The Obamas may have a talented executive chef on staff to cook their meals, but that doesn't mean the presidential kitchen is completely complimentary to the first family. People magazine reports that, with the exception of official dinners, the Obamas are responsible for all of their food, drink, and dry-cleaning bills. The expenses are deducted from President Obama's $400,000 annual salary. They might be the first family of the United States, but they have everyday expenses, just like us!
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The Obamas Pay For Groceries, Just Like Us
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J by Jasper Conran
They just ran a really interesting article in National Geographic about the White House. I was shocked to read the first family has to pay for groceries, but after thinking about it, it makes perfect sense.
1http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2009/01/president/bumiller-text
2interesting article- thanks syako
3Great information, didn't know that.
4I read about this recently! I was surprised, but I also thought it made a lot of sense once I thought about it. I think the article was about how one first lady was so surprised to get a bill...maybe Nancy Reagan? It makes so much sense, though, especially in these times. I would be annoyed if my tax dollars went to cookies or dry cleaning.
5it's actually reassuring that they have to pay for things like that. it's not just a given. which is especially nice since we all know that it's our tax dollars that would pay for something like that. i wonder if they are coupon people too - or if they just make a list of stuff ,since it would be hard to go through a supermarket with all that secret service on your tail.
6Good. It would really bother me if they (or any other First Family) got that kind of stuff on the house.
7This is refreshing to know. I'd actually been wondering about that recently.
8Well, I'm glad they aren't exempt either. They should have to pay for their own stuff; it's not like they're poor or anything like that.
9Coupons?
LOL.
10You do realize that tax money pays the President's salary, and so therefore yours and my taxes are in fact paying for groceries and dry cleaning.
11RE: tiabia
Well, the president is working to earn this salary that is paid for by our taxes, so I think it's a fair exchange. It's not like he's getting paid for doing nothing.
12I agree tiabia, it IS taxpayer's money that pays the president's salary and every people in our government. (by the way, the key word is SALARY, ophelia, I don't think tiabia is implying that the president isn't working, even us ordinary people who have jobs have salary).
Nawww, but the thing is, why not? I imagine the price they had to pay probably over inflated and they can't even get them themselves due to
their type of jobs. Coupons help, even a little 
13But it is good to know that they're deducting it from his paycheck. I wonder also if they use coupons
I love that. It makes perfect sense after all.
14While that sounds great, it wasn't pointed out that since 1949 U.S. Presidents have had an expense account ($50,000 per year) that covers items such as the food bill. There is also, at least, $19,000 account for entertainment that is renewable each year. So, this isn't exactly being deducted from their paycheck.
15knew the president had to pay the food bill. But, he do not not have to pay for the 5 Chefs in the Whitehouse. Also, he has several expense accounts (general expense, entertainment expense, separate entertainment, personnal travel expense (above and beyond airforce one,etc.)to pay for food in addition to his salary. If he spends over his various expense accounts he has an unanticipated need account (not to exceed one million dollars)that he can dip into. Finally, the President gets outstanding after Presidential perks.
Larry
16Yeah, "just like us"...except for the part where he makes $400K and I make $35K a year.
Also, there are many expense accounts and perks while on the job and a multi-million dollar pension in four or eight years, whenever he stops being president. Of course he is also a multi-millionaire from his books and his wife earned around $300K at the University of Chicago when she was a vice-president of the hospital.
I don't think they're anything like the average American.
17The Obama's may not be the average american family but they are the closest that any President has been to being AVERAGE as far as money is concerned.
18Jimmy Carter was a peanut farmer and served in the Navy before getting into public office. Lyndon Johnson grew up in poverty and worked his way through the local college. Ronald Reagan worked at a radio station. Harry Truman was also a farmer. Herbert Hoover was the son of a blacksmith and had a career as a mining engineer. To say that Barack Obama is the closest any president has been to being average is an ignorant statement from an uninformed person. Please do your own research rather than depend on a biased media (left and right) or the generally uneducated public.
19He receives a $50,000 expense account and you say he has to buy his own groceries.
20Am I missing something here?
Has Obama made more money than any other President in history with less than 1 year in office?
21$ 400,000 annual salary + expenses & perks
$1,400,000 Nobel Peace Prize Money
$ 500,000 Signed book contract advance - signed one day before innaugaration.
Wow! Thats $2,300,000 meanwhile all those poor people out of jobs & homes are told by our politicians we should only be concerned about investment bankers.
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