7 ways to get free groceries.

Back in July 2019, a member of my neighborhood Buy Nothing Facebook group posted about an estate sale that wanted to dump all the kitchen stuff. Free groceries! Woo hoo!

The catch: You had to take all of it, or you couldn’t have any of it.

That didn’t bother DF a bit. He cheerfully brought home several of those large plastic totes full of nonperishables: soups, relishes, pickles, marshmallow fluff, Minute Rice, dried beans, canned milk, Stove-Top stuffing mix, jams and jellies, other stuff I’m probably forgetting and – our favorite – a 33.8-ounce bottle of vanilla.

The vanilla was our favorite part of the score. Have you priced that stuff lately? On Amazon it seems to range from $1.03 to $4.99 per ounce. [As an Amazon affiliate, I may receive a small fee if someone shops through my links.]

 

 

Getting this vanilla means two years’ worth of free flavorings for Lightning Cake, cookies, brownies, and tapioca, rice and coconut bread puddings. It’s unlikely that most people will score a find like the estate sale. But I have gotten free food in other ways, too – and maybe some of these tactics could help you build a deeper pantry.

 

Most people already know that food banks provide free groceries. The tactics I’m suggesting below are a bit more outside-the-box. Will they meet your every pantry need? Probably not. But any free items you do score will affect the bottom line.

1. Buy Nothing Facebook group

As noted above, we found out about the estate sale through the BN group. But we’ve also scored a ton of other items through this Facebook page. Sometimes it’s because someone didn’t like something they bought a lot of, or because they realize they probably can’t finish it up before it goes bad. Other times it’s a “we’re moving out of state and can’t take this stuff,” or “our garden/berry patch has run amok.”

And sometimes I have no idea why things are available, but they are. One woman loaded me up with five quarts of yogurt and a gallon of milk. The yogurt went into the freezer, to be pulled out as needed, and the milk went to making some of those puddings mentioned earlier. This particular find meant that I didn’t have to make my own yogurt for several months, which in turn meant that we bought a lot less milk during those months. #Win-Win

Among the other free groceries we’ve gotten from Buy Nothing: split peas, canned milk, dried beans, shredded coconut, pasta, flour, black beans, parchment paper, protein powder, chia seeds, aluminum foil, vinegar, canned salmon, rice, plastic wrap, powdered milk, canned soup, Spam (which DF loves and I tiptoe past), pickling salt, baking powder, yeast and several cans of “dough enhancer,” a product that made our bonehead-simple rustic bread recipe even better.

Not all groups are created equal, of course. But you won’t know until you check. Look for a group in your area by visiting https://buynothingproject.org/find-a-group/.

2. Freecycle and Craigslist

Your mileage may vary with these two groups, too, depending on where you live. But when I was back in college in midlife, I did get some free food this way.

A lot of times that meant tree fruit and garden produce overflow. But I saw a lot of stuff like “I’m no longer on the Frou-Frou Meal Plan Diet, so does anyone want two weeks’ worth of entrees?” or “We bought a bunch of generic cereal and the kids say it doesn’t taste like Raisin Brand should.”

I also saw postings like “Our cat won’t eat this food and we have a dozen cans left” or, more sadly, “Our dog died and we have 40 pounds of kibble.” This kind of thing is important if your grocery budget includes feeding a pet.

Skimming through those sites recently, I saw a posting that said, “I’m a senior and the food pantry gave me too much food – please take some!” I also saw “can’t use this, who could?” postings for infant cereal, applesauce, cooking oil, seasoned salt, all-purpose flour, whole milk, potatoes, green beans, mayonnaise and sweet potatoes.

Again: You can’t do all your shopping this way, just as the Buy Nothing Facebook group probably can’t fill your pantry completely. However, every dollar you don’t have to spend on the basics means more money to spend on other items, to beef up (as it were) your emergency fund – or, maybe, to put gas in the car or keep the lights on during a rough patch.

3. Little Free Food pantries

Maybe you’ve seen Little Free Libraries in your area. The Little Free Food Pantries movement is along the same lines: a small box on a post, except that it’s filled with food (and sometimes other things, such as toiletries or pet items).

Since they’re “open” around the clock, you can stop by in early morning or late at night if you don’t want anyone to know that you’re in need.

