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<div class="image-container float_right" style="width:480px"><div class="image"><a href="http://www.washingtonconcrete.org/assets/Winco%20Foods%20Vancouver(1).jpg">washingtonconcrete.org</a></div></div>A discount grocery chain is being called "Wal-Mart's worst nightmare." 
<keyword id="1804814" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="WinCo">WinCo</keyword>, a Western grocery chain with about 100 stores, has a business model that allows for cheaper prices than Wal-Mart, writes <a href="http://business.time.com/2013/08/07/meet-the-low-key-low-cost-grocery-chain-being-called-wal-marts-worst-nightmare/">Brad Tuttle at Time.</a> 
WinCo keeps costs low by buying directly from suppliers and eliminating middlemen, according to Tuttle. It also doesn't accept credit cards and has customers bag their own groceries. 
A recent Idaho Statesman <a href="http://www.idahostatesman.com/2013/08/03/2684628/winco-model-setting-new-grocery.html">article about WinCo</a> quoted <keyword id="6354851" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Retail">retail</keyword> analyst Burt Flickinger III as saying that WinCo was "unstoppable." 
“They’re Wal-Mart’s worst nightmare,” Flickinger said. 
Much like <keyword id="294127" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Costco">Costco</keyword>, WinCo offers a minimalist selection instead of a wide array of brands <a href="http://business.time.com/2013/08/07/meet-the-low-key-low-cost-grocery-chain-being-called-wal-marts-worst-nightmare/">according to Time</a>. 
For instance, WinCo might only carry two brands of toothpaste, while Wal-Mart <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/costco-is-the-anti-walmart-2012-11">has more than 40.</a> 
Unlike Wal-Mart, whose employees have <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blame-consumers-for-wal-mart-strike-2012-11">demanded better wages</a>, the company provides health benefits to employees who work 24 hours per week and a pension. 
WinCo is expanding fast, and could convert Wal-Mart's customers, according to Time.
"Generally speaking, shoppers tolerate <keyword id="80487" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="walmart">Walmart</keyword>’s empty shelves and subpar customer service because the prices are so good," Tuttle writes. "The fact that another retailer—even a small regional one—is able to compete and sometimes beat Walmart on prices, while also operating well-organized stores staffed by workers who enjoy their jobs, like their employer, and genuinely want the company to be successful."

A Discount Grocery Chain Is Being Touted As 'Wal-Mart's Worst Nightmare'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Betty Glover is relying on a GoFundMe campaign to help her finally retire.</li><li>The 91-year-old works as a cashier for a grocery-store chain in Oregon.</li></ul>It would be a cause for celebration if it weren't so dystopian: A 91-year-old American woman may have <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/efsqhv-help-me-retire-please" target="_blank" rel="noopener">raised enough money</a> online to finally retire.Betty Glover is a great-grandmother who says she has worked for seven decades straight. For the past 10 years, she's been a cashier at WinCo, an Oregon supermarket chain. Before that, she worked for a roofing company.But with her eyes beginning to fail her and remaining debt on the fifth-wheel camper — the kind of mobile home towed by a truck — in which she lives, Glover has joined the many Americans <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/video/americans-crowdfunding-medical-expenses-bernie-sanders-154557626.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">turning to the generosity of strangers</a> for relief from crushing debt. "I really need to retire as my eyesight is failing due to macular degeneration," <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/efsqhv-help-me-retire-please" target="_blank" rel="noopener">she said in her GoFundMe post</a>. "To retire I need to pay off the fifth wheel I live in. If I can do this, I will have enough to pay for the rent of the space, groceries and medications that I need."Despite the US being one of the wealthiest countries, growing old in the nation is <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/may/24/elder-poverty-america-hardship-retirement-economics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a hardship for millions</a>. Almost 90 years after President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act, many Americans are approaching retirement at a time of increased inflation and wage stagnation. Meanwhile, the <a href="https://cf.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/SeniorPoverty-report1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cost of living</a> and <a href="https://www.aarp.org/health/drugs-supplements/info-2022/drug-prices-and-inflation.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">medical care</a> for older people have escalated.As a result, <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/394943/retiring-planning-retire-later.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the average retirement age</a> in the US continues to increase. It's now 61, up from 59 in 2002 and 57 in 1991. Americans are also expecting to retire much later than they did a decade ago. Glover's fundraising campaign has raised more than $60,000, far exceeding her goal of $40,000. Glover <a href="https://www.rv-times.com/localstate/winco-betty-finally-gets-to-retire/article_a06912e0-de35-11ed-8ead-0b661e86948f.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told the Rogue Valley Times</a>, a local newspaper in the town where she still works, that she hoped the money would allow her to finally spend some time with her grandkids."I've just never known anything different than working," she told the outlet.Glover did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A 91-year-old Oregon grocery-store clerk says she may finally retire after raising money on GoFundMe

