So many Americans are noticing the struggle of how expensive it is to feed their families. An Oregon mom of seven, along with her husband, knows how food costs add up. This is especially true being a stay-at-home mom on a low income. But when she made a video outlining this, she didn’t expect the internet to react how they did.
Ashlie (@lifessometimeswonderful) is a stay-at-home mom of seven. She posted a recent TikTok video about how expensive it is for her and her working husband to feed seven children when they’re low income. Ashlie shared that her husband is on Workman’s Comp and was paid just over $800 for the last two weeks of work, so they needed to make their grocery money stretch. She tells her audience that she’s sitting at the grocery store and can spend about $125 on groceries for the week. She explains, “Let’s see what we can get.”
Ashlie records her family walking around the grocery store, grabbing items to eat for the week. They grab some Lay’s barbecue chips and some Red Baron frozen pizzas to feed several of them. Some other items they grab include a large bag of apples, some carrots, salsa, and bags of shredded cheese. They also add in some eggs, butter, and other important staples that many families would include in their weekly shopping trip. To finish things off, Ashlie adds some other frozen items including more cheap pizzas, chicken nuggets, and fries.
All in all, it’s a pretty decently sized cart of groceries. She tells the audience, “My total was $85 and some change. Not horrible. Definitely not great, considering I will have to go back for some stuff.” She adds that she’ll probably need to grab some more things if she wants to make some of the meals they need to make for their extensive family.
Though Ashlie was likely expecting full support from her audience, the comments suggested differently. One commenter stated, “You need to be working too mama…” Another replied, “People hate to hear this but being a SAHM is a luxury. If your family is struggling on one income you have to get another.”
Others judged her for the food she purchased with her limited budget. One commenter shared, “And it’s all junk food.” Another commented, “9 people on $125… put all that back. Start over. Meat, potatoes, rice, pasta, and beans. Then fresh fruits and veggies.” Commenters continue to react to this divisive video, with many sharing their opinions on SAHMs and the price of groceries in our modern times.
