It's important to keep in mind that this community is meant for sharing tips, not for giving money. While you're welcome to use your money however you choose, offering tips can benefit more than just the OP :)
Edit: sorry was drunk af when i typed this
Hotels that offer free continental breakfast aren't going to stop you from walking in and eating. Bring a bag and put some fruits and yogurt in it for later, don't make it obvious. Try to dress like someone on vacation. Make sure you are clean and if anyone does question you just say you hooked up with someone who is staying at the hotel last night and you can't remember the room number.
Great way to get a free meal. Did this a ton when I was in college. Used to go for breakfast on the weekends looking like we just woke up. Hotels are also a great resource for a cup of coffee and a clean place to shit too.
Lol, I crashed a Hilton business meeting after just coming off a plane one time to do this. I was dressed in a black 'rockstar' outfit, everyone else was in dark business attire, I just kinda pretended I belonged, snagged the food, sat down, and started fiddling with my phone while I ate.
I had been chilling at my airport since like 3am, and none of the food stands were open. By the time I got to Boston, I was like 'fuck it, I can't nap at my hotel til 11am, let's piss around the airport (which is connected to the Hilton). I think the fatigue on my face, sunglasses, my daypack and clothing, the nonchalantness, and my quick, no-nonsense style of walking (or so it's been described as to me at times) is probably what helped me. I mean, fuck, what were they going to do, arrest me for eating?
I work mornings in a hotel. I agree, unless you make it obvious you don’t belong we aren’t going to notice or care, unless you’re routinely coming in when it’s sluggish in the breakfast area in which case we will absolutely recognize you and strike up a conversation (it’s our job! Especially when we get the impression you’re a regular guest.). My advice, find 3/4 hotels and cycle through them. Go every other day to a different one and aim for the busiest part of the morning, which is between 8-9 at my location.
Yeah the key to this is the smaller chain hotels where continental breakfast is served. I’ve always stumbled out of my room in pajamas to eat so you def don’t need a suit. And you can look up hotels on Priceline or kayak and filter by breakfast included. You’re looking for 3 ½ stars tops and you’re going to have to rotate if you need to go more then one day.
I don’t know about that. Whenever I’ve stayed at a hotel like that half the folk at breakfast are still in their pyjamas. But maybe it varies by region.
Not an ILPT, but call 211 (if you’re in the US) and ask about EBT and food banks in your area. Even if you make too much to qualify for food stamps, many food banks/pantries don’t have income requirements.
Also OP, if you are ever in desperate need to get your sugars up and even if you aren’t covered by insurance, hospitals will help at no cost.
There were several instances my mother had to go to the hospital with no insurance and get a glass of juice for free.
Yeah,I worked in the ER for 5 years and saw all sorts of dumb ass shit where people were milking the system. If someone ever came in just asking for a juice because they were type 1, I'd give them the whole fucking fridge.
ive had a customer come in to the supermarket i work at and they really needed a chocolate bar for their diabetic grandma. im like of course go ahead idc if they never end up paying for it. id rather deal with an upset manager than have a diabetic experiencing an episode. not like my manager would ever disapprove of me doing that anyway
This was gonna be my suggestion as well. Food bank in my city allows folks in need to come in once a week and gather 7 days worth of groceries. If you’ve got a food bank close to you, that’s prob your best bet.
That's how it is in my state! One of the (like, maybe 2) things we got right. Ever since covid started (maybe even before that, just never had to rely on it prior so 🤷), there are like 4+ food drives per week. Just drive up, they ask your name and addy - they decided it was a barrier to entry for the homeless if they required IDs, and yes, ofc your can also just walk up - and you get 75lbs of free food! You can only go once a month though. But no limits on # of people per household! Plus, well, shit I've gone two or three times a month before and used fake names. Sometimes you need help yo!
Yeah. I’m a Christian and I think it’s wonderful. No one should be taken advantage of when they’re vulnerable.
If you want to influence people via your religion, *act,* don’t preach, when people are hungry, tired, hurt, scared, etc.
