How to Eat for Free When You Travel

Step 1 – Book your hostel

Go to hostelworld.com or your preferred travel booking website.

Step 2 – Reserve a place with a kitchen

Check out the amenities and make sure there is a kitchen. Larger hostels are typically better as there are more/bigger fridges and a higher probability of finding wasted food. In the event that you have to pay significantly more to stay in a hostel with a kitchen vs. one without, weigh the cost of food in that city.

Step 3 – Check-in to the kitchen

Check-in to your hostel and put your bags safely in your room. Immediately make a beeline for the kitchen.

Step 4 – Understand the rules

Look for rules, typically on the fridge, about how to label your groceries. Most hostels will ask you to label the bag with your name and your checkout date. Some may even have labels for you like so:

Step 5 – Grab a bag

Usually (and unfortunately) there are some plastic bags lying around. Grab one and label it with your name and checkout date on it. If you’d like, make up a name that amuses you. We have used a plethora of names in the past: Freddy, Tommy, Tammy, Betsy, Quincy and Nancy. When I travel with my uncle, but for whatever reason torched the fridge by myself, it’s fun to have my uncle guess which bag is ours based on the name I made up. I love to make my uncle proud.

Step 6 – Find the Free section

Look to see if there is a bin full of food labeled “free”. There is typically a bin of non-perishables on the counter somewhere and if you are lucky, there will be a free section in the fridge as well. Take as much of this food as you like and throw it in your bag.

Step 7 – Systematically torch the fridge

This is where it gets fun. However is easiest for you, systematically check every bag in the fridge. Row by row, top to bottom, whatever floats your boat. Any bag labeled with a check out date before the current date is yours. If it’s March 10th and a bag says March 8th or March 9th, it’s yours. Get it out of your sight.

Step 8a – Check every bag

Make sure you check every single bag. Leave no stone unturned. If you are unsure if a bag is going to waste, or if it is unclearly labeled, don’t risk it. It’s not worth accidentally taking somebody else’s food.

Step 8b

Some hostels don’t have a clear labeling system. Even so, it’s worth checking for food. Sometimes, it will be obvious that food is going to waste. The expiration date on the food is from last week, somebody took the time to write free on the bag, etc. Sometimes, there are receipts in the bag that could be a good indicator of when the food was bought. As above, if you are unsure, don’t take any food.

Step 9 – Plan ahead

Whilst torching, keep an eye on bags that will checkout in the next day or two. Be sure to give the fridge a quick check each day to add to your pile.

Step 10 – Don’t be afraid

Don’t worry about people watching you. It’s astonishing how people rarely notice what you’re doing. Never has anyone said anything to me. And even if they do you can say, “Sorry about that, I was looking for my bag.” If you get scared, ask your uncle for help.

Step 11 – Pay it forward

If there is any food in the bag that you don’t want, kindly put it in the free bin for others to enjoy. Make sure none of the food is moldy. If so, throw it in the trash. Torching a fridge is actually beneficial for the hostel as you are cleaning for them.

Step 12 – Admire

Take a look at your massive haul. Admire all the food you just saved from the garbage can and all the money you just kept in your wallet. See what food you can use to create a meal. Don’t be afraid to mix together foods that don’t typically go together. That’s part of the fun. Only if you absolutely have to, go to a grocery store to buy food.

Step 13 – Enjoy!

Bon Appétit!

Bonus Step – Take it with you!

If you find something yummy but are about to travel to the next hostel, pack it in your bag. I did this with some unopened gnocchi once. It was a nice little travel buddy until I ate it at the next hostel.

Want to see how my Uncle and I did it? Check it out here!

-Freddy