Two potential sources for finding free groceries in your area:

• Little Free Pantry 
• The Little Free Pantries

These aren’t the only sources, however, since it’s likely that some pantries exist that aren’t associated with a clearinghouse. Google “little free pantry in [your city]” and you might luck out.

4. Gleaning

Nonprofit groups are setting up websites to show where you can pick up vegetables, fruits and even nuts for free; some also glean unwanted food from supermarkets and restaurants and distribute them to those who can use them.

Food Forward is a clearinghouse for gleaning organizations in both the United States and Canada. Here are some options from that list:

• Fallen Fruit posts maps of fruits/nuts in and around Los Angeles
• Urban Food Forestry collates links to harvest initiatives
• Village Harvest lists options in 10 U.S. states and one Canadian province
• Falling Fruit maps gleanable produce in the U.S. and also in other countries, along with links to food distribution groups

Another way to glean is to pay attention to your environment. Notice apples or cherries or oranges going to waste? Knock on the door or leave a note asking politely if you might have some of the overflow.

Or watch for where fruits or vegetables have expanded beyond their original locations; for example, a bike trail near us is lined with raspberries that jumped someone’s fence.

City parks and municipal landscapes sometimes feature edibles. Check with local ordinances to see if it’s okay to harvest those walnuts or crabapples or whatever.

Finally: Consider getting a field guide to wild greens/plants and mushrooms in your region. Earlier this year I learned that fireweed is edible. However, it’s essential to be very, very careful when doing this, so you don’t accidentally eat something poisonous. In some places a cooperative extension employee or a park naturalist will lead “harvesting wild foods” tours, so look for those options near you.

5. Couponing at the dollar store

Websites like CouponMom.com and The Krazy Coupon Lady match manufacturer coupons and rebates through apps like Ibotta and Fetch with dollar store items. Maybe you think of the dollar store mostly as a place to buy snacks and cheap plastic stuff, but these emporia also sell food items that aren’t potato chips and cookies. I’ve seen free-with-coupon-or-app deals on items like cheese, frozen entrees, cereal, crackers, hot sauce, baking mixes, pretzels and sweeteners.

Again: You can’t exactly subsist on this kind of thing. But if you can get some free groceries, it saves you money for other needs. And the day before payday, either a bowl of cereal or some cheese and crackers will make a good-enough supper.

Incidentally, those sites also match coupons/rebates with sales at supermarkets, too – which at times can lead to food freebies. These don’t work as well up here because things cost more; recently I saw a “free bread after rebate deal” that offered $2.99 as the rebate, but the item in question was nearly $6. You’re likely to have better luck than I do.

6. Modified freeganism

Lots of still-good food gets tossed out by retailers, and folks who call themselves “freegans” retrieve and eat it. However, supermarkets, restaurants and retailers are understandably wary of people climbing into their dumpsters. If someone got hurt on the way in or out, or got sick from “old” food, the business might get sued.

I can’t in good conscience encourage you to risk injury. However, if you happen to know someone at a restaurant, produce stand or store who will tip you off, perhaps you can intercept the process.

For example, a young woman I know worked at a coffeehouse. At the end of the business day the employees were allowed to take home unsold sandwiches and salads; anything left would be  tossed. So maybe your pal the barista could have you hang out by the back door at quittin’ time, so she could throw the food at you instead of into the Dumpster.

7. Estate sales

I know, I know: Already mentioned this. But that was an unusual situation, i.e., they didn’t want any money for the food – they just wanted it gone.

It’s not likely you’ll luck into a situation like that. But if you find food in the kitchen at an estate sale, you might not have to pay much for it. When I lived in Seattle I hit a bunch of these sales and a couple of times the organizers didn’t charge me for some of the food items I wanted to buy. While I can’t promise this will happen to you, it might.

And if times are really tough? Tell one of the sale officials that you are having financial issues due to unemployment (or whatever’s going on in your life), and you have only $3 cash. Would it be possible for them to cut you a deal on some of these food items?

After all, at the end of the sale the family will probably have Goodwill come pick up unsold items or hire a “clean-out” service to haul them away. It’s unlikely that food will be accepted. The sales officials might be willing to cut prices, or give you the food outright, just to avoid having to dispose of the goods themselves.

Readers: How do you find free stuff? Is it out of absolute, dire necessity or just an attempt to be a good steward of your funds?

Related reading:

• Don’t throw it out until you’ve smelled it
• Extreme frugality: Be a frugalvore
• Why you need a freezer