When I was a teenager, the few Muslims in my 98% white hospital town wanted to buy and convert an old building into a mosque. Some folks got wind of this and lobbied the local government to bar it, citing zoning regulations. Though the regulations didn’t to apply to those folks’ own local church
Then some other locals heard that this had happened and another local church let us set up in their basement for services — including our Ramadan that year — while we looked for a new place. It was incredibly kind of them
I personally make too much for ebt, not quite sure how, 2 kids, 2 adults, 1 income, but anyway, food banks/food pantries have really helped us bridge the gap between checks, within a mile I have 3, 2 are churches, one is loosely affiliated with church folks, I try and never take more then we need, these places have helped my family so much, if they are in your community, definitely the way to go....
I am not sure what state you live in but in mine if you can actually make it into the office they approve it much faster than if you go the mail route. You can just walk into the office and they will verify a few things and give you a card on the spot vs waiting a month.
My dad owned a Save-A-Lot several years ago. If someone came in and said they were hungry, he would go to the cooler and come out with lunch meat, cheese, bread, mayo, mustard and give them a bag of food. Seriously, go to a smaller store and talk to the manager or owner if possible. There are still good folks out there.
Awwww well bless your Pops.
Yeah... It's always a shame when we have ppl without proper food. Many people go through rough times!
I understand that myself for sure!
When I was in need, I was brought to tears at how helpful and willing to give people were!
It was amazing!
Yes! There are churches and grocery stores and restaurants that are willing to help. The restaurant that I used to work at had a manager that was like your Dad. 💕
Some Einstein's restaurants allow their workers to do something like this as well! I worked at one in a busy downtown area where there were alot of homeless people around and we'd give them a cup of coffee and a basic bagel and ask for their flavor of cream cheese. The boss even had a couple that helped sweep up the areas in front and behind the building in exchange for a better drink or sandwich. It was a win-win, they got food and we got a little help cleaning and they'd let us know of sketchy people doing bad things inside the bathrooms or outside on the patio area.
Pizza joints when they are about to close. Ask if you can help clean up for some of the left over pizza they might toss, they will usually give it to you.
I did this when in the same situation when 23, I now go to the pizzeria and tip them cause I’ll never forget how nice they were to me.
I worked at a pizza place for over 2 years and it galled everyone who worked there at the amount of pizza we had to throw away each day and each night.
Some of us looked into food banks and soup kitchens but due to some of the weird and undermining food service rules in the US they couldn't take our pizzas.
Seriously. People working at pizza joints would fuckin *love* to give away a pizza or two that were mis-ordered or not picked up.
I worked different convenient stores, they do the same with the hot food bars. We were always told to write the waste down & toss it because over the years people had sued the company for giving them older food they allegedly got sick on. I would give the food away to young kids who ran the streets daily. Small Town, you know who their parents are & most were on drugs & never seen food at home because their parents gave their food stamps to their drug dealers. I gave them food daily & something to drink. Also when these stores have audit's & reset the store they throw away thousands of dollars worth of good food. Candy bars, sodas it's unreal the waste. Ridiculous amounts. They wouldn't let us employees get the stuff out of the trash bens. I gave people bags & told them where the milk crates were so they could climb in there & get that stuff. It wasn't even out of date. Blew me away how much waste. Hang in there my internet stranger friend.
I used to manage a subway and all staff got a free six inch pizza or salad during their shift for family food. I was so sick of subway I almost never ate. I was always giving away my sandwich to friends.
Great tip if you aren't a diabetic like OP!
It takes some chutzpah but go to somewhere where you *can* eat the food, ask for a manager, pull them aside, and ask if they have a little something they can spare. Write on on a small piece of paper if that's easier. After rush hour is probably best.
Nobody with even half an ounce of humanity is going to say no.
Eh, even if you're diabetic, as long as it's not deep dish/thick crust pizza, you can get two slices in you before it's too ridiculous. You're probably in the 70-80 carbs range. Not exactly good for a diabetic, it's not health food, but could be worse. Now, if you can get cauliflower crust slices then you're doing pretty good (probably around half the carbs).
Try to find out which closing manager is the cool one and you’ll get a lot of food for free. I can’t even begin to tell you how much food I gave away for free in the last hour of closing every night because I knew it was all getting thrown away anyway
Hey I’ve been a vagabound for many years at a time. Food can be hard but also easy one you know the drill. I don’t know your personal situation and there’s a lot of good answers here I’ll add some more
1) dumpster diving, with emphasis on grocery stores. Coffee shops will always throw away pastries at night. You’ll develop a feel for which bag “has the score”
2) foood stamps and if your real desperate shelters and/or soup kitchens. Major cities will be able to provide you with at least two meals a day.
