Cancelled Costco membership today

[Eric B]

Some of them are serving in the military....

 

[Ken555]

People who receive food stamps also receive cash. If you read my Post #37 above, you'll see a real-world example of how someone on Public Assistance of any type could use Costco as a money-savings resource, compared to a retail grocery store. A membership costs as little as $5 a month, and if they can save over $5 in one shopping trip, compared to grocery store pricing, the membership just paid for itself. Costco also has what is called The Gift of Membership, where someone can buy a membership as a gift for someone else. So just because someone is receiving food stamps doesn't preclude them from being able to be a Costco member.

You seem to think you are somehow subsidizing someone who shops at Costco and pays with food stamps. Would you mind explaining how that would be? Perhaps you are aware of something I don't know about.

Dave

Logical. And since logic is missing from the angry post about food stamps, it likely won’t help in the discussion. Obviously this poster feels that those on food stamps should spend more for milk every day at the grocery store than buy it at Costco. Moving on...



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[Caligirlfrtx]

I am speculating, but this comment might have been made because it might seem unusual to the poster that someone on food stamps could afford to pay the membership fee for one thing? Don't bite my head off- I would wonder about that as well. Plus, buying in bulk saves money in the long run, but it is still expensive to shop there if you are living week to week financially.

Exactly. It is expensive. I can barely shop there. Just another example of people using the Safetynet as a Hammock.

 

[DaveNV]

I just did a little research on this, to make sure I wasn't misunderstanding things. According to Google, people can receive food stamps (SNAP) and not be on welfare. It is considered a nutrition program, not a welfare system. Many gainfully-employed people receive food stamps to supplement their income. This could include military families, where as many as 2% of active duty military families used food stamps a few years ago. In addition, 1.5 million veterans used food stamps the same year, or about 7 percent of all veterans.

As a retired Navy career man, if I fell into the category of needing food stamps to feed my family, I'd be very careful where and how those food stamps were spent. If I could spread things further by shopping at Costco, it would be smart to do so. The "private membership club" aspect is only a detail, not a disqualification. Sorry, but I don't see where the issue is.

Dave

 

[Caligirlfrtx]

The people in that situation aren't going to be buying exclusive cuts of meat

I've seen it firsthand if you think food stamp recipients only buy the basics you have got to be out of your mind. It is free money to them, they do not even look at the prices on things they buy only the most expensive and many times the most unhealthy. I'm not sure if you were aware of it but Jack-in-the-Box and other fast food restaurants and convenient stores and strip clubs also except food stamps. I just thank God that welfare reform is being worked on now, it's long overdue.

 

[Caligirlfrtx]

I just did a little research on this, to make sure I wasn't misunderstanding things. According to Google, people can receive food stamps (SNAP) and not be on welfare. It is considered a nutrition program, not a welfare system. Many gainfully-employed people receive food stamps to supplement their income. This could include military families, where as many as 2% of active duty military families used food stamps a few years ago. In addition, 1.5 million veterans used food stamps the same year, or about 7 percent of all veterans.

As a retired Navy career man, if I fell into the category of needing food stamps to feed my family, I'd be very careful where and how those food stamps were spent. If I could spread things further by shopping at Costco, it would be smart to do so. The "private membership club" aspect is only a detail, not a disqualification. Sorry, but I don't see where the issue is.

Dave

Thank you for your service. I am not speaking about veterans or people that are just temporarily down on their luck. Foodstamps is welfare no matter how the far left tries to redefine it and I am speaking about people that abuse the system. I have lived in many big cities and I see too much abuse going on. Like I said before as an example, why not just house the poor homeless people in our unused timeshare resorts wouldn't that be a compassionate thing to do?

 

[Caligirlfrtx]

Logical. And since logic is missing from the angry post about food stamps, it likely won’t help in the discussion. Obviously this poster feels that those on food stamps should spend more for milk every day at the grocery store than buy it at Costco. Moving on...



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It's not an angry post at all. I simply stated why I considered cancelling my membership. Milk is not necessarily cheaper at Cosco. I have used coupons to get many things cheaper at a nonmembership grocery store.

 

[Ken555]

This thread has passed the line and is now political. It needs to be locked, or else I’ll decide to post a reply to the last ignorant post.


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[Arimaas]

Cause it's a private membership club. Membership paid with cash money. That's the difference. Wake up people!

Just to jump on the bandwagon here, I rather someone on food stamps use the public assistance to buy a Costco membership (although probably not allowed to use it for that) and food, rather than go to a local bodega and trade $20 worth of food stamps for $10 worth of cigarettes or cash.

You should take comfort in knowing if they are shopping at Costco with food stamps, at least they are buying what they are supposed to be with it.

 

[Caligirlfrtx]

This thread has passed the line and is now political. It needs to be locked, or else I’ll decide to post a reply to the last ignorant post.


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Not political. Just factual and reality.

 

[Ken555]

Not political. Just factual and reality.

C’mon. You KNOW it’s political. We’re not stupid.


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[Caligirlfrtx]

Just to jump on the bandwagon here, I rather someone on food stamps use the public assistance to buy a Costco membership (although probably not allowed to use it for that) and food, rather than go to a local bodega and trade $20 worth of food stamps for $10 worth of cigarettes or cash.

You should take comfort in knowing if they are shopping at Costco with food stamps, at least they are buying what they are supposed to be with it.

I'm sure this is not the majority but I have seen firsthand people buying in bulk for resell so that they could buy their drugs.

