Buying an Easter ham, eggs (and mayo), and a chocolate Easter bunny would be easier if you had an extra $16

Family traditions and get-togethers can make for an enjoyable Easter.  In my household, regardless of one’s age, we have a hardboiled egg-smashing contest, an Easter egg hunt with egg-by-egg clues until reaching a sugary prize at the very end, and my personal stash of Jelly Belly jellybeans.

Many families come together for potluck meals where everyone pitches in with cooking and costs.  But, just preparing one or two dishes (and adding some sugary fun!) usually has to fit within our day-to-day grocery budgets that are already squeezed putting food on the table for our day-to-day meals.

If you had FNS/SNAP benefits at $16/month (the minimum amount for a household with one or two people) what seems like just a drop in the bucket, may feel more like an Easter basket full of Cadbury crème eggs!  Here’s what could be in your (grocery) basket*:

>>>  Ham (Appleton Farms bone-in, butt portion ham, $1.39/pound, 6-pounds) – $8.34

>>>  Eggs (Goldhen, grade A, large 2-dozen) – $1.39 x 2 = $2.78

>>>  Mayonnaise (Burman’s, 30 ounces) – $2.19

>>>  Chocolate Easter bunny (Palmer “Peter Rabbit,” 5 ounce) – $2.99

TOTAL COST:              $16.30

If you had $16 in FNS/SNAP benefits, your holiday foods would just about be fully paid for using these benefits.  And when you use your FNS/SNAP benefit card, no sales tax (2% on food in North Carolina) is charged.  What groceries will you be buying for Easter?

* Prices based on Aldi foods, March 30, 2012