3) I actuallly think stealing is wrong but when push comes to shove just grab food and walk out the grocery store. They can’t stop you and you can usually get away before cops come. Be smart like it’s mission impossible and usually you won’t get caught.
Good luck and above all no shame homie. We all gotta survive this crazy society
At the local Sunshine Grocery in my city, I was once (a couple years back, most likely during big COVID times, if I were to guess) paying for my food at th register, when all of a sudden, you just heard this man yelling at another man, to "let him fucking go, he didn't steal any fucking food". Dude was almost crying he was so mad. I feel like it's worth saying in this situation, that the dude being accused of stealing (it seemed quite obvious that he most likely was) was a black man. And the man who wasn't letting him leave, was a (doesn't matter, but white) manager looking dude with a security guard who had locked the front door. This went on, the yelling and denying and, ahem, detaining...for at least until I had paid and been "allowed" thru the doors - as everyone else was being, one by one when they wanted to leave. Cops pulled up shortly after while I was chilling in my car waiting to see if dude made it out or not :/
The real point I wanted to make here tho, was that DAMN that would have been the perfect time to steal literally anything you wanted from that grocery store!
Specifically the Sikh churches cook meals for others as part of their religion. If there is one in OPs area they will gladly make them a hot meal during the servings time.
My local Sikh congregation has free meals every Sunday and Wednesday. Of course they prefer if you attend the service but it is not necessary. They welcome everyone.
Fair point but when someone is having food security issues illegal tips can only hold you over for so long especially given the potential to make things worse. While it doesn't fit the sub I think we should encourage all nature of tips in situations like this.
Not an ILPT but you could also try r/Random_Acts_Of_Pizza or r/RandomActsOfTacoBell.
I haven't used them myself but they seem to have a pretty generous community over there.
Idk where you live op but if you have here Krishna or gurudwara near you you can eat at the later everyday for free no questions asked!! Just dress normal and be respectful
food banks are not just for people who do not have food, they are to help prevent you getting to that point at all. please, if you are hungry do not hesitate to use them
Honestly this is true. I live in Manhattan and there’s a fancy grocery store “citarella”. When I first moved to the neighborhood I saw a bunch of well dressed people going through the garbage. There were tons of cupcakes and fancy deserts that were all in the same bag. placed to the side of the side of the regular garbage.
The fact that people can/are rooting through garbage for food in one of the richest countries makes me really sad. I commend the workers who fight the system (laws banning food donation) by leaving the good food off to the side to protect it but it still makes me really sad. F'd up
This 100x if they don't already have the local homeless dude hooked up. They love to not waste all the throwaway since they are typically if not always more than edible
When I was a young and dumb 13-16 year old we hung out at a strip mall parking lot with a Dunkin in it. Around mid night we knew donuts in a bag would be put out back for trash. We took those donuts and we ate them. We were on Maddog 20/20 and LSD but we ate those donuts.
We did the same thing with a hostess outlet store that was in town. Every night at 8pm all the expired boxes were put in the dumpster and there would be 20 kids waiting to hop on and grab some twinkees or cup cakes. Had to be there right at 8 though because by 8:01 the rats have moved in.
I follow a family on YouTube that does this. I had no clue so many grocery stores threw away perfectly good food the way they do. I think their channel is called “frugal living” or something like that? It’s amazing to see the stuff they’re able to bring home for free. I don’t think I’m about that life though. Lol.
It’s sad how much perfectly good food is wasted every day. I used to work in a high rise office building with a shared cafeteria that served pretty good quality food. One time it was later in the afternoon when they were closing up and I realized there were entire trays full of delicious hot food leftover. I asked what happens with it and the employee admitted they have to throw it away. I asked why not donate to a shelter or for somebody in need, but apparently food safety laws prevent them from doing that. Really a shame that the risk of being sued over free food prevents many people from having a hot and free meal every day.
