true:  It doesn't account for things like - oatmeal. Oatmeal is extremely healthy for you and can cost you a pretty penny.  With a child in the house, it's almost a necessity for me to buy as a breakfast option.

Yogurt tends to be another 'must-have' in this house because it is something my daughter absolutely loves. You can buy the single cheap ones, but the price isn't necessarily better always when compared to the packs of yogurts available. 

I just feel it's intellectually dishonest to say that fruits and vegetables always cost a certain amount per lb.  etc...

It really is indicative of the season and the cost to import such foods.  Like, I'm more likely to get a good watermellon for a cheaper price because it's coming in season right now than I am a butternut squash.

Quoting Tanya93:

Those aren't bad prices for stuff.

I just firmly believe you can make a meal that fills and has vitamins for 5 dollars for three in many, many areas of the country.

Quoting collectivecow:

Anything marked with a PC is a sale item: Three potatoes cost me $2.97 cents. I paid $1.00 for 3 kiwi's because they are on sale.  The same is said for the berries (which was a great sale item, so you can see I bought a few different ones on my daughter's request. She actually bit into a roma tomato yesterday thinking it was a berry and everyone seemed to have found it hilarious >.>). 

Prices are not indicative of permanent prices: They reflect what is currently in season. Any fruits or vegetables thatyou buy out of season will cost more $$.