Love freebies? Love food? Combine the two and enjoy the bounty—nothing weird, creepy, or obnoxious required!

• Art gallery openings and shows (more events in big cities, but check around)
• Company lunches (if your work offers it, take advantage)
• Campus events  (great for a student or teacher)
• Gardener friends (most have a surplus, especially zucchini)
• Gleaning (farms at the end of the season or people with fruit and nut trees—ask before taking)
• Forage (wild berries, mushrooms, nettles, etc., but only for the knowledgeable! Please be careful with unknown plants)
• Birthday (tons of restaurants and stores participate)
• Volunteer (Politics, festivals, religious groups, co-ops, charities)
• Open Houses (most Realtors provide cookies & sodas)
• Mailed Samples (sign up for everything you can find online)
• Promotions (free coffee day, free donut day, free pancake day)
• Coupons (Companies often issue free product coupons with the release)
• Free food with purchase (Breakfast at a hotel, popcorn at the movies)
• Rewards points (See if the restaurant you frequent has a club and join)
• Mystery Shop (Yes, it requires effort, but totally worth it for the detail-oriented)
• Barter (One man’s trash…well, you know)
• In-store samples (Have a nibble while you shop at Costco or the grocery store)