Unemployment, limited pay, among others are some of the reasons that many of us can’t afford to spend a lot on groceries. The question now is how to get free food with no money.
Whether you’re on a tight budget, want to try frugal living, or simply want to save money on food, there are ways to get no-cost food without putting too much effort and time.
In this post, you’ll learn:
- The tips to help you get the most of the free small or big stuff in no time
- What apps or sites to use
- Other tricks people tend to overlook
If you are ready: Read on!
How To Get Free Food With No Money
Here are some of the ways that we’ve used again and again to get stuff in no time and learn how to live cheap. Enjoy.
1. Use cashback apps
While cashback apps don’t necessarily give you free food, the savings you’ll get (i.e., cash back) means free money in your pocket, which you can use to buy food.
All you have to do is download the apps, check out the offers, and, get the offers (if you meet the requirements).
Once you have bought the item, simply scan the receipt and barcode and you’d get your cash back.
Here are some sites to help you earn money back:
- Swagbucks (with free $5 bonus for signing up) – As of this writing, Swagbucks has paid over $315M
- Ibotta (free $10 bonus)
- Rakuten
While you’re not going to get 100% money back all the time, you may find that you can combine some of these apps and get more than what you paid for an item.
2. Sign up for newsletters and apps (for restaurants)
Have you ever tried to sign up for a restaurant newsletter or app?
If you have, you’re familiar with what I’m going to say, that is, you’d get coupons, free stuff, etc. from time to time. If you haven’t, this is one way to get food for little to no cost.
I typically get food during the holidays and, of course, my birthday
Believe it or not, a lot of restaurants and fast food places offer something ree for downloading their app or signing up for their newsletter.
These include KFC and McDonald’s.
So, the next time you stop by a restaurant, sign up for a newsletter. You might even find your free small or big stuff right away.
3. Use zero-waste apps for free food
Yes. There are apps designed to help eliminate food waste.
If you’re someone who happens to leave a lot of food on the table (i.e, waste), there’s an app that can rid of your excess food for free.
If you’re the opposite and find the need for more food, then, there’s an app for you.
It’s called Olio.
You’ll find what’s available in your area. The free food ranges from leftover to home-cooked meals.
At times, Olio may ask for a small donation to charity as payment.
That said, most of the time, Olio’s offerings are up for grabs for free. If you ask me, that’s one of the greatest smart money moves there is right now.
4. Join survey sites to earn freebies
If you’re up for this simple task, you can join survey panels to earn money and rewards (redeemable for free gift cards) just sharing your opinions.
You take surveys while you’re watching TV, laying down, slacking, or something else.
You do take them when you want to and still get rewarded.
Sites like Survey Junkie and Survey Club could net you up to $125 per survey or focus groups for answering short questions and completing short tasks.
Best yet: You can use these sites for free. Who doesn’t love that?
Even better: If you don’t feel like taking certain types of surveys, just skip them, and do another one. You’re not forced or required to answer every single survey you see.
Click here to sign up for and use Survey Junkie for FREE.
5. Visit local happy hours
Who doesn’t like happy hours, right? Happy hour is a great time of the day when a bar sells drinks (alcoholic ones) at a discounted rate.
If you’re a regular at these hours, you know that aside from reduced rates, you also get no-cost foods at times like hotdogs, nachos, and others.
If you’re not, then, this is a great time for you to take advantage of it.
So, the next time you’re looking for ways on how to get free food with little to no money (from restaurants), this is that way.
6. Go to food banks
One of the easiest ways to ask for food is to go to food banks.
Food banks are charitable organizations that provide free food to those who need it.
These include people who don’t have money or little money and want to find a source of nutritious, filling meals.
With the onset of this pandemic, food banks have stepped up and have done more than ever before.
So, the next time you need food for your hungry stomach and need a place to get food for free, you can also check your local food banks.
You’ll be surprised that there are a ton of food banks within a small area.
7. Try the community gardens
If you live in a rural area where people own acres of land, you may find a few people who have community gardens.
Community gardens are gardens where people plant their produce and share their produce for free.
If you don’t know how to plant but have a spot to plant, they may even help and guide you on planting
As many know, planting your own produce is self-sustaining. Because of this, you can always eat for free.
8. Find a job at a restaurant that offers free meals
The pandemic that we’re experiencing right now has affected a lot of us in so many ways.
Some have been let go from work, some can’t go anywhere, etc.
If you happen to be looking for a job in this crazy time, you may find that some restaurants are still hiring people. If you’re into this kind of industry and work, try it.
Believe it or not, some of the restaurants provide free meals as benefits to their employees.
In short, you’re not only getting paid to work but you’re also getting freebie at the same time.
If you’re looking for legitimate ways to get food at no cost, this could be an option. If you want to learn how to get free fast food, this is it.
9. Try free samples or get free coupons
Free samples are almost always present when companies market new products. Or they’re available for free trial for whatever reason they may have.
For example, if you go to BJ’s or Costco on Saturdays, you’ll find stalls with free food.
Though they don’t offer a lot, there are a lot of stalls that offer food.
Pick one from each stall and you’ll end up a plateful of goodies. No kidding.
Aside from that, you can sign up for newsletters, look online, browse the newspaper inserts, among others for free coupons.
Some of them contain free items on select restaurants.
Here’s the thing: Many brands offer freebies online and even pay postage costs to send you their products. Yes, these are all for free.
10. Attend a party
Are you invited to a party? Have second thoughts of going?
Maybe, you should consider going. Not only will you get to mingle with your friends but you are also going to see a lot of foods.
I mean who throws a party without serving food, right?
Even when you’re personally invited to a party, you’ll find that there are plenty of community gatherings like festivals and shows where entertainment is present and meals are served.
If you’re a traveler, you know that one of the best ways to find local foods that are free means you have to find community parties to go to
If you’re new to finding community parties or gatherings, sites like TimeOut can help you find so many things to do in different cities and even ways to get no-cost meals.
11. Enjoy your birthday
If you don’t have time to prepare a party for your birthday or just want a simple gathering on your birthday, you may opt for celebrating in restaurants or similar places.
Why?
Because restaurants offer free stuff including food on customer’s birthdays.
When I say free stuff, I mean restaurants also, sometimes, offer free alcohol drinks. Who doesn’t like that, right?
So, the next time you go out on your birthday, make sure to take advantage of these kinds of offers.
Can You Legitimately Get Food For Free?
That’s a great question. The answer is yes.
There are various ways to get it for little to no cost. You can either take surveys online, work for a restaurant or a place, among others.
One thing I can tell you is that some ideas won’t help you make money while some will make you some or even more.
My recommendation: Try as many as you can. From there, get rid of the ideas that don’t work for you and focus on the ones that work for you.
Final Thoughts: How To Get Free Food Online
You don’t really have to do a lot to get no-cost meals for you or for your loved ones.
Sometimes, all you need is your app, do something online or offline, and that’s it.
There are so many companies now that offer free food like free taco, free full-meals, etc. to people like you. Believe it or not, some of them are close to where you live.
All you need to do is grab them when they become available.
That’s why it’s always best to look out for these freebies. You can sign for newsletters, use apps, visit sites, among others to get that updated information.
Are you ready to get more for next to nothing? Which ones of these tips will you try first? Do you know of any other tips you’d like to share? Have you learned how to get free food with no money?