<ul class="summary-list"><li>More than 28,000 pounds of <keyword id="12912043" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ground-beef" source="Orion">ground beef</keyword> is being recalled after possible <keyword id="12912042" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="e-coli" source="Orion">E. coli</keyword> contamination. </li><li>Customers who purchased ground beef from Kroger, Walmart, Albertsons, and WinCo Foods in several states are encouraged to check their products.</li></ul>Retailers <a href="https://www.kroger.com/content/v2/binary/document/recall-alerts/ground-beef-1641568443695.pdf">Kroger</a>, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-hiring-push-for-home-grocery-delivery-service-2022-1">Walmart</a>, Albertsons, and WinCo Foods are recalling more than 28,000 pounds of ground beef over possible E. coli contamination. Packages of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/beef-supply-chain-small-farms-coronavirus-industry-2020-6">ground beef</a>, produced by Interstate <keyword id="11894326" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="meat" source="Orion">Meat</keyword> Dist. Inc. of Clackamas, Oregon on December 20, are being recalled after a sample tested positive for <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-e-coli-how-outbreak-spreads-2018-4">E. coli</a>, according to a <a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls-alerts/interstate-meat-dist.-inc.-recalls-ground-beef-products-due-possible-e.-coli-o157h7">statement</a> released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service website on Thursday.The beef was shipped out to retailers in Arizona, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/california-da-and-vaccine-mandate-critic-dies-after-contracting-covid-19-2022-1">California</a>, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming, according to the <keyword id="12912045" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="fsis" source="Orion">FSIS</keyword>."FSIS is concerned that some product may be in consumers' refrigerators or freezers," the statement says. "Consumers who have purchased these products are urged not to consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase."The recalled beef has the establishment number "EST.965" inside the <keyword id="12527471" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="usda" source="Orion">USDA</keyword> mark of inspection or printed next to the time stamp and use or freeze by date. All recalled product labels can be found on the <a href="https://www.fsis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/food_label_pdf/2022-01/recall-001-2022-labels.pdf">USDA's website</a>.E. coli infection can cause severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting, according to the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/ecoli-symptoms.html">Centers for Disease Control</a>. Some may experience a mild fever, and most people infected typically get better within five to seven days. Most people start to feel ill within three to four days of consuming contaminated products, according to the CDC.

Walmart, Kroger, and Albertsons recall over 28,000 pounds of ground beef over possible E. coli contamination

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The <keyword id="11899468" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="fda" source="Orion">FDA</keyword> is investigating FreshKampo and HEB brand organic <keyword id="12048091" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="strawberries" source="Orion">strawberries</keyword> for <keyword id="12579229" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="hepatitis-a" source="Orion">Hepatitis A</keyword> Virus.</li><li>Those brands of organic strawberries are sold at Aldi, Kroger, Walmart, Trader Joe's, and more.</li></ul>The Food and Drug Administration is investigating two brands of strawberries sold at top grocery stores for Hepatitis A. The agency is "investigating a multistate outbreak of hepatitis A infections in the United States and Canada potentially linked to fresh organic strawberries branded as FreshKampo and HEB," the FDA <a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/outbreak-investigation-hepatitis-virus-strawberries-may-2022#:~:text=The%20FDA%2C%20along%20with%20CDC,as%20FreshKampo%20and%20HEB%2C%20purchased">website</a> says.The affected berries were purchased between March 5, 2022, and April 25, 2022. The FDA warned people who purchased strawberries during that period and then froze them to dispose of them. Hepatitis A can cause mild illnesses that last weeks as well as severe illnesses that last several months. In rare cases, the infection can cause liver disease and death, the FDA <a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/foodborne-pathogens/hepatitis-virus-hav">said</a>. Most people that are infected fully recover within a few weeks. Thus far, the FDA has reported 17 illnesses and 12 hospitalizations connected to consumption of the strawberries. California saw 15 cases, while Minnesota and North Dakota saw one case each. The FreshKampo and HEB brand strawberries were sold at several retailers, including Aldi, HEB, Kroger, Safeway, Sprouts Farmers Market, Trader Joe's, Walmart, Weis Markets, WinCo Foods. "If you are unsure of what brand you purchased, when you purchased your strawberries, or where you purchased them from prior to freezing them, the strawberries should be thrown away," the FDA said.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Public Health Agency of Canada, and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency are also investigating.