I have seen people buy in bulk at Costco to go resell at their family owned convenient stores.

It goes very deep and most people do not realize these things are going on. Sorry to be the one to break it to you.

Don't even get me started on the factual stories I know about the sec. 8 abuse.

As a taxpayer I most definitely have a right to not want these activities to continue.

And funny no one has responded to my sharing of the resort to the homeless comment.

 

[DaveNV]

I've seen it firsthand if you think food stamp recipients only buy the basics you have got to be out of your mind. It is free money to them, they do not even look at the prices on things they buy only the most expensive and many times the most unhealthy. I'm not sure if you were aware of it but Jack-in-the-Box and other fast food restaurants and convenient stores and strip clubs also except food stamps. I just think God that welfare reform is being worked on now, it's long overdue.

I think you are likely someone who has never been on Public Assistance, and you may have perceptions that aren't completely accurate. Certainly there will be exceptions, but I strongly doubt food stamp recipients in general are as cavalier as you make it sound. Not everyone is an abuser of the system. In addition, the money and food stamps aren't unlimited, and most families receive only a few hundred dollars a month to live on. The idea that "they do not even look at the prices on things" is pretty unlikely. I have family members who have been on Public Assistance at various times and reasons, and they are among the most frugal shoppers I know. When the money runs out, that's all there is. Just because a place will accept food stamps doesn't mean they make an effort to promote it.

I won't attempt to change your opinion, since you are so very sure of yourself. But I would suggest that while you're thanking your God for welfare reform, you may want to add in a little thanks that you are never in the same financial hardship situation where you might need some help. It can be a very unpleasant place to be.

Dave

 

[WalnutBaron]

I think you are likely someone who has never been on Public Assistance, and you may have perceptions that aren't completely accurate. Certainly there will be exceptions, but I strongly doubt food stamp recipients in general are as cavalier as you make it sound. Not everyone is an abuser of the system. In addition, the money and food stamps aren't unlimited, and most families receive only a few hundred dollars a month to live on. The idea that "they do not even look at the prices on things" is pretty unlikely. I have family members who have been on Public Assistance at various times and reasons, and they are among the most frugal shoppers I know. When the money runs out, that's all there is. Just because a place will accept food stamps doesn't mean they make an effort to promote it.

I won't attempt to change your opinion, since you are so very sure of yourself. But I would suggest that while you're thanking your God for welfare reform, you may want to add in a little thanks that you are never in the same financial hardship situation where you might need some help. It can be a very unpleasant place to be.

Dave

Thanks, DaveNW, for your compassion. It shines through in the way you've comported yourself in this difficult and contentious series of posts. Bravo.

 

[bizaro86]

I kind of side with Dave on this; it doesn’t really matter to me whether someone else is using food stamps. It’s also possible that the individual has membership from their extended family or friends, or some other way. Personally, I’d rather see our governmental support to the needy expended efficiently at a place like Costco than at more expensive stores.

Buying bulk staple items (rice, beans, etc) at Costco would probably be the cheapest possible way to feed a family, likely even including the membership fee.

 

[Caligirlfrtx]

That's is where you are incorrect, my wisdom comes from a very hard life in which I have had to be on food stamps and other welfare but I hated every second of it and worked very hard to overcome the situations I was in. Don't get me wrong, I am speaking of the abusers of the system. And when I was on foodstamps, there is no way I would have wanted to shop at Costco because it would have been too shameful to be in a private club using foodstamps but now that shame is taken away from most, the stigma has been removed.

 

[Arimaas]

I'm sure this is not the majority but I have seen firsthand people buying in bulk for resell so that they could buy their drugs.

I have seen people buy in bulk at Costco to go resell at their family owned convenient stores.

It goes very deep and most people do not realize these things are going on. Sorry to be the one to break it to you.

Don't even get me started on the factual stories I know about the sec. 8 abuse.

As a taxpayer I most definitely have a right to not want these activities to continue.

And funny no one has responded to my sharing of the resort to the homeless comment.

there's nothing wrong with someone buying in bulk and reselling it in their own stores. Not sure what that has to do with food stamps ? It seems to me that your grasping at straws here.

Believe me I won't get you started on your section 8 rant. I'm done with this post.

 

[bluehende]

C’mon. You KNOW it’s political. We’re not stupid.


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I got a bigger chuckle out of the factual part.

 

[Caligirlfrtx]

there's nothing wrong with someone buying in bulk and reselling it in their own stores. Not sure what that has to do with food stamps ? It seems to me that your grasping at straws here.

Believe me I won't get you started on your section 8 rant. I'm done with this post.

They are buying the food with foodstamps to resell...This is wrong!! I would have never imagine that I would have had to explain that.

I am done with this post also. My original post was a simple one and people here have used it to create an argument. You would not understand if you have not seen what I have seen.

 

[bluehende]

That's is where you are incorrect, my wisdom comes from a very hard life in which I have had to be on food stamps and other welfare but I hated every second of it and worked very hard to overcome the situations I was in. Don't get me wrong, I am speaking of the abusers of the system. And when I was on foodstamps, there is no way I would have wanted to shop at Costco because it would have been too shameful to be in a private club using foodstamps but now that shame is taken away from most, the stigma has been removed.

So you were helped by that program and now begrudge others when they get the same help. Your observations of fraud are not born out by literature. A quick google shows that actual literature seems to confirm a fraud rate of 1.5%. So 98.5% should suffer because of anecdotal info from someone with an axe to grind.

 

[DeniseM]

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