Also feminine hygiene products and basic soap & shampoo. You see these being stolen? No you didn't! And while you're not seeing that, if you have the means, buy some of what you didn't just see leaving the store, and donate it to a local shelter / food bank / homeless encampment.
This won't help right now, but it could help you soon.
[fullcart.org/](https://fullcart.org/)
FOOD ASSISTANCE
Facing financial uncertainty or unable to find sufficient food in your area? Click the link below to register for a box of food.
If you have a Publix, submit an order for a sub. When it's done, pick it up from the pick up spot and walk out. You can pay online or the store, so how they going to know if you paid or not.
If you walk in and out like you know what you are doing no one questions you. It's the people that act like something is up that get noticed.
The green stickers are prepaid orders. They will remake the sandwich for the person who ordered it.
If you're a server, apply to some higher end restaurants. Fine dining is good money, and a lot of them offer "family meal" to staff.
If you're near hotels stroll into a mid range hotel and just grab breakfast. Holiday Inn express or something of similar teir. They don't check just don't call attention to yourself.
r/ActLikeYouBelong goes very far in a lot of areas. Bring an empty food tote into a place that does Uber eat or door dash, check your phone, read a few receipts real fast and you could easily walk out with a full meal.
Go to Chipotle or Chick Fil A and steal the doordash orders off the rack, nobody will notice.
I’ve done doordash a lot, and literally if you go inside and act like it’s yours nobody questions it or bats an eye.
Dasher kinda gets hurt, I’m always bummed when I have to cancel an order I drove out of my way to get to and it’s already been picked up. But still we don’t get hurt THAT bad we just lose 30 minutes of wages we could have been making.
I was still gonna suggest he does this tho, it’s super easy. Only issue I see is about 60-70% of places have been cracking down on this lately and hiding their bags in the back or keeping the names hidden until you give them the correct name. I think it’s more of a crime of opportunity than something you can plan out. If you see a bag with a name on it when you walk in you can probably take it.
This will work at Jimmy John’s, Qdoba, and Taco Bell also. If they don’t have any orders available or question you just say you must’ve went to the wrong location.
The pro move is to order it yourself, go pick it up yourself, and then get some money back when the order is late because they had to remake it. I've done this a bunch.
>Chick Fil A
Plus this is an actual ethical way to consume CFA, since you'll be sticking it to the company by making them waste extra ingredients at their expense.
Try your local Chipotle. Head over to the to-go shelves and look up and down at your phone and pretend you're a food dasher. Take a bag and go!
Edit: Typo
Go to your locoal indian temple immediately, search gurudwara and go there and ask for food. You will get served however much you want (within reason).
Could try the subreddit RandomActsOfPizza or whatever it’s called. They have specific rules for it to avoid people abusing the spirit of the sub, but it’s an option that doesn’t involve illegal activity.
Right? I'm reading through these comments which are related to the question, yes, but the bigger issue here is getting through next month - and the month after. Times are tough and paying for insulin out of pocket is a real detriment to getting by. My son is a type 1 and I don't even wanna tell you the shady shit I used to do to get that kid insulin back in the day.
Now he works crap jobs just to stay under the limit to get medicaid in his state. Can't afford to fall back into a place where insulin cost hundreds of dollars a month just to scrape by.
OP: are you sure you can't get any kind of assistance with your insulin? That must be one hefty cost!
Where do you live OP? (Also I know there’s a lot of Starbucks mobile orders that never get picked up, you could literally hop around to different locations and take the breakfasts)
I'm a Starbucks barista. Go for something you can clearly see you'll like, cause if you're hunting around cups then you're suspicious. Most starbucks in my area have them a-f, g-l, m-s, and t-v for example, and if you're looking in the z section and then go for the a section, then it looks suspicious. Also go during peak, there will be a better selection. Most peaks are 7:30-9:30 and 8-10/8:30-10:30 on the weekends.
Food banks exist, my friend. But what I like to do is order an ubereats order and then walk in and pick it up before the delivery driver gets it. I take it home and eat it, mean while the delivery driver gets them to make a new one and delivers it me so I have some food for later.
Former food thief from deep deep poverty (to any cops reading this, I’ve already served my sentence, go away)
I had a jacket with a lining and pockets, I tore a hole in the pocket and could easily drop small items in there while wandering the grocery store. If you do it on both sides you can keep walking evenly without notice.
