Use both your WIC and SNAP benefits to get the most for your food dollars. Follow these tips to get the most out of your food benefits.

Stretch your dollars to the end of the month!

FOR WIC

  • Always use your WIC benefits first to avoid losing any value at the end of the month.

  • WIC benefits expire on the last day to use them by. Find this date on your shopping list, check, voucher, or shopper app. You can also call the number on the back of your EBT card.

  • WIC is a “supplemental” food program. It does not provide 100% of your needs. This is why combining your benefits works best. Keep this in mind when shopping with your WIC benefits.

  • Look for the “We Accept WIC” sign or ask your local WIC agency for a list of approved vendors.

You will need to recertify with WIC, usually every 6 months to a year, to keep receiving your benefits. Recertify for WIC as soon as you get your notice. That way you won’t be without WIC.

FOR SNAP

  • The amount of money you will get from SNAP every month rolls over to the next month. This means if you do not use it all, you do not lose it. Your first day to use your WIC benefits may be different from the day you get your SNAP.
  • Pay attention to your certification periods when planning. You may need to recertify to keep benefits up-to-date before they expire.

Always grocery shop with a: 

  • Shopping list and a beginning balance of approved foods left on your WIC EBT card
  • SNAP Benefits Card
  • WIC EBT card (If you still have WIC checks, bring the checks for the right month, your WIC envelope with WIC ID, and remember to only sign your checks at the store at checkout.) 
  • Your state's WIC approved foods list or shopper app.

Before you shop:

  • See what foods you already have at home 
  • Make a meal plan--check out our Making a Meal Plan Lesson
  • Find recipes in Health eKitchen
  • Gather your paper and digital coupons
  • Create a shopping list
  • Highlight the foods on your list that will be purchased with your WIC benefits.
  • Eat before you shop. That way you shop with your list and not your stomach. This will save you from unnecessary purchases!
  • If possible, take reusable shopping bags with you. Save the planet by saving plastic from the landfill!

At the store:

  • Put WIC first- WIC benefits expire after the last day to use them. Buy WIC foods first to save SNAP dollars for later. 
  • Organize your food basket at the store by separating your WIC foods from the rest of the items.
  • Use money-savers like BOGOs (Buy One Get One), store promotions, and coupons. These can be used with WIC foods to increase your buying power. Do not buy foods you don’t normally use, just because they are a good deal. Always check your receipt to make sure you got your deals.

At the register:

  • Use your WIC EBT card first for your WIC food
  • Next, use your SNAP benefits card for the remaining food. 
  • Then use any other benefits like temporary cash assistance. 
  • Lastly, use your own personal money.

Use all your benefits! 

  • Use any extra benefits to buy items you know your family will use in the future.
  • Choose canned goods, dried beans, rice, and frozen foods to help build your foods on hand.

Did You Know?

If you have used all your benefits at the store, and still do not have enough food, find extra help. Use these links to find food assistance near you.
-- USDA National Hunger Hotline: 1-866-3-HUNGRY or 1-877-8-HAMBRE (Spanish).
    Hours: 8AM - 8PM EST. Call or click on "Find Meals" to find food assistance near you.
-- Why Hunger Hotline. WhyHunger. Call 1-800-5-HUNGRY or text your zip code to 1-800-548-6479. Hablan español.
-- Find a Local Food Bank Feeding America.
-- Meals on Wheels Find Meals Tool. Meals on Wheels Association America.
-- Federal Food Assistance Programs to Help You Get Food
_ Dial 211 on your phone or visit 211 on the web at www.211.org for confidential help.