Shopping on Food Stamps

Shopping on food stamps is a challenge because there is a small maximum limit on food stamps that you have to stay below. And, if you have to feed many mouths, it is not easy to shop on food stamps.

Where to shop with food stamps?

There are average stores that food stamp receivers shop. Most food stamp clients shop at:

• supermarkets, grocery stores or discount stores (90 %),
• convenience stores (2.8 %)

Food stamp customers shopping at Aldi

If you are shopping on food stamps, you will need to find stores that sell groceries cheap. Aldi is a German based discount store chain. Aldi only stocks about 1,300 items compared to about 40,000 items at a regular supermarket.

Aldi supermarket keeps the overhead low by:

• charging a quarter for a shopping cart (refundable when you reharness the cart in a corral),
• charging for bags (and you bag your own) and
• not accepting checks (the store does accept debit cards and, for a 25-cent charge, Missouri shoppers can use Discover).

Food stamp recipients can use their food stamp debit cards at the store. Food stamp recipients also do not pay tax. Aldi has a reputation as “the food stamp store,” but that image may be changing. You can find almost everything you need on food stamps at Aldi. If you cannot find something at Aldi, Walmart is another popular choice even for people on food stamps.