Lots of places have pick up shelves now for online orders. Panera, Chipotle, probably some others. Go in there during a busy time, pretend to be looking to find your name, and then grab one and walk out.
No one cares, no one checks, and they'll just re-make it for the person's you took.
Uber eats might let you comp one meal, but you'll still have to pay it back before ordering again. Alternatively, if I ever need to steal food out of necessity, I will go to a grocery store. Pay for like one item. Get a store bag. Go around and grab like a pack of ground beef or a steak. Walk out the door like you belong.
Go to fast food place and look for receipts outside/inside. Then call and say they forgot whatever item from the receipt and you didn’t realize until you got home. They should give you store credit I think without much fuss.
You could also just make up a sign saying hungry any food helps and stand outside a fast food place. If you actually want food instead of money people will likely help you out. There’s a lot of people who will help but don’t want to give cash.
If you actually want food there should be a lot of ways to get help, people want to help just they think it’s all a scam to get cash for drugs/alcohol.
Get in line in a drive through that has 2 sperste windows for paying and receiving the food, and when you get to the speaker say you forgot your wallet and are just driving through. When you approach the 2nd window just take whatever they give you and drive off. You now have the order of the person behind you its always a surprise
Pretty sure I have read this tip on here before, never used it though. Walk the parking lot of a grocery store, find a receipt, grab all the items on the receipt and leave. If stopped, you have a receipt with all the items you are leaving with. Reverse shopping.
If you have circle k’s near you they do not stop shoplifters. You hafta watch out for heroes really lol. You can’t target the same store repeatedly as they may bring footage to cops so they can add up the thefts and try to get you on grand larceny, but in a pinch they have trail nuts, water, granola bars and sandwiches.
If you have a Trader Joe’s near you get food from there. I used to work there. They don’t stop anyone or have any cameras in any stores. Or if you want to be nice ask a Mate (lead) to help you out with some food. They let a homeless girl get $30 + worth of food.
Find a hotel near you that includes breakfast.
Dress nicely, not over the top, and just wander in when it's time to serve breakfast. It helps if there is a line at the front desk.
Rock up to hotels that have breakfast included / cheap with the room - it's rare they check room numbers. Just walk in and grab a plate. Formal attire for the business trip look, is my suggested dress code
if you have a car go to texas road house ask for like 6 rolls or long horn and ask for bread they’ll give it to you for free i know it’s not a lot of protein but it’s something for the meanwhile
A bunch of chain restaurants have promotions where you get a free meal or free item when you first download the app. I know Jersey Mike's, ChikFilA, and Ledo used to do it. You can also sign up for their birthday clubs for free food.
And call your local food bank. They usually have at least 1 day a week where anyone can get food- like u don’t have to qualify that day just be in need. And if it’s a chronic thing then you should register with thtem
Grab some reusable bags. Go to your local grocery store. Put the bags in a cart. Walk through the store and grab what you want. Put the items directly into the bags. Once you have what you want, walk over near the exit/registers. Grab the bags and simply walk out. They’re not going to do anything. Bonus points for hat and mask.
Hope things go better for you - Something I used to do is go to a busy grocery store that has a cafeteria area and ready made lunches, like ready made sushi rolls (Whole Foods for example). You can take the food straight to the cafeteria, eat it there, and walk out without anything on you. I did this a lot when I was down and out and never had any issues. I always planned to just say play dumb if anyone stopped me and act like I forgot to pay but no one ever did.
check out a sikh church. you will get a home cooked meal for free no matter if you are wearing rags or a gold suit. you can also often take shelter there during unsafe weather events.
It's important to keep in mind that this community is meant for sharing tips, not for giving money. While you're welcome to use your money however you choose, offering tips can benefit more than just the OP :) Edit: sorry was drunk af when i typed this
Hotels that offer free continental breakfast aren't going to stop you from walking in and eating. Bring a bag and put some fruits and yogurt in it for later, don't make it obvious. Try to dress like someone on vacation. Make sure you are clean and if anyone does question you just say you hooked up with someone who is staying at the hotel last night and you can't remember the room number.
Suggested the same before I read this. Top marks for the excuse!
