I’m a 30-year-old who tries to be frugal. When I look at unit prices, buying in bulk at the warehouse store is a smart move—rice, beans, paper products: cheaper per unit, less frequent trips. But bulk means a big upfront cost. Even if SNAP covers the items, I still need the cash to buy a large package at once. Often I don’t have that lump sum in my wallet. A month ago I compared a 25-lb bag of rice to several smaller bags; the big bag would save me money over time, but it required an upfront payment I couldn’t float that week. So I bought smaller bags at a higher per-pound cost. It’s ironically more expensive and more time-consuming. When affordability is judged by unit price but daily life is judged by cash on hand, the system pushes people toward worse choices. Would it make sense for programs or stores to offer micro-financing, split payments, or community bulk-buy cooperatives for SNAP users so the long-term savings of bulk purchases become accessible to those without upfront cash? #SNAPLife #SNAPVoices