We recently came across yet another way to save money on food. Only this time it involves spending no money at all.

A recent article from Shoestring Magazine presents ten ways to get food for free. Khrista Trerotola, the author of the article, explains:

We aim to be frugal, never cheap. We want to be mavens of money management, not mooches….

…Getting a free meal [defined as 300 or more calories] may not always be glamorous — a little more hobo on a dime than diva on a dime, perhaps — but it’s always rewarding and satisfying to both your stomach and your wallet. The key is to be confident and take pride in your gratis gourmet ways…

While we don’t think 300 calories is much of a meal, we were taught to never look a gift horse in the mouth, so no complaints here. Plus, a low calorie meal is always good for our waistline.

So what are these ten tips? Here are our three favorites:

1. Freebies on Your Birthday – From TGI Friday’s to Krispy Kreme to Country Buffet, all sorts of restaurants offer freebies on your birthday, including appetizers, desserts and sometimes whole meals. For a list of eateries that offer these deals and for more details on how to get them, go to Hey It’s Free. (We checked the other two sites listed in the article but the listings did not look very current, whereas those on “Hey Its Free” were recently updated).
2. Free Local Events – Sites like FoodMoocher.com and Free Food Events on Facebook track local events like art gallery openings and lectures that offer free appetizers, snacks and desserts — and who knows, you may learn something in the process… We checked Food Moocher and Hungry Hungry coeds for free food events and didn’t find very many listed. Curious if any Tip Heroes have suggestions on where to find out about free food events?
3. Free Samples – We’ve known many a co-worker who has spent his/her lunch hour perusing the aisles of Costco, returning to the office with 48 rolls of toilet paper and a full belly. And as often featured on Tip Hero, restaurants and chains like Ben & Jerry’s, Starbucks, and Taco Bell periodically offer free items for one-day promotional events. To track these deals, check out Go Freebies, Shop 4 Freebies and Thunder Fap.

And here are the headlines for seven more ways to score a free meal according to Shoestring Magazine:

4. Food Coupons
5. Go Freegan
6. Cheap, Free Food Tweets
7. Everyone’s a Critic – Why Not You?
8. Get into the Know of the Local Nightlife
9. Find the Festivals
10. Follow the Food Bloggers

To find out more and to read the complete article, click the link below.

10 Tips for Finding a Free Meal (Shoestring Magazine)

And if you know of any clever, legitimate, and safe ways to get a little food for free, please share with the Tip Hero community by posting a comment below. And thanks for being a Tip Hero!