You Can Be a Freegan Too (How to Live Freegan)

Want to know how you can find food, reduce waste, save money and have fun being a freegan? Here is a sampling of ideas below that can help you get started:

1. Inventory what you already have

This is a crucial step and one that must be done routinely. Make a note of what is on the verge of going bad and what will keep for longer. The freezer is your friend – don’t let those vegetables go to waste! Check every cabinet and drawer.

2. Organize your fridge and cabinets

Organize your kitchen in a way that makes it easy to remember which foods are to be eaten first. We typically put our foods that are in the most danger of going bad in the front and our longer-lasting foods in the back. If it’s helpful for you to write it down, go for it!

3. Finish your food or pack leftovers 

This sounds simple but it goes a long way. Portions of leftover meals add up over time. If you only have to make smaller meals to supplement, your food supplies will last a lot longer too. Even if it’s only a trivial amount of food, it adds up.

4. Check to see what you already have

Need something “new“? Before you buy anything new, think about what you already have and check to see if you already have what you need.  Most ingredients have “substitutes” if you’re not too picky. The same can be said about clothing, furniture and more. If you truly are missing something, a thrift store, library, or alley is always a great first place to look! Of course, people also throw out usable furniture.

5. Dumpster dive and garbage pick

Looking for where to dumpster dive? Check out freegan.info. If you live in a city, garbage picking will be easy. On my way home from work or on a walk at night, I walk down the alleys, lifting the lids of every garbage can. I usually check the recycling cans too.

• At the start, try doing this with a friend. You’ll feel safer and cover ground more quickly.
• Initially, you might feel safer doing it at night when less people are out too. I like to garbage pick during the day on Sundays too. It’s a nice change of pace.
• You can usually find plastic, cardboard, or sometimes even canvas bags in trash cans so no need to bring a bag from home!
• Don’t be afraid about tearing open plastic trash bags – you’re going to wash your hands once you get home anyway.
• Grab what you’d like to eat and leave anything that seems to gross. Rely on your nose.

6. Pay attention

You might find something on the street or sidewalk. That’s how I found my winter hat! Don’t worry, I washed it. Or did I…?

7. Clean the fridges

If applicable, ask your work what their fridge clean out policy is. Food in communal fridges inevitably gets forgotten. And then it gets stinky. Yucky wa-wa. Does your office clean the fridge every two weeks? Every month? If you feel comfortable, ask your office manager if you can take home the food that they would normally throw out. Be careful with this and be sure you aren’t taking new food. They probably don’t like cleaning out the fridge as it is. You can also do this and eat for free when you travel

8. Parties and Potlucks

If you host a party and people bring food or drinks, there’s a good chance not all of it will be finished. Don’t let this food go to waste.

9. Events

Many events will have catered food. In all likelihood, there will be a ton of extra food at the end. The policy of some caterers is that they have to throw away all excess food.  This drives me insane.  That being said, there’s no harm in asking what they will do with the leftover food. You might win big! If they say no, there’s a good chance you will never see them again. No need to feel shame!

10. Donate

If you have more food than you need, or find food that you don’t want, consider donating extra food to friends or to people that are homeless.

11. Make it work for you

You can do as little or as much as you like. Do you follow a certain diet? We used to eat anything but as we’ve done more research on health benefits, we only eat vegan. It’s what works for us! That’s the beauty of it. There’s no one right way to do it. Freeganism is flexible and you can participate as little or as much as you want and in many different ways!

More ideas? Leave your thoughts in the comments below to share with other readers! We’d love to hear more ways to salvage food and stuff.

-Freddy