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Woman shares Costco haul bought with food stamps, sparks debate on what ‘poor’ means in US vs abroad
A woman’s video showing her Costco haul and how she fed her family of four on food stamps prompted mixed reactions.
A woman has captured the internet’s attention after sharing a detailed Costco haul and explaining how she manages to feed her family of four using food stamps. The video, originally posted on TikTok by Sierra Jordan, has since made its way to Reddit, prompting several reactions.
(Also read: American woman leaves ‘average’ life in US for extraordinary journey in India, calls it life-changing)
In the video, Jordan appears visibly exhausted after what she describes as a taxing shopping trip. “I know I look crazy, but we just got back from Costco. It’s hot as hell. That’s why I look like this. I don’t care what any of y’all got to say,” she says, standing in the entrance of her home surrounded by shopping bags.
She explains that she spent $308.58 in cash on household items such as paper plates, baby wipes and trash bags, while using $248 in food stamps for groceries.
A quick tour of the haul
Jordan proceeds to show her purchases, including jumbo beef meatballs, sliced grass-fed beef sirloin, marshmallow crispy cookies, chicken melts with brioche and cheese, pizzas for her children, muffins, mandarin oranges, chicken strips, rice, and a 30-pack of assorted crisps.
Life on a budget
The text overlay on the video reads: “Costco haul of a family of 4. Low income on food stamps.” Jordan also shares a glimpse into her workday, revealing she only completed one order that morning, earning around $20 for a 5.3-mile delivery. “I’m cool with that, ’cause I’ve got the rest of the week,” she adds.
Online reactions
The clip, later shared on Reddit with the caption “Woman explains how she feeds a family of four on food stamps”, quickly sparked a wave of discussion. Redditors weighed in with a mix of admiration, scepticism, and criticism.
One viewer commented, “As a Canadian, I’m kind of impressed at how far that much money goes in purchasing so much prepared food. Is it more cost-effective to shop this way in the US, compared to buying ingredients for meals, because of bulk processing?” Another remarked, “It is not cost-effective — she spent a lot of money on pre-made and processed foods, likely because she does not have the time or knowledge to actually cook meals.”
A different user wrote, “No, this is actually a terrible example of frugal spending, not to mention less healthy. And she bought paper plates because she’s too lazy to wash dishes, just like she’s too lazy to actually cook.”
One commenter took a broader view, saying, “This is why poor in the US isn't equivalent to poor in many other countries. And why so many risk everything to come here. She is living well compared to 90 per cent of the globe.”
