An interesting movement is going on in this country, it's called freeganism. It is an anticonsumerism alternative based on limited consumption of resources. Basically it's a dumpster diving movement. Getting food that may be discarded from supermarket or restaurant dumpsters that is still in good condition. Some members salvage food because of economic reasons, but others do it as a political statement, wanting to tell people how much food is being wasted. In a recent Oprah episode there was a story of a woman named Madeline who is an executive that goes dumpster diving. She shows how in her refrigerator there are milk, bread, vegetables, all that came from the trash. Not all the stuff is dirty too. Some of the stuff may be discarded because there may be dents in the packaging or labels missing from cans. One of the tips Madeline shares for not just food but other goodies is to go to a site called freecycle.com where members share unwanted stuff with other members. Freecycle's mission statement sums it all up fairly well "to build a worldwide gifting movement that reduces waste, saves precious resources & eases the burden on our landfills while enabling our members to benefit from the strength of a larger community".

Some common aspects of freegans:

1. Usually a vegan or a meegan (one who eats meat that would have gone to waste)

2. committed to living off capitalism waste.

"Stacking" is the name of the game. By combining some coupon strategies such as combining manufacturing coupons with store coupons, you may be able to get items for almost free. Get the local Sunday newspaper and start foraging through the coupons. There are also some great coupons that come in your local mailbox. Take a look at coupons before you throw it away, you never know what you may need. Look to manufacturer's websites, they usually have printable coupons that you can use. By being a diligent consumer, you will be able to save utilizing coupons.

Additional tip: You can also get discounts on your favorite retailers by using promotional codes online. There are many coupon code websites. Amazon, PetcareRX, 1800Flowers, DrJays are just some of the stores that offer coupon codes. PetcareRX coupons can save on petcare needs in addition to low discounted prices they already offer. If there is a holiday such as Valentines or mother's day you can save with a 1800 flowers promotional code.

Did you know a lot of useful items from retailers can be gotten for free? THere are many websites where you can find free items. Sometimes it may involve getting your money back after a rebate offer or maybe filling out a survey. One of my favorite places to get free items is bensbargains.net where there is not only great deals but also a section on free items. As I navigate through the site currently, I can see a free breakfast offer from Jamba Juice, a free razor from Schick, free tax preparation software and so much more. It's worth it to give it a try if you love freebies.

I've also found a website called freakyfreddies.com where you can get many different food samples from manufacturers willing to give you this stuff in order to try to get your business. This free samples food site comes very handy if you are a hungry frugal guy like me.

A mystery shopper goes into a store or retailer pretending to be a customer. Businesses hire mystery shoppers to improve customer service awareness and to gather information about customer service. The mystery shopper purchases some items or eats food at a restaurant and then fills out surveys about his/her experience with the retailer. The shopper is reimbursed for his/her activities. One good website to visit to be a mystery shopper is volition.com. One word of caution: You should never pay a mystery shopping site to become a mystery shopper.

Of course you can always purchase a fishing rod, go to your local pier and try to catch some fish. I have know people who have eaten a whole month with just fish from the local pier. If you own a house, you can always plant your own vegetables and consume them as well as another source for free food.

Need I say more? If you go around Costco which is a huge warehouse, you will get plenty of samples for you to eat. Make two rounds and you'll be pretty full. Food festivals are great too. They provide plenty of new tastes for people to try.

Many social events such as weddings, parties, anniversaries offer free food for guests. If you are really desperate or you know a lot of people you can go to every celebration there is. My friend used to work near a hotel on the weekends and he would always find some wedding to go to for the free food. He would tell me the Asian weddings are the best, because there are so many guests and nobody knows who you are.