There are two potential issues affecting some of the 42 million people who are on food stamps, now known as SNAP for Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, and use their EBT card to go grocery shopping.
First, the Big Beautiful Bill tightened who can qualify for benefits. Non-citizens, including those who are in the country legally, will lose their benefits Nov. 1. More able-bodied adults will face work requirements, especially those with children over 14 or who are under age 65. In short, more people who can work but have been coasting on the taxpayer’s dime will find their benefits are running out or being reduced. If what people are posting on TikTok is to be believed, they aren’t happy about it.
On a positive note, it appears citizens who have jobs but a low income will continue to collect benefits. So will those with young children at home. That assumes, of course, that SNAP is funded, which brings us to my next point.
Second, it is possible that SNAP benefits won’t be paid during the government shutdown. This may vary from state to state since the states administer the programs using federal money. The states can decide if they want to fund payments and get reimbursed by the feds or delay payments until the government is back at work. SNAP costs $8 billion a month, and few states can cover the costs.
WIC, which provides food to infants and new mothers, is also expected to run out of money. Headstart and other federal programs could also run out of money if the shutdown persists.
Nine Meals from Anarchy
The saying about the country being nine meals from anarchy may get tested if people do not get their SNAP payments. It appears to be related to the whole idea of bread and circuses, because what good are circuses if you are too hungry to concentrate on the clowns? Look for a big distraction in the news—like an attack on Venezuela—to take minds off SNAP benefits, not that much can distract you from an empty stomach.
I find it hard to believe the government would let this benefit run out. Plus, it’s a great opportunity for President Trump to free up some contingency funds and tell people he “saved” them from losing their benefits. Just as the Democrats refused to pass a spending bill to pay the military and essential workers, the Republicans could bring up a bill to fund SNAP. These videos could be designed to pressure Congress to pass the bill. But will they? They have only until the 27th to get funds approved or the program will run out of money, so they’ll have to work fast.
If states do cut off benefits, we may get a preview of what it will look like when the SHTF and the food delivery system stops functioning.
Take Steps to Protect Yourself
Many videos have people threatening to rob stores, to follow shoppers home and rob them, to rob Instacart and other delivery drivers, and to form flash mobs and rush the stores. I guess we should be thankful they are giving us this heads-up.
If there is no Hail Mary and it looks like SNAP won’t be funded, do your grocery shopping by the 29th and buy at least two weeks’ worth of food. Stay out of stores that sell food for the first week of November until we see what is happening. If you must go shopping, do it at 8 a.m. while many of the potential miscreants are asleep.
Keep in mind that if riots break out in large urban areas such as Chicago or Los Angeles, they could spread to smaller cities. Just because things were calm in your area on day one doesn’t mean they will be on day three.
I expect stores will beef up their private security, and smart municipalities will post police at grocery stores and Walmart and Target. If I was a senior manager at Walmart, I would shut down the stores and only do curbside pickup and possibly delivery. That will force people to pre-pay and keep people out of the store.
Dining Out
We went to a new restaurant for the first time on Tuesday night with two other couples. We were all shocked at how full the parking lot was. There were at least four other parties ahead of us waiting to be seated, one of which had five people. What makes this even more surprising is that it was a local crowd, not tourists. (Wait times at our small-town restaurants are rare.)
So much for the frequent refrain I hear that the economy is so bad people can’t afford to eat out. Plenty seemed to be doing it on Tuesday.
My wife and I ate for $60, including tip. That may be why it was so popular—the prices were reasonable, the staff was friendly and the food was good. Not gourmet, but there was plenty of it and it was tasty. It was a 40-minute drive to get there, but I’d be willing to go back.
We live in a poor (oops, I mean economically challenged) county. The median household income is less than $60,000, and the largest employers are the school system, the hospital system, and couple of factories. We have far more blue-collar jobs than white-collar jobs , but we can still pack a restaurant on a Tuesday night. Doesn’t seem like too many people are worried.
The Poor versus the Spoiled
I see media coverage about people who can’t pay their bills, are behind on their college loans, can’t afford a house, and are having their cars repossessed. I see young people complaining that they can’t get a decent job, that they have to live at their parent’s house, and they can’t afford to get married and have kids.
Around here, people often do that in the reverse order. They have kids, get married, and then figure out how to afford it. A big difference is that people here live simply. They have small houses, buy used cars, and don’t expect more. I ran into a young man down the mountain who is living in mobile home with his wife and child, and he seems delighted with the location and the house. He isn’t renting, but owns it and the land under it. People here bring in mobile homes or put up manufactured homes at a fraction of the cost of housing in big cities. (Another reason to move to the country.)
I know there are people living at or below the poverty level who rely on SNAP, Section 8 Housing, and other programs, but I have also seen some very spoiled people on video complaining about having their benefits cut. Now maybe some of these are AI generated, or some are exaggerating to generate likes or subscribers, but I know the entitlement mentality exists. And I know people take advantage of social programs by getting paid under the table so it doesn’t affect their benefits. I feel sorry for those living in poverty, but not for those who appear entitled.
Let this be a reminder that all good things must come to an end. The gravy train eventually stops rolling. That’s one reason we prep.