The FDA is investigating a Hepatitis A outbreak linked to organic strawberries sold at Walmart, Trader Joe's and other retailers

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Hepatitis A cases have been linked to strawberries sold at Walmart, Trader Joe's, and other stores.</li><li>Symptoms include: fatigue, appetite loss, tummy pain, nausea, vomiting, and yellow skin. </li></ul>People who develop symptoms of <keyword id="12579229" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="hepatitis-a" source="Orion">hepatitis A</keyword> after eating potentially contaminated organic strawberries should contact their healthcare provider, the <keyword id="11899468" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="fda" source="Orion">FDA</keyword> said amid an outbreak that sickened over a dozen people. As of Saturday, 17 cases of hepatitis A were reported in the US in people who had eaten strawberries branded FreshKampo and HEB, Insider <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fda-investigating-strawberries-sold-grocery-stores-hepatitis-a-2022-5">previously reported</a>. <h2>Symptoms of Hepatitis A include fatigue and tummy pain</h2>Hepatitis A is a liver infection caused by the highly contagious Hepatitis A virus. Most people don't need any treatment if they come in contact with it. In the US, most people are vaccinated against the virus.The <keyword id="11917544" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="cdc" source="Orion">CDC</keyword> recommends that unvaccinated people who encounter it to get a hepatitis A shot, and possibly an antibody drug, within two weeks of exposure.<a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/foodborne-pathogens/hepatitis-virus-hav">Symptoms</a> usually start within 15 to 50 days of coming into contact with the virus, and include fatigue, loss of appetite, tummy pain, nausea, vomiting, yellow skin, dark urine, and pale poop. Symptoms range in severity and usually last between a few weeks to about two months, without any long-term liver damage.But in rare cases, the condition can become chronic and lead to liver failure and death. Older people and those with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of severe illness.Kids younger than 6 years old with hepatitis A don't tend to get symptoms. <h2>The difference between Hepatitis A, B, C</h2>Hepatitis A, B, and C all cause liver infection and inflammation but are different viruses.Hepatitis A tends to be a short-term infection that doesn't become chronic in the majority of cases, while hepatitis B and C are more likely to remain in the body and cause chronic disease and long-term liver damage.Hepatitis A is found in an infectious person's poop and most commonly spread via close contact — for example while caring for someone who is unwell with the virus or during sex. People can also ingest hepatitis A unknowingly via contaminated food and drink or items that have been contaminated with an infected person's poop. Hepatitis B is spread via infected blood, semen, and other body fluids, and hepatitis C is caught from infected blood.There are vaccines to prevent hepatitis A and hepatitis B, but not hepatitis C. <h2>The strawberries were sold in stores including Walmart and Trader Joe's</h2>The strawberries linked with the cases were sold between March 5 and April 25 at retailers including Aldi, HEB, Kroger, Safeway, Sprouts Farmers Market, Trader Joe's, Walmart, Weis Markets, and WinCo Foods. The fresh strawberries would be out of date by now, the FDA said, but people who may have frozen them should throw them out instead of eating them.

17 people have gotten sick after eating strawberries contaminated with hepatitis A &mdash; these are the symptoms to look out for

