How To Get Free Food With No Money

If you want to know how to get free food with no money then there are a few options you can use to get food for free.

A lot of us spend most of our money on food, so it’s no surprise that you are looking for ways to get free food.

Whether you are just finding some ways to get free food to save money or you are really struggling and can’t afford food these tips can help you out.

Let’s get into these tips on how to get free food with no money….

Can You Actually Get Free Food With No Money?

Yes, there are multiple ways to get free food with no money. You just have to be creative and find the method that works best for you.

If you are really struggling with hunger and having a hard time finding food to eat then your first option should be to go to your local food bank to get free food with no strings attached.

Along with using food banks, there are other methods you can use right now to get free food online or locally so let’s check them out…

Go To A Food Bank

If you are in a really bad situation where you can’t afford to buy food then you should check with your local food bank to see if they can help you.

There are many charitable not-for-profit organizations that help to provide food to those in need at absolutely no cost.

If you are really struggling then a food bank should be one of the first options you should use since they are designed to help those in need.

There are people who feel embarrassed to get help from a food bank but there is absolutely no reason to be embarrassed.

They are there to help and when you recover from your situation then you can donate food to the food bank to help others in need.

If you are in dire need of food and want to know how to get free food with no money then food banks are the go-to option.

However, this option should only be used for those who really have no money for food. It’s not right for those who can afford food to take food from those who can’t.

Sign Up For Free Samples

Another way to get free food is to sign up to get free samples.

Companies want your feedback on new products they’re debuting and will offer you free samples to try out in exchange for your feedback.

To be first in line for their newest creations, and score some free food in the process, you’ll have to sign up to get your voice heard. 

Participating sites include VocalPoint and SheSpeaks.

Companies that send out free samples for signing up for their newsletter include Betty Crocker, Kraft Recipes, and Pillsbury.

I also recommend checking out Pinecone Research which is a popular survey platform that you can use to receive free food in exchange for completing a survey.

Plus, you will get paid for completing surveys as well as getting free food!

Of course, you can’t rely on food samples to curb hunger but it’s a great method to get some food for free.

Get Free Samples In The Store

The method above works to get free food samples online but you can also get free samples when shopping at certain stores.

Big stores like Walmart, Sam’s Club, and Costco frequently have free samples available to their shoppers. 

While you shouldn’t take more than one sample, sometimes there are 7 or 8 different options to try. 

It might not add up to a full meal but it can be a great way to get a free snack!

This is not the best method to constantly get free food because you will have to go into certain stores to get free food and you will only get small samples but it’s definitely good to take advantage of it.

Say Yes To Invitations

If you are being invited to a dinner party at work, a birthday party, a wedding, etc… just say yes. 

It’s a guarantee that they will serve food and you won’t have to pay a dime for it.

Now, depending on the occasion, you might have to give a gift so it will be a trade-off and feel like you are really not getting free food so just keep this in mind.

However, you can hang around until the end and you can get some leftovers for the next day!

Simply, take advantage of invitations so you can score free meals.

Free Food At Restaurants

Some restaurants hand out free food as soon as you sit down. Hit up a bar and you might get free peanuts. 

Other restaurants provide free chips or bread which are pretty much unlimited so take advantage of this!

Now it’s not right that you take advantage of this tip and get all the freebies without spending any money, so be sure to order at least an appetizer and a drink. 

Combine that with the free food and you’ll have more than enough to curb your hunger.

Also, some restaurants offer free food on special occasions like your birthday so definitely look into this and score some free food.

Plus, if you have places that you shop at regularly then you should sign up for their rewards program if they have one and you can earn points and score free food!

This is one of the best ways on how to get free food with no money so you should definitely take advantage of free food at restaurants.

Take Home Leftovers

While this is not technically a way to get free food it still deserves a place on this list.

Restaurants serve an exorbitant amount of food. The portion sizes for one entrée are enough for two. 

So when you go to a restaurant, either share your plate or eat half and take home the rest. Now you don’t feel as guilty paying a good amount of money for your food if it will fill you up tomorrow too.

If you go out with a group and notice a friend or family member is leaving a few slices of pizza, ask them if you can take it home. 

After all, that food is going straight in the trash if you don’t rescue it.

Work For Small Food Businesses

Have too much pride to beg for food? You could work for it instead. 

There are small business restaurants, supermarkets, etc… that you can work for and get some free food along with your paycheck!

Small businesses are more willing to give food away to their employees instead of throwing them away so it can be a great option to get free food.

Now, of course, there will be no way to know if you will get free food before you get the job so it’s not a guaranteed method.

