Michelle Obama Reveals First Families Have To Pay For Their Own Food While Living In The White House

Wait, what?! While recently appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live! to promote her new memoir, Becoming, former First Lady Michelle Obama casually revealed that First Families have to pay for their own food while living in the White House.

During their chat about her book, host Jimmy Kimmel told Michelle that one of the “most interesting things” he read was the 54-year-old’s passage about how the President and his family must finance their pantry during their stay in Washington D.C. Michelle then replied, “Go figure. It’s crazy because you don’t know it, and most people don’t know what it’s like to live in the White House.”

Michelle interestingly has a really positive attitude about the whole situation, though. “Rent is free, staff is free. We shouldn’t be mooching off of the taxpayers,” she added. The mom-of-two then told Jimmy that the strangest part is that the White House chef and kitchen staff allows the First Family to pick out whatever food they want — they just have to pick up the tab afterward!

“It’s a little shocking because nobody really tells you this stuff and then they let you get whatever you want,” Michelle explained. “I would tell Barack [Obama], ‘Do not express pleasure for anything unless I know how much it costs.’ They’re very responsive at your expense. In all fairness, if we want a certain kind of jam or jelly, we should pay for that.”

During another recent TV appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Michelle also revealed that she once tried to escape the White House in order to celebrate the legalization of gay marriage with the public. “When you’re in the residence, there’s so much bullet-proof glass that sometimes you don’t hear what’s going on outside,” Michelle shared. “And we were having dinner and we were listening… we know there was a celebration happening but we didn’t realize that thousands of people were gathering in front of the White House at that time to celebrate. And my staff was calling me, everybody was celebrating, people were crying, and I thought, I want to be in that. Also, we had worked to make sure that the White House was lit up in the LGBT colors. It was beautiful.”

“I was sitting and watching [the celebration] on TV and realizing, I’m living this,” Michelle continued. “I said, ‘I have to break out of this. I want to go outside and I want to be a part of that celebration.’ So I had the bright idea, I’m going outside.”

Michelle then said she realized that even if she could get past the White House’s Secret Service agents, she didn’t want to be seen by the awaiting media wearing her at-home comfy sweatpants. While she ultimately decided to stay inside, it sure sounded like a fun plan!