Trader Joe's is the best supermarket in the US, followed by Publix and Aldi, according to a new survey.&#xa0;
More than 7,000 consumers were asked to rate 14 grocery chains on attributes like best value, fastest service, and cleanliness for the survey by <a href="http://www.marketforce.com/">Market Force Information</a>, a <keyword id="6354851" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Retail">retail</keyword> consulting firm.
Trader Joe's scored the highest in cashier courtesy, while Publix won on fast checkouts and cleanliness. Aldi got the best score on value.
The scoring system is based on customers' satisfaction and likelihood to recommend the store to others.
Here are the rankings.
<h2>1. Trader Joe's</h2>
Score: 78%. Ranked highest in cashier courtesy. Also scored well for fast checkouts, cleanliness, and ease of finding items.
<h2>2. Publix</h2>
Score: 74%. Ranked highest for fast checkouts, cleanliness, availability of items, easy of finding items, and specialty department service.
<h2>3. Aldi</h2>
Score: 65%. Best value.
<h2>4. Hy-Vee</h2>
Score: 64%. Ranked high in cashier courtesy, availability of items, and specialty department service.
<h2>5. H-E-B</h2>
Score: 64%. Ranked high in specialty department service, sales and promotions, and ease of finding items.
<h2>6. Costco</h2>
Score: 61%. Ranked high for value and cleanliness.
<h2>7. Kroger</h2>
Score: 60%. Ranked high for availability of items, ease of finding items, cleanliness, and promotions.
<h2>8. ShopRite</h2>
Score: 54%. Best sales and promotions.
<h2>9. WinCo Foods</h2>
Score: 54%. Ranked second for value behind Aldi.&#xa0;
<h2>
10. Meijer&#xa0;</h2>
Score: 53%. Good promotions.&#xa0;
<h2>11. Albertsons</h2>
Score: 49%. Fast checkouts.&#xa0;
<h2>12. Sam's Club</h2>
Score: 47%. Ranked fourth for best value.
<h2>13. Safeway</h2>
Score: 46%.&#xa0;
<h2>14. Wal-Mart</h2>

Score: 24%.&#xa0;&#xa0;

The best supermarkets in America

<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image on-image">ABC<keyword id="219358" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Mark-Cuban">Mark Cuban</keyword> and Chris Johnson closing the deal on <keyword id="1417364" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Shark-Tank">Shark Tank</keyword>.</div></div>The word "no" doesn't mean no forever. It doesn't even mean no for 20 minutes on "Shark Tank."
In the latest episode of ABC's reality pitch show, billionaire investor Mark Cuban called entrepreneur Chris Johnson "a fool," yet later decided to invest $300,000 in his business.
Johnson was after an investment of $300,000 for a 10% equity stake in his company, Rapid Ramen Cooker, which produces square-shaped bowls that give ramen noodles stove-top taste despite being cooked in the microwave.
Johnson said he would use the money to manufacture his cookers, which cost $0.75 each to make and sell for $5.99. 
From the beginning, Cuban questioned the need for an actual cooker to make ramen noodles. "You're drunk [when eating them] - it doesn't matter," the investor argued.
In three months, Johnson was able to get his cooker in over 2,500 stores, including Safeway, H-E-B, Winco, and Raley's, and brought in over $164,000 in sales. He predicted sales would hit $2 million in the next year.
When Johnson said that he's so confident in the projected growth of his company that he wouldn't sell it for $3 million today, Cuban said what no business owner wants to hear: "You're a fool. I'm out."
Sharks Kevin O'Leary and Robert Herjavec decided to team up, offering the funding for a 25% stake plus $0.75 every time a Rapid Ramen is sold until the investment is repaid. The royalty would then drop to $0.25 per unit. 
At this point, Cuban jumped in and said he would provide Johnson with the $300,000 for 20% equity, but $150,000 of it would be in the form of a loan.
Johnson counter-offered with 15% equity to a hesitant Cuban.
"You know I'm going to be the one grinding," Johnson said. "I'm going to be the one making it happen. I will outwork every single one of your entrepreneurs."
This was exactly what Cuban needed to hear. He accepted the offer.
The lesson here is to believe in your product, don't be afraid to negotiate, and even when someone says "no" to you, it doesn't mean you can't turn that "no" into a "yes."

Just Because Mark Cuban Calls You A 'Fool,' Doesn't Mean He Won't Invest In Your Company