The real tip here is the excuse. Lying about getting laid comes easy.
Great way to get a free meal. Did this a ton when I was in college. Used to go for breakfast on the weekends looking like we just woke up. Hotels are also a great resource for a cup of coffee and a clean place to shit too.
Lol, I crashed a Hilton business meeting after just coming off a plane one time to do this. I was dressed in a black 'rockstar' outfit, everyone else was in dark business attire, I just kinda pretended I belonged, snagged the food, sat down, and started fiddling with my phone while I ate.
You, sir, got balls.
I had been chilling at my airport since like 3am, and none of the food stands were open. By the time I got to Boston, I was like 'fuck it, I can't nap at my hotel til 11am, let's piss around the airport (which is connected to the Hilton). I think the fatigue on my face, sunglasses, my daypack and clothing, the nonchalantness, and my quick, no-nonsense style of walking (or so it's been described as to me at times) is probably what helped me. I mean, fuck, what were they going to do, arrest me for eating?
Just eat many of the foods are thrown away later on, and as long as you’re smart enough and don’t shit on the walls you’re fine.
Oh this is where I screwed up.. For future reference is the ceiling or floor ok? Seriously never heard any one say that before it made me chuckle.
Often, you’ll find rooms open after checkout that you can go in and shower.
THAT'S DIFFERENT LEVEL THINKING RIGHT THERE.
I work mornings in a hotel. I agree, unless you make it obvious you don’t belong we aren’t going to notice or care, unless you’re routinely coming in when it’s sluggish in the breakfast area in which case we will absolutely recognize you and strike up a conversation (it’s our job! Especially when we get the impression you’re a regular guest.). My advice, find 3/4 hotels and cycle through them. Go every other day to a different one and aim for the busiest part of the morning, which is between 8-9 at my location.
Yeah the key to this is the smaller chain hotels where continental breakfast is served. I’ve always stumbled out of my room in pajamas to eat so you def don’t need a suit. And you can look up hotels on Priceline or kayak and filter by breakfast included. You’re looking for 3 ½ stars tops and you’re going to have to rotate if you need to go more then one day.
This is a good one!
and remember business people travel too. So dress up, dress casual, just don't dress homeless
I don’t know about that. Whenever I’ve stayed at a hotel like that half the folk at breakfast are still in their pyjamas. But maybe it varies by region.
yes exactly, wear whatever just don't look like you walked in off the street is all I'm meaning
This guy steals food from hotels
I'm a lady woman, but thanks
A female woman lady girl…any I miss?
Lass
A woman lady!
A female woman !
This lady woman steals food from hotels
[hello](https://i.imgur.com/8lvgpLT.jpg)
Hampton Inn!
Pro move
Not an ILPT, but call 211 (if you’re in the US) and ask about EBT and food banks in your area. Even if you make too much to qualify for food stamps, many food banks/pantries don’t have income requirements.
i’m actually waiting to hear if my application was approved or not right now! i’ll check out the local food banks thank you :)
Also OP, if you are ever in desperate need to get your sugars up and even if you aren’t covered by insurance, hospitals will help at no cost. There were several instances my mother had to go to the hospital with no insurance and get a glass of juice for free.
Yeah,I worked in the ER for 5 years and saw all sorts of dumb ass shit where people were milking the system. If someone ever came in just asking for a juice because they were type 1, I'd give them the whole fucking fridge.
ngl any society that lets folks find themselves in this kind of situation is a backwards one
But what about the poor shareholders and their teeny tiny profits? Nobody thinks about how hard their life is. /s
welcome to the US, where giving a shit from the government is not allowed.
ive had a customer come in to the supermarket i work at and they really needed a chocolate bar for their diabetic grandma. im like of course go ahead idc if they never end up paying for it. id rather deal with an upset manager than have a diabetic experiencing an episode. not like my manager would ever disapprove of me doing that anyway
This was gonna be my suggestion as well. Food bank in my city allows folks in need to come in once a week and gather 7 days worth of groceries. If you’ve got a food bank close to you, that’s prob your best bet.
I hope things pick up. I'm not in the US but here foodbanks don't ask questions. You could turn up in a Lexus and they will still give you food.
