Tips for shopping with WIC

September 17, 11:42 AMCareers and Family ExaminerJen Boyer

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In my last article, I discussed how to apply for WIC, the U.S. government's supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and children. As stated, I believe the program is designed to make it easy for people to qualify. Unfortunately, it is not designed to be easy to use.

For your first shopping trip using your WIC vouchers, you may want to get only WIC items. Leave your non-WIC shopping for another trip, until you get the hang of things.
 

Pre-shopping tips:

• Make a list of all your WIC-approved items. When using a voucher, you must purchase ALL the items listed on that voucher.
• Be sure to bring your WIC ID card, as well as your laminated three-panel authorized foods card.
• Treat your vouchers as cash -- they cannot be replaced if lost or stolen. DO NOT sign them in advance -- wait until the cashier instructs you to.
• As printed on the back of the authorized foods card, "Stores must honor manufacturer coupons and specials for WIC foods, including buy one get one free offers."
• You can and should use your shopper rewards card for your WIC transactions. The small discount you receive with your card will help WIC serve other families.

While shopping:
Be careful to compare products to the packaging pictured on your authorized foods card. Make sure you choose the right size, brand, flavor, etc. On my first trip, I selected a can of Old Orchard pineapple orange juice. WRONG. Pineapple orange is an approved flavor, but only Dole brand. Old Orchard is an approved brand, but not in that flavor. It's tricky.

When checking out:

• Group your items on the conveyor belt by voucher, if you have more than one. (Each qualifying individual will have his or her own coupons.)
• Have your WIC ID card and any shopper rewards card available. Remember not to sign your WIC vouchers until the cashier tells you to.
• Be patient. Checking out people using WIC vouchers is laborious and inconvenient for the cashier. It is an archaic system, where each item must be checked and marked on the coupon as it is scanned. This takes a long time. So far every cashier I've used has been kind and helpful, but they have admitted that checking out WIC transactions is difficult, and they know of checkers who don't like to do it.

The process isn't convenient, but it is worthwhile. For the three children I have on WIC, we probably save $100-$125 each month, and we are getting healthy, filling food.