If you already work for a small business in the food industry then ask the owner if you can take food home instead of throwing it away, 

Utilize Coupons

You don’t have to get the Sunday paper and cut out little coupons anymore to get free food. You could use your smartphone and land as much free food as your belly can handle.

Most deals require you to buy something in order to get free food, but that’s to be expected.

Usually signing up for the restaurants’ newsletter lands you a sweet deal. Then after that, the offers keep on coming.

Typical deals for signing up to their newsletter include buying one entree and getting the other free or buying an appetizer and the entrée is free. 

Others have reward programs that give you free food the more you eat there. Others send out a free meal coupon on your birthday.

Another coupon-like option for free food is services like Yelp and Foursquare. You could land a nice dish just by checking in with your smartphone.

I also recommend checking out Ibotta which is an awesome cash back app that offers many coupons that you can use to get free food.

Grow Your Own Food

If you really want to know how to get free food with no money then you should consider growing your own food.

This does depend on the weather of where you live and you are limited on the food options you can grow on your own but it’s still a great way to get free food!

Now, this method does take time so it’s not a great option if you are currently hungry but it’s an option that you should definitely consider using.

You can purchase vegetable and fruit seeds cheaply and plant them so they can grow and provide food for you.

If you don’t have time to do this by yourself then get together with your neighbors and start a community garden where you all pitch in to grow food and all reap the benefits!

Check Out Olio For Free Food

Another great way that you can get free food without money is to use the Olio app.

Olio is an awesome app that is available for iOS and Android that aims to limit the amount of food waste (which we all know is a lot).

The way it works is like this…

If one of your neighbors or someone in a close geographical area has some food that they don’t want they can list it on Olio to be picked up for free! That’s pretty much it!

There is so much good food that goes in the trash each day which is the biggest waste of money and Olio is a great way to limit food waste and put good food in the hands of those in need.

So, if you can’t afford food then I highly recommend checking out Olio to get free food from kind people in your area.

You can also score some other free items as well such as household appliances, tools, furniture, etc…

There is also the borrow section where you can borrow items for people to use for a while and give them back so you don’t have to purchase the item yourself if you only need to use it temporarily.

Olio is a free app that you can use to get free food and other free items so there is no reason to not use it!

Check Out Delivery Apps

Another way to get food for free is to sign up for delivery apps.

Delivery apps like Uber Eats, DoorDash, Seamless, etc… usually offer promos where you can score a free meal by just using their app!

This usually applies to new customers but they offer promos randomly to keep people using their app and depending on the discount and the amount of food you are getting you can get free food online in a few clicks!

Now, this isn’t a bulletproof method, you might get free food sometimes but usually, it will be a discounted price where you will still have to pay something but it turns out to be very cheap.

So, just check out delivery apps to see if you can get some free food or cheap food at the very least!

Bonus – Cashback Apps

I added this as a bonus because cashback apps are used to get discounts on food but there are times when you can score free food.

With apps like Ibotta and Fetch Rewards you can get cashback on food, so yes, you will have to spend money but you can get some awesome discounts.

Plus, Ibotta and Fetch Rewards also offer coupons so you can see if they have any coupons for free food items!

It’s a really great way to save money on food and even get some free food.

Ibotta and Fetch Rewards are both free to use and super easy to sign up to.

Better yet, you can use both together to get even more rewards (this is what I recommend doing)!

What Not To Do For Free Food

If you’ve been paying attention, you’ll notice I didn’t mention dumpster diving outside restaurants and grocery stores in this list.

Every day these places dump what seems like perfectly good food out, either because it’ll be too stale to serve tomorrow or it’s past the expiration date.

But there’s a reason the food was thrown out and you don’t know it. 

It could be because the food wasn’t properly refrigerated and went bad or it could be food that fell on the floor. 

There are multiple reasons why the food was thrown away, so it’s best to stay away from the garbage.

I know that some people live by dumpster diving and they are able to grab good food but it’s a risk that you shouldn’t take.

There are many other ways to get free food so you shouldn’t put your health on the line, use one of the other methods on this list and avoid dumpster diving!

Conclusion

Now you know how to get free food with no money!

There are multiple methods to choose from so you just have to find the method that works best for you depending on your situation and you can always combine multiple methods.

As mentioned earlier, if you are in dire need of food then a food bank should be your first option before considering the other options on this list.

You can also use Olio if a food bank is not available in your area to get free food from kind people in your neighborhood that are trying to limit food waste.

Get creative and you will be able to get free food!

If you like this post then I recommend checking out my posts on 21 Awesome Apps For Free Food! [With Bonuses] and Get Paid To Eat Food (5 Best Ways).

What methods do you think work best? Do you have any other ways to get free food? Let me know in the comments below!