Category: Credit

FoodShare (Food Stamps) in Wisconsin

Food Stamps are called FoodShare in Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Department Of Health Services (DHS) administers the program. FoodShare provides financial support for low-income families and individuals to buy nutritious foods. The amount of FoodShare benefits you receive is based on the number of people in your household and your total net monthly income. The DHS defines a household as people who live together and buy food and prepare meals together. To be eligible for FoodShare you must be a U.S. Citizen or in the United State legally.

To apply for FoodShare online visit getaquestcard.org. To do it over the phone call 1-877-366-3635. You can download and review the FoodShare application here.

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If you are eligible for the program your benefits will start within 30 days of applying. If you are not eligible you will get notice stating so within 30 days. There is an appeals process if you believe you were unfairly denied.

In certain urgent circumstances benefits are started within seven days of applying. You are eligible for expedited benefits if your household has $100 or less available in cash or in the bank and

    • Expects to receive less than $150 of income this month; or
    • Has rent/mortgage or utility costs that are more than your total gross monthly income, available cash or bank accounts for this month; or
    • Includes a migrant or season farm worker whose income has stopped

     

After you are accepted into the program you will receive a Wisconsin QUEST card. Your benefits will be credited to the card every month. The card works like a check card. Your social security number determines the day of the month your benefits are credited to the card.


FoodShare Wisconsin – A Recipe For Good Health

You can use your card at farmers markets and at grocery stores that have the Quest sign. Benefits can be used to by foods such as:
– Breads and cereals
– Fruits and vegetables
– Meats, fish and poultry
– Dairy products
– Seeds and plants to grow food for your family to eat.

You cannot use your benefits to buy the following.
– Nonfood items
– Beer, wine, liquor, cigarettes or tobacco
– Food that will be eaten in the store
– Hot foods (example; food that is purchased and cooked at the store)

FoodShare Statistics
14.4% of the 5.7 million people in Wisconsin receive FoodShare.
55% of the recipients are female and 45% are male.
57% are adults and 43% are minors.

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  Tags: Bankruptcy, Credit, Financial Freedom

Get Out of Debt Without Filing Bankruptcy

Before deciding to file bankruptcy we always ask our clients to look at alternatives to getting out of debt. The most obvious option is to pay everything off. We created the following exercise to figure out if you can afford to get out of debt and how long it will take.

1. The Form: Take out a piece of paper and draw a table with five columns and enough rows to include all of your creditors. Label the first column CREDITOR, the second column BALANCE, the third column INTEREST RATE, the fourth column MNIMUM PAYMENT and the last column MONTHS. Click here to download the form.

2. Gathering information: Fill out the first four columns by looking at your account statements or calling your creditors. If you don’t know who all of your creditors are visit AnnualCreditReport.com and request a free copy of your credit report.

3. Total Minimum Payments: Add up all the minimum payments and put the total under that column. Circle the number.

4. Budget: Look at your budget and figure out how much a month you can afford to spend on getting out of debt. Write that number under the circled number on your debt list and draw a square around it.

5. Can You Do It?
If your squared number is less then your circled number go back to step four and adjust your budget.

If the squared number is equal to your circled number move on to step 6.

If the squared number is greater then your circled number increase your payment amount on the debt with the highest interest rate. Increase the payment by exactly how much more you have in your squared number. (Redo this every time you pay a debt off.)

6. How Long Will It Take: Use the calculator below to figure out how many months it will take you to pay off each creditor. Fill out the final column for each creditor. (If the calculator says 0 months it is because your payment is not high enough to ever pay off the debt. You have to increase the payment amount.)

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7. Are You Willing to Commit?
If you are happy with your results start following your plan to becoming debt free.

If you are not happy with your results consider going back to step four or seeking professional advice regarding other alternatives.

  Tags: Bankruptcy, Credit, Financial Freedom