TikTok Mum Shares Struggles to Feed 12 Kids, Says Food Is Expensive: "I Use KSh 385k Weekly"
- Veronica Merritt painfully explained how she struggled to feed her 12 young children due to the high cost of living
- The 39-year-old American woman said she spends over KSh 180,000 monthly on food, but it was still not enough
- Social media users expressed mixed reactions in the comment section following the single mum's concern
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A woman from New York, US, has tearfully opened up about her struggles to support her family with the tough economic challenges.
Source: TikTok
Veronica Merritt painfully confessed to straining to feed her 12 children with the insane cost of living.
Despite receiving a food stamp of nearly KSh 180,000 per month, the 39-year-old said she struggled to make ends meet.
How much does Veronica spend on food monthly?
"Food is so expensive right now. I’m just trying to make it work, I had no money this month, so I had to use my KSh 180,000 in food stamps, but it’s impossible to feed 11 people on that. Prices are out of control," she cried.
Veronica used to spend KSh 65,000 monthly on food, but following the high cost of living her expenditure shot to between KSh 257,000 and KSh 386,000.
However, she noted that her family did not have the luxury of eating five-star meals, yet it was hard to feed them.
She shares videos on her TikTok platform while making simple meals, which was not enough for her family.
Netizens weigh in on Veronica's struggles
Social media users weighed in on her difficult situation as they expressed mixed reactions about Veronica's state.
Anesha Munn:
"Budget better, it’s completely possible. She’s probably buying a bunch of processed stuff that isn’t nutritious so they blast through it."
Tamora Pierce
"Who told her to have all those kids, and then you want to complain about stuff. Hell, what about the people with kids that work for a living and do not receive benefits. They are struggling too."
Jaye Murphy:
"If the government put a cap on the amount of benefits you get, women would stop having so many. The way she freely talks about her food stamps as if she is entitled because she has a dozen children."
Eyoncé Fiddemon-Fowler:
"My heart goes out to her. Prices of groceries have gone up. We have a family of seven with no assistance. Our grocery bill is easily KSh 154,000 a month, and that is a major jump from our KSh 102,800 prior grocery bill. I hope she can get herself together to feed all of her children. Life is very expensive right now. My husband and I are blessed to not need assistance to provide, but this economy food expense has skyrocketed."
Leigh Alfkay:
"I get choosing poorly in men once, maybe even twice, but twelve times, plus in America isn't child maintenance mandatory? Everyone saying what about the dads, but she also has accountability and needs to use contraception of some sort. That said, it's too late now so the kids are the ones suffering which is so unfair on them. If I were her I'd plant up my garden and get growing veggies. Root veg is easy to grow and goes far."
In a brief interview with TUKO.co.ke, Susan Njoroge, a mother of four, noted life was easier 10 years ago compared to the current times.
"There are several factors that contribute to this situation. Veronica's case is worse, of course, because of the number of kids she has, but I have felt the pinch in my experience. We have shifted to more traditional food because of the high prices of food in the supermarket. We have become more reliant on our farm produce to avoid buying more food products from the supermarket. It is not getting any easier soon," she said.
Uasin Gishu mum struggling to feed family
Closer home, an Uasin Gishu woman highlighted her struggles to provide for her family after her husband's death.
Carolina had an underlying medical condition that sees her disappear for weeks, leaving her young children worried and without protection.
Speaking to TUKO.co.ke, a good Samaritan noted the poverty-stricken family relied on help from well-wishers.
Proofreading by Asher Omondi, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