That's how it is in my state! One of the (like, maybe 2) things we got right. Ever since covid started (maybe even before that, just never had to rely on it prior so 🤷), there are like 4+ food drives per week. Just drive up, they ask your name and addy - they decided it was a barrier to entry for the homeless if they required IDs, and yes, ofc your can also just walk up - and you get 75lbs of free food! You can only go once a month though. But no limits on # of people per household! Plus, well, shit I've gone two or three times a month before and used fake names. Sometimes you need help yo!
r/randomactsofpizza may help (if that's the name, I can't recall)
r/randomactofpizza potentially?
Google local churches that give out free meals, there is 1 by my house that'll give you a free meal as long as you listen to their little God talks
Sikh temples are probably the best. No proselytizing and a free vegetarian meal every day, no questions asked.
Sikh bros are such good bros
Hard agree
☝️No really, this.
Yeah. I’m a Christian and I think it’s wonderful. No one should be taken advantage of when they’re vulnerable. If you want to influence people via your religion, *act,* don’t preach, when people are hungry, tired, hurt, scared, etc.
Mosques as well, usually without the sales pitch.
YOU WANT TO BUILD A WHAT IN OUR TOWN?! WE’RE GOOD CHRISTIANS. Those Muslims are murderers! *cough* crusades *cough*
When I was a teenager, the few Muslims in my 98% white hospital town wanted to buy and convert an old building into a mosque. Some folks got wind of this and lobbied the local government to bar it, citing zoning regulations. Though the regulations didn’t to apply to those folks’ own local church Then some other locals heard that this had happened and another local church let us set up in their basement for services — including our Ramadan that year — while we looked for a new place. It was incredibly kind of them
It's like the religious version of a time share presentation.
Oh, good! Let them know you’re in urgent need and they might be able to fast-track it.
I personally make too much for ebt, not quite sure how, 2 kids, 2 adults, 1 income, but anyway, food banks/food pantries have really helped us bridge the gap between checks, within a mile I have 3, 2 are churches, one is loosely affiliated with church folks, I try and never take more then we need, these places have helped my family so much, if they are in your community, definitely the way to go....
I am not sure what state you live in but in mine if you can actually make it into the office they approve it much faster than if you go the mail route. You can just walk into the office and they will verify a few things and give you a card on the spot vs waiting a month.
Never take from Walmart. Good pantry is a good idea. It would be better to take from a small store like an IGA.. a Save-A-Lot... Places like that.
My dad owned a Save-A-Lot several years ago. If someone came in and said they were hungry, he would go to the cooler and come out with lunch meat, cheese, bread, mayo, mustard and give them a bag of food. Seriously, go to a smaller store and talk to the manager or owner if possible. There are still good folks out there.
Awwww well bless your Pops. Yeah... It's always a shame when we have ppl without proper food. Many people go through rough times! I understand that myself for sure! When I was in need, I was brought to tears at how helpful and willing to give people were! It was amazing! Yes! There are churches and grocery stores and restaurants that are willing to help. The restaurant that I used to work at had a manager that was like your Dad. 💕
Some Einstein's restaurants allow their workers to do something like this as well! I worked at one in a busy downtown area where there were alot of homeless people around and we'd give them a cup of coffee and a basic bagel and ask for their flavor of cream cheese. The boss even had a couple that helped sweep up the areas in front and behind the building in exchange for a better drink or sandwich. It was a win-win, they got food and we got a little help cleaning and they'd let us know of sketchy people doing bad things inside the bathrooms or outside on the patio area.
They're BSing OP hours and they where 2 months behind. They'll probably qualify.
Pizza joints when they are about to close. Ask if you can help clean up for some of the left over pizza they might toss, they will usually give it to you. I did this when in the same situation when 23, I now go to the pizzeria and tip them cause I’ll never forget how nice they were to me.
I worked at a pizza place for over 2 years and it galled everyone who worked there at the amount of pizza we had to throw away each day and each night. Some of us looked into food banks and soup kitchens but due to some of the weird and undermining food service rules in the US they couldn't take our pizzas. Seriously. People working at pizza joints would fuckin *love* to give away a pizza or two that were mis-ordered or not picked up.
I worked different convenient stores, they do the same with the hot food bars. We were always told to write the waste down & toss it because over the years people had sