Grocery budget & WIC

[quapawmom]

This is probably a dumb question but when figuring my budget should I calculate in what I would have spent on items I get from WIC? It totals nearly $60/month. Im trying to get our budget down to $50 or less/week but I dont want to think I did it and be wrong…
ps i over think everything 🙂

[FreebieQueen]

@quapawmom 564088 wrote:

This is probably a dumb question but when figuring my budget should I calculate in what I would have spent on items I get from WIC? It totals nearly $60/month. Im trying to get our budget down to $50 or less/week but I dont want to think I did it and be wrong…
PS I over think EVERYTHING 🙂

I wouldn’t include WIC for the simple fact that this is a separate check for very specific items, cheese, milk, formula, tuna, peanut butter, cereal, etc. You cannot purchase certain items with it such as fresh fruit or fresh vegetables, which would be a large portion of your weekly budget.

Stick with reducing the one you Can control (on a larger scale)

[quapawmom]

Thanks! I figured it up and it helps quite a bit. we get $8 a month for fresh fruits and veggies on Tribal WIC so that helps on my produce budget!

in the winter I stick with frozen and 8 bags of frozen veggies goes quite a ways!

[Jennifer Green]

I would think it is a yes and no situation. Most times things on wic is more expensive than what you might normally spend. so if it is stuff you would normally buy on a regular basis if you did not have wic, then yes, add it in, but if it is something that you are getting that you wouldn’t normally buy, then don’t add that in.

i know that there were times where we had left over cans of tuna and beans, things like that. the cheeses and milk (or non dairy kind, in our case) we might not buy exactly what it was stating, but something altogether different when not using wic.

i certainly wish every state and province had a wic program, it really is a running start for healthy women and children. sadly, not all do. =(

[Liss]

@quapawmom 564582 wrote:

Thanks! I figured it up and it helps quite a bit. we get $8 a month for fresh fruits and veggies on Tribal WIC so that helps on my produce budget! in the winter I stick with frozen and 8 bags of frozen veggies goes quite a ways!

Interesting, thank you for sharing that info, I didn’t even realize that WIC had an allowance for fruit and veggies. I thought it only covered Tuna, Cheese, Milk, Cereal and formula. What other items can be purchased with WIC these days?

[quapawmom]

Milk (cow or soy), Cheese, Eggs
Beans(dry or canned) or PB,
Cereal, Whole grains(bread,tortillas, oatmeal, rice,bulgur)
Juice
Tofu though I am not sure how this works we dont use this option
$8 veggies/fruits
This is all for a breastfeeding toddler
Infants get formula baby cereal juice baby food
While pregnant I think i also got a fish option(tuna salmon sardines)

[quapawmom]

@JenniferGreen wrote:

I would think it is a yes and no situation. Most times things on wic is more expensive than what you might normally spend. so if it is stuff you would normally buy on a regular basis if you did not have wic, then yes, add it in, but if it is something that you are getting that you wouldn’t normally buy, then don’t add that in.

i know that there were times where we had left over cans of tuna and beans, things like that. the cheeses and milk (or non dairy kind, in our case) we might not buy exactly what it was stating, but something altogether different when not using wic.

i certainly wish every state and province had a wic program, it really is a running start for healthy women and children. sadly, not all do. =(

i think i will do that.

i would not normally buy juice or 32 oz of cereal! Im sure the kids wish I wouldnt buy rice and beans…they get tired of redbeans andrice night no amount of cajun music keeps it fun! lol I definetly would not be buying 4 gallons of soy milk!

maybe 1 it is too expensive to buy any milk anymore!

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