Americans spend a lot of time and money grocery shopping. The average shopper <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/maps-showing-regional-supermarkets-2013-6">visits the store</a> about 88 times a year, spending upwards of $6,000. 
<a href="http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2014/05/how-to-be-a-smarter-supermarket-shopper/index.htm">Consumer Reports</a> recently surveyed 27,208 readers to rank 55 supermarket chains around the U.S.
The top three stores - Wegmans, an East Coast chain, Trader Joe's, a Southern California-based specialty food chain, and Publix, a Southern chain - all had high marks for service and cleanliness. 
Wal-Mart had a bad reputation among customers, ranking dead last. Customers complained about slow checkout speeds and subpar food quality. 
Here are the top 10 supermarkets, according to Consumer Reports:
<h3>1. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/harvard-has-a-higher-acceptance-rate-than-wegmans-2013-10">Wegmans</a> (83 stores in the mid-Atlantic region, in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Virginia)</h3>
Consumer Reports Reader score: 88. Best service, Best perishables, Good prices, Best cleanliness
<h3>2. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/15-of-the-craziest-deals-at-trader-joes-2012-7">Trader Joe's</a> (408 stores in 30 states)</h3>
Consumer Reports Reader score: 87. Best service, Good perishables, Best prices, Best cleanliness
<h3>3. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/publix-denies-mothers-day-ad-is-pro-life-2013-5">Publix</a> (1,080 stores in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee)</h3>
Consumer Reports Reader score: 85. Best service, Best perishables, Okay prices, Best cleanliness
<h3>4. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/costco-money-saving-tips-2014-1">Costco</a> (648 stores worldwide)</h3>
Consumer Reports Reader score: 84. Okay service, Best perishables, Best prices, Good cleanliness
<h3>5. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/non-organic-supermarket-los-angeles-2011-11">Sprouts Farmers Market</a> (150 locations in Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Utah, Kansas and Georgia)</h3>
Consumer reports Reader score: 84. Good Service, Best perishables, Good prices, Good cleanliness
<h3>6. Market Basket (71 supermarkets in New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Maine)</h3>
Consumer Reports Reader score: 83. Good service, Good perishables, Best prices, Good cleanliness
<h3>7. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/should-you-buy-groceries-online-2013-3">Raley's</a> (85 stores in California and Nevada)</h3>
Consumer Reports Reader score: 83. Good service, Best perishables, Bad prices, Best cleanliness 
<h3>8. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/fairway-ceo-howie-glickberg-2011-9">Fairway Stores</a> (14 stores in the tri-state area)</h3>
Consumer Reports Reader score: 83. Best service, Good perishables, Best prices, Good cleanliness
<h3>9. Stater Bros. (167 stores in California)</h3>
Consumer Reports Reader score: 82. Good service, Good perishables, Best prices, Good cleanliness
<h3>10. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/win-chain-is-wal-marts-worst-nightmare-2013-8">WinCo</a> Foods (93 stores in Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Texas)</h3>
Consumer Reports Reader score: 81. Okay service, Okay perishables, Best prices, Okay cleanliness
And the bottom five on Consumer Reports' ranking:
51: Pick 'n Save: Reader score: 72 52. Acme: Reader score: 70 53. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/power-outage-shuts-down-food-stamp-program-in-17-states-2013-10">Pathmark</a>: Reader score: 70 54. Shaw's: Reader score: 69 55. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/is-wal-mart-good-for-local-economies-2013-11">Wal-Mart Supercenter</a>: Reader score: 67
See the ful report at <a href="http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2014/05/how-to-be-a-smarter-supermarket-shopper/index.htm">Consumer Reports</a>.

