Part of it might also be cultural - not poverty. In the south, cooking out is very common. It also saves on electricity (or gas or whatever). Many families, especially lower income, cook their meals outside because they don't run the AC when there is a lack of funds.


>Sure, you or I or anyone else here would do it differently. My point was only that some people on welfare don't have that ability to make rational choices and stick to them.
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>>For sure it's a legitimate story, but -- I dunno -- one would think that a family on food stamps would be a bit more judicious. When I was a teen my father lost his job and we went through some very tough times. We never went hungry but I for damn sure don't recall any barbeques.
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>>>It's fair to say a lot of people on food stamps have a hard time managing many parts of their lives, money being only one of them. I have seen similar scenes of shopping carts filled with uneconomic and unhealthy foods like Cap'n Crunch, Cheetos, Pop Tarts, and big bottles of orange soda. You would think the 5 year old was the one choosing the groceries. That said, I'm sure the rising prices of food staples have had on impact on those with fixed incomes, so it's a legitimate news story.