Where can I get food for free? [vsunight]?!
Where can I get food for free? [vsunight]?
Answers:
Go dumpster diving,
the food bank or you can try any fast food chain by simply calling them and telling them you were there recently and they messed up your order; most places will be likly to give you a new order without proof that you were even there.
From your local church or shelter.
At the homeless shelter or soup kitchen and by begging
At your local food pantry; or they have a lot of free food sites on the web. You did not state what area you are from.
Any homeless shelter.
Happy Hour at most bars...they may want you to pay for drinks though :(
Your local soup kitchen,or call around to different churches to see if they have anything available to you.Salvation Armys have soup kitchens as well.
Local soup kitchen, the mission, churches offer assistance at times.
Go be a gigolo! Maybe some rich aunties will provide for you!
Local churches. Salvation Army. If you don't know anyone call your local police dept they can steer you in the correct direction. After all they are our public servants.
Sure... If you give $100 for free in a restaurant and they give you food for free.
this one is not totally free but you get alot of groceries for a very minimal cost. angelfoodministries.com
Sams Club and Costco have yummy free samples. OH YUM!
Actually, there are some folks who eat pretty well, for free. If you live in an urban area, scope out the hotels with conference facilties. Show up, appropriately dressed and with a name tag (I keep several designs handy in my glove compartment). Now look at the lobby sign board to see what's going on.
Ah! Here's one: The American Society of Pet Groomers (ASPG, prounced as as-pig). You can make up some small talk about that, right? So go down to the conference room where you'll find an assortment of "Continental" breakfast items, meaning day-old honey buns. Pour yourself a coffee and juice and dig into the pile of goodies. Mention that you need to take a few back to the room for your room mate who is still asleep, and fill your pockets (good to wear a blazer -something with pockets all over).
How about lunch? This is a bit more difficult, because it is usually served in a separate room and there MIGHT be a monitor to check your ID. But if by now people think you belong, just duck in line and make a sandwhich. Otherwise just say, "I lost my stuff -can I just go in this one time?" and otherwise employ your charm and guile to get past the gate keeper.
Afternoon snack: About 2 PM or so, the conference will take a break (sometimes every hour or so) and there will be a table with fruit and possibly peanut butter crackers or cookies. Juts mix with the crowd and help yourself.
Dinner? No problem. Go to the bar, ask for a glass of water and tell 'em your're waiting for your friend, date, whatever. If there is no bar food already out, ask for some munchies. (Secret: in many places they MUST serve you this on request and for free if they serve liquor, which a bar, of course, does). Do your homework and you'll discover which places put out bar food -slices of pizza, wings, meat balls, etc. REALLY place this right and make a friend who then buys your drinks. When they ask what you do for a living, tell them you're doing an article on "Eating well for free," and let nature take its course.
Someone mentioned "dumspter diving," but if this is not your taste in dining venues, try this alternative. Cruise the guest room corridors of the hotel at night and early morning, looking for room service trays that people have set out in the hall, or pizza boxes left over from the night before. You'd be surprised what you'll find -sometimes even a bonus half bottle of wine!
Now here's one that's a really good score. Scan the outside signs of hotels for class reunion and alumni day events. Frequently, reunion classes get together in their own hospitality rooms, where the booze and snackerinos really are abundant. Find a reunion class that you could not possibly have been in - younger than you is better. To find the actual room, either observe the movement of people, ask at the front desk (better -ask a housekeeper) or hang at the bar and involve yourself in conversation. When you drop in to the hospitality room itself (often it is just a guest room or suite) tell 'em you're in the class of '62 (they are the class of '80) and they'll invite you right in!
While your there, tell them this is the first time you've been back since 1962, and ask for directions to the school or college itself. Trust me, the school will be putting up a pretty good lunch or dinner and maybe even a free bar!
OK, now scan the newspaper (get them from the trash) and look for sales "events." Car dealers especially are a good target. What you want is the big tent with free hot dogs and soft drinks for everyone. You know what to do from there, right?
Another favorite hunting ground is festivals and fairs -every municipality has them these days, so show up and look for the food booths with free samples -you may end up on a diet of pickle relish and kettle corn, but hey! It's food, right?
Also keep an eye peeled for church suppers and picnics, spaghetti dinners, etc. No need to poor mouth, here, come early and tell them you are down on your luck and need a square meal. Offer to help serve or clean up in exchange for a meal. You can also appear when its all over, and ask for the left-overs in exchange for some help. In this case, you might take home enough food for a week.
And all of this is not even counting the food bank, Salvation Army, soup kitchens and other public/charitable sources.
Bon apetite!