Consumer Reports Says These Are The 10 Best Supermarkets In America 

AP Photo/Gosia Wozniacka, FileStockton, California.<ul class="summary-list"><li>The city of Stockton, California, is giving 125 residents monthly payments of $500, no strings attached.</li><li>The payments are part of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/michael-tubbs-launching-basic-income-program-stockton-2019-4">a basic-income trial</a> led by the city's 29-year-old mayor, Michael Tubbs.</li><li>One participant told Business Insider that the stipend helps pay for her medical expenses. She's also saving up to visit her sister, who is ill.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>Virginia has always been diligent about sorting her mail.The 61-year-old resident of Stockton, California, who asked that her last name be kept private, told her husband not to throw any letters away while she was visiting her sister in Oregon last year. In the pile waiting when she returned, Virginia found a notice from the city inviting 125 residents to participate in a trial of basic income. The city was offering a monthly stipend of $500 for 18 months."My husband said, 'That sounds like something that's too good to be true," Virginia told Business Insider. She called the city to set up a meeting."It was exciting and nerve-racking," she said. "I thought, geez, there's no way I'll get that $500."Virginia has been participating in the program, officially known as the Stockton Economic Empowerment Demonstration, or SEED, since February. It aims to test whether giving people an unconditional stipend - essentially paying them simply for being alive - could reduce the city's poverty and inequality. Virginia will get $500 a month through July 2020.She said the payments are easing her stress about buying everyday necessities."I'm not saying, 'Oh, it's just free money - I'm just going to go blow it,'" she said. "I've helped pay off a debt, a small one. This has helped me be able to buy food and medicine that I know I would have to use my regular income for."Virginia's experience aligns with the initial results of the trial, which showed that, on average, participants have so far spent about 40% of their stipends on food and another 24% on sales and merchandise - like trips to Walmart or dollar stores. Another 11% went to paying for their utilities, and about 9% went to buying gas and repairing their cars."It's a landmark study in the history of basic income," Michael Stynes, the CEO of the nonprofit Jain Family Institute, told Business Insider.<h2>Virginia spends most of her basic income on food and medicine</h2>Preston Gannaway/GRAIN/The Washington Post/Getty ImagesStockton.On the 15th of every month, the debit card Virginia got from the city is loaded with $500. Before the stipend started arriving, she said she wasn't saving any money and owed several debts, each less than $5,000."I've been trained to pay my bills - start with the small ones, then work up to the bigger ones," Virginia said.She and her husband, Albert, have been married for 23 years and are retired. Albert receives Social Security checks, she said, but doesn't have any retirement savings. Virginia sells Avon cosmetics to earn about $300 a month, though she expects to make more this month after selling the company's gift items at holiday boutiques.Their total household income before the monthly stipends was about $42,000 - $3,500 a month before taxes."Sometimes it's very stressful trying to make ends meet, but we manage to get by every month," she said.Virginia said she spends most of the $500 on food and medicine. She has diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. She and her husband, Albert, each have around six monthly prescriptions, she said. The average copay for one medication is $15 for a three-month supply, which amounts to $60 a month for the household. But that doesn't include Virginia's insulin, which she said is the most expensive.The $500 covers these medications and allows Virginia to put $50 a month toward paying off her debts. She said the stipend has also enabled her to put away another $50 in savings each month. She plans to use that money to visit her sister, who is almost 20 years older and in poor health, in May."I'm going to see a loved one who I don't know how much longer I'm going to have," she said. "It was hard for me to do that before this money came."<h2>Early results from Stockton's basic-income trial</h2>In 2012, Stockton became the largest city in the US at the time to file for bankruptcy. It's no longer bankrupt, but about <a href="https://datausa.io/profile/geo/stockton-ca/">a quarter of its population</a> still lives below the federal poverty line.When Michael Tubbs was elected mayor of the city in 2017 (he was just 26 years old at the time), he began searching for a way to lift more residents out of poverty."I came into doing the pilot without a fully formed perspective - or as fully formed as it is now - but really more out of curiosity," he <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/michael-tubbs-launching-basic-income-program-stockton-2019-4">told Business Insider</a> in April. "If this was a solution that could work, I wanted to test it out."To qualify for the program, residents had to be at least 18 and live in Stockton. They also needed to reside in a neighborhood where the median household income is the same as or lower than the city's overall: $46,033. From there, 125 residents were selected at random to participate.Critics of basic income argue that cash stipends reduce the incentive for people to find jobs and encourage recipients to make more frivolous purchases. But Tubbs said he didn't give much thought to whether the trial would be controversial."My team was more nervous than I was," he said. "I honestly will tell you this: I didn't really see much risk."In October, the researchers behind the program - a group from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, the University of Pennsylvania, and the <a href="https://www.jainfamilyinstitute.org/">Jain Family Institute</a> - released the first set of data showing that participants were spending most of their money on food.Those results, Stynes said, dispel the "welfare queen" notion that people use government stipends to play video games, drink beer, or do drugs.But he added that Stockton's program is relatively small compared to other basic-income trials and there isn't a lot of time left, so it could be difficult to make strong claims about how effective it might be as a permanent policy.