Karen Ward has been preparing for a lapse in federal food assistance by getting creative with how she stretches a dollar. “You can get a chicken from Costco and make three different things, then I boil the bones to make a broth and then I make a soup,” Ward said. “I get the most out of that $5 chicken.” These days, Ward and her husband, who are both in their 60s, track every dollar, clipping coupons and watching for discounts….