Costco Warehouse stores have done a pilot project in New York state on accepting food stamps, and soon the program will be available nationwide, according to an Associated Press story that is making the media rounds today.
Check out the comments at Oakland Press to see the reaction in the metro Detroit area.
There are no Costco [...]

This post is for my Michigan readers:
I did a post earlier this week about Michigan.gov’s new assistance referral site, Helping Hand. I saw the link on Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s Twitter.
But here’s a detail I overlooked – until the formal press release got forwarded to my desk this morning. In conjunction with the launch for this [...]

One of the search phrases that landed on my blog yesterday was “getting a loan on a Michigan Bridge Card.”
I did some research to see what on earth someone might have been planning to do while searching via that phrase. As best I can tell … there is no legal way to do that.
I understand [...]

The Detroit News has an article today about Michigan farmers markets that accept Michigan Bridge Card for purchases.
A snippet:
At least a dozen markets in the state were approved this year to accept food stamps, bringing the total to 29. That is the most of any state in the Midwest.
“We saw this huge need of ensuring [...]

If you would like to order groceries from Angel Food Ministries, but didn’t care for the grocery mixes in the standard “signature boxes,” there is another option.
You can now order any of the special boxes as an individual purchase. There will no longer be a signature box or alternate choice as a required purchase before [...]

If you’re new to this “frugal living stuff” or are suddenly in a situation where you have to cut expenses fast, it can be really frustrating to realize that you usually have to invest time, money or both up front to find savings later.
I have a post that details how fast you can expect results [...]

The Center for Civil Justice in Flint issued a media release today citing a study that shows the number of free lunches served to needy kids in Michigan grew 45 percent between 2007 and 2008.
The agency cited the report, “Hunger Doesn’t Take a Vacation,” produced by the Food Research and Action Center. On an average [...]

Julie from Julie’s List reports that she has discovered Wonder Bread / Hostess bakery outlets in the Downriver (metro Detroit) area. Here’s what she wrote in her weekly newsletter today:
Have you ever checked out the area’s Wonder/Hostess Bakery Outlets? I’ve just started going to them in the last month and I’m a new convert! You [...]

This notice is for my readers in Michigan:
If you, or a family you know in Michigan, is receiving food assistance (aka food stamps) via the Michigan Bridge card, the monthly allotment amount for that program is scheduled to increase on April 1.
The increase will be 13.6 percent as compared to what the families have been [...]

CNN has been airing snippets from a program called “Living Without,” a focus on what it’s like to live on food stamps.
There’s been off and on publicity campaigns during the past year or so to get media personalities and community leaders to live on food stamp budgets, which in Michigan is accessible on the Michigan [...]