<h2>Virginia splurged on meat for Christmas dinner</h2>Before retiring, Virginia worked for the State of California for more than two decades in various roles, including as a secretary at the California Health Care Facility, which houses inmates with long-term medical needs. Albert, a former truck driver, stopped working after he was injured on the job more than 22 years ago.Virginia's son, Mark, now lives with them. She said he owes her "quite a bit" of money, but gives her about $100 each month. Mark recently got a part-time job working at a warehouse.Hector Amezcua/Sacramento Bee/Tribune News Service/Getty ImagesThe California Health Care Facility, where Virginia worked.Virginia recently refinanced her home to lower her interest rate, which she said helps her save about $200 a month. She has also figured out how to cut costs while running errands, what she calls "making her rounds." First, she combs through mail ads from grocery stores to compare their prices. Then she makes a list of the items she needs and maps out her route."I start where I live and I go in a circle, get what I need, then end up back at home so I can save gas," she said.She often gets groceries at the WinCo supermarket. "They have really good prices and then you can buy in bulk," she added.Before the basic-income program, Virginia said, she used to do a big grocery run at the beginning of the month and spend up to $100, planning for the coming weeks. That accounted for most of her monthly grocery costs. Now she can buy food and supplies more incrementally."Nowadays I don't even do monthly shopping anymore because I just keep it stocked a little at a time," she said. "I'm very frugal with my money, whether it's my personal money or the money that Stockton has been giving me. Once in a while I'll buy a steak, but it still has to be on sale."<a href="http://www.washingtonconcrete.org/assets/Winco%20Foods%20Vancouver(1).jpg">washingtonconcrete.org</a>Virginia said she recently spent $60 - $1.79 a pound - on meat to make pozole, a Mexican stew made with ancho chili broth, for Christmas dinner. It was the most she'd ever spent on meat at one time. Albert picked up the chilis at a flea market.Virginia was nervous about the price, but said her son offered to split the cost. For Christmas, they're hosting 20 family members for a Mexican-themed meal of pozole, enchiladas, rice, and beans. Tamales, she said, were too expensive. She's anticipating a few extra guests."Our church has a Bible college and some kids just can't afford to go home," she said. "I'm not going to have them sitting at the dorm. They can come over and eat with us."This year, Virginia added, she's less stressed about whether she'll make enough money selling Avon cosmetics to afford gifts."I was pushing it really, really hard before the stipends because I needed extra money," she said of the part-time job. "When [the stipend] goes away, I'll push it extra hard again."<h2>Tubbs said a basic income is 'allowing people to breathe again'</h2>So far, the basic-income experiment seems to be working as Tubbs expected."I predicted they would spend money much like we spend money, on necessities first," he said.One man used his stipend to buy dentures. Another resident used the money to go visit family, like Virginia plans to.The money is "allowing people to breathe again," Tubbs said.Rich Pedroncelli/AP PhotoMayor Michael Tubbs discusses his basic-income program in an interview in Stockton.Nearly 70% of the participants in Stockton's trial are women. The researchers think this is because women are more likely to open a household's mail than men, so they were the first to receive the city's notice. The team behind the trial also determined that women in Stockton are more likely to manage their household's daily tasks, which include paying bills. That's true in Virginia's family."I pay all the bills," she said. "I plan ahead."Tubbs said that the fact that most of the payments are being managed and spent by women makes him <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stockton-basic-income-test-success-mayor-tubbs-2019-12">even more confident that the experiment will improve residents' financial health</a>. He pointed to research from the World Bank, which shows that <a href="http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/730721468326167343/pdf/WPS5753.pdf">investing in girls' education</a> leads to increases in national income and gross domestic product.<h2>The stipends are expected to run out soon</h2>Virginia said many Stockton residents still aren't aware that the basic-income trial exists. Her family, friends, and fellow churchgoers who do know can't believe that she was chosen, she said."Some people say, 'Well, how in the world? That's not fair that you got picked - you make good money,'" Virginia said. "But everybody needs help once in a while. You never know anybody's situation."With eight months left in the trial, the city hasn't determined whether it will extend or expand the program. For now, Virginia said she treats each payment as if it's her last."I don't want to depend on it forever because it's not going to last forever," she said. She also understands there is no guarantee that any future phase of the trial would include her family."They might pick other people. If they do, I understand - it's only fair," Virginia said. "But it would be nice if it would continue."<h3>Read more about basic income:</h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stockton-basic-income-test-success-mayor-tubbs-2019-12">A 29-year-old mayor is giving his city's poorest residents a basic income of $500 per month. He says the program is a success so far.</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/finland-basic-income-experiment-reasons-for-failure-2019-12">One of the world's largest basic-income trials, a 2-year program in Finland, was a major flop. But experts say the test was flawed.</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/marica-brazil-basic-income-policy-monthly-payments-2019-11">A Brazilian city is giving a third of its residents $33 per month - part of one of the largest basic-income programs in the world</a> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/no-income-growth-for-bottom-half-americans-henry-blodget-2017-6">There has been no income growth for the bottom half of Americans</a></h3>

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