Last week I was listening to my favorite radio show (hi Taylor and Colleen), and they were discussing a video clip they saw on Oprah’s show about Freeganism…yeah I never heard of it either, but this movement is surprisingly growing in the US.

“Freeganism is an anti-consumerism lifestyle whereby people employ alternative living strategies based on “limited participation in the conventional economy and minimal consumption of resources.

The lifestyle involves salvaging discarded, unspoiled food from supermarket dumpsters that have passed their sell by date, but are still edible and nutritious. They salvage the food not because they are poor or homeless, but as a political statement.

Freegans embrace community, generosity, social concern, freedom, cooperation, and sharing in opposition to a society based on materialism, moral apathy, competition, conformity, and greed.” ~ Wikipedia

I believe in their way of life, I love free stuff and not wasting what can be used, but freeganism pushes it beyond what I am personally willing to do, especially with food. I’m not above digging in the garbage, although I haven’t done it in years, on bulk day when my neighbors put out their big items, you could find some great stuff.

The most surprising thing about freegans is that they are not poor. I didn’t see the Oprah show, but one lady works for a Fortune 500 company and pulls down a six figure income, yet there she is, in the dumpster.

Is this a lifestyle you could adopt? Do you know any freegans? Is anyone up to the challenge of going to their supermarket dumpster at night to see what you can find? Not me, but I am a little curious. Have you ever garbage picked?

Thanks C for unknowingly naming this post.

Do you believe in free stuff or do you think everything has a price? I always have these “arguments” with my friends who say “nothing is free” and I say maybe not, but it’s free, to me.

I do tend to walk into stores asking for samples of stuff and I get them. I guess that “sample” was not free because of the possible cost associated with it, but that’s not always the case. Sure things cost money to make, but I love it when I don’t have to spend money and still get the item.

Anywho, I found a great exercise video through Saving Advice. I’ve received many free things in the past through this site, including a 1 yr. magazine subscription to a fitness magazine. Exercise TV is offering a free abs video on their website. All you need to do is click this link https://store.exercisetv.tv/p-1584-incredible-abs.aspx and at the top right, click add to cart, apply the code: FREEABS and checkout. That’s it, nothing to pay. Some of the best things in life are free, to me.

More freebies can be found here.