Despite the USDA’s Economic Research Service’s prediction that food costs would climb more slowly in 2023 than in 2022, several foods are still seeing considerable increases in their prices. The good news is that you can get groceries for free, and this can help you save some money during these hard times.
You’ve probably spent the last few months trying to find ways to reduce your grocery bill and doing the best you can to get as many groceries as you can for free.
Hopefully, there are many creative ways you can achieve this if you are willing to put in some time and effort. Buckle up and get ready to find out some of the easiest ways to get groceries for free!
1. Craigslist and Freecycle
If you know something about the world of scoring freebies, then you probably already know about Freecycle and Craiglist. This is the place you can get free stuff, and it is not only furniture. Spend a little time searching these websites, because you will be surprised by the variety of things you can find there.
If you don’t know what we are talking about, imagine that this is a place where people give away the things they no longer need. From furniture, as we already said, to electronics and clothes, you can find literally everything. So, sometimes you can also find food.
Since this is an unconventional way to get groceries for free, you need to be flexible. You will need to scroll and search until you find a local store that has decided to give you some tomatoes and zucchini or a mother who has a lot of leftover snacks from her son’s birthday.
Yes, this might get quite boring, but when you hit the jackpot, you will feel that all that time was definitely worth it. Just imagine getting groceries without spending a single dime from your pocket.
It is incredible how much stuff you can get using this method. Bulk items, fresh produce, anything you can imagine You just need a little bit of luck.
If you manage to make this work for you and get groceries for free using Craigslist and Freecycle, you can save the extra money or use it to pay for your subscriptions or your bills.
2. Facebook can be your ally
It is time to get groceries for free, and what better place to do this than the Buy Nothing groups you can find on Facebook? The Buy Nothing Project is a movement that wants to promote hyperlocal gift economies. Ummm, but what is that?
The concept is simple. People join these Facebook groups and then exchange or give away items. Imagine that you were searching for something you needed around your home. You entered Facebook, and what a surprise! Your neighbor has exactly what you need, and they give it to you for free. What a perfect scenario!
But this is not fantasy; this is exactly how these groups work. All you need to do is tell them that you are interested, and soon enough, you will agree on a pickup or drop-off via Messenger.
According to some of our readers, they managed to get a lot of food for free by only browsing this type of Facebook group. They got pasta, canned salmon, black beans, protein powder, tea bags, and even a stash of Spam.
So, what are you waiting for? Enter one of these groups and start hunting for the best free stuff available. Why not get groceries for free when it is this easy?
3. Sometimes Dollar Store is the answer
Dollar Store is everywhere, and this is why we think you have one close to your home. Here you can find various items you might need, but most of the time people avoid Dollar Store for important purchases because the rumors say that the quality is not the best.
But this is not always true. Sure, there are some products that are not the best, but others are incredible, and it would be a shame not to buy them at such amazing prices. What is even better about the Dollar Store is that you can take advantage of all the freebies and coupons.
You would be amazed by how many foods you can take from Dollar Store. People said that they found discounted or free cheese, baking ingredients, sweeteners, cereal, crackers, spicy sauce, and frozen meals.
So, how can you get groceries for free from the Dollar Store? Easy. The answer is printable coupons. If you want to start doing this, we recommend you subscribe to CouponMom.com and The Krazy Coupon Lady, and you will get the best deals possible.
4. Free food pantries
Have you ever heard about the concept of little free libraries? This is when people build a small library where they put books, and anyone from the neighborhood has access to them. You can take any book you want and give another one in exchange.
Now, this concept didn’t stop with books. You can now find on the streets weatherproof containers where people store nonperishable food items, and sometimes you can even find toiletries or pet items.
Just imagine that you have some of these containers around your neighborhood. They are full of snacks, canned goods, and essentials. If you really need something and you can’t afford it, why not grab what you need from a little free food pantry? This is an amazing and comfortable way to get groceries for free.
But this is also something you need to consider. Every time you take something from the pantry, you should leave something else in its place. This type of pantry will always have your back, but remember that it is all about giving what you can and taking what you need.
If you don’t know how to find these little urban gems, don’t worry, because it is so much easier than you can imagine. Go online and search for them. Try the websites The Little Free Pantries and The Little Free Pantry and look up your city. They will point you to the nearest pantry.
5. Gleaning and community gardens
Both of these concepts are rather groovy, if you ask us, and because of this, we really want to share them with you. They somehow manage to rekindle that spirit of community that people used to feel when they were going to backyard BBQs. So, if you used to like that, this might be your cup of tea.
Sing up in a community garden crew, and you will be literally growing veggies for the people, but you will also have your own stash. If you like gardening and staying close to other folks who share the same ideas as you, this might be a dream come true.
Once you become a member, you will need to help the community with various gardening tasks, such as harvesting, weeding, planting, and so on. But when you return home, you will be back with a basket full of homegrown veggies. This is, for sure, a win-win and a good way to get groceries for free.
If you want to become a part of something like this, check out Food Foward. They are a non-profit organization, and they list a multitude of gleaning groups all over the US. Get groceries for free and do something nice for the community all at once!
Next time you go shopping, don’t spend your money on grocery bags. Try these reusable tote bags: O-WITZ Reusable Grocery Bags
You should also read: 11 Convincing Reasons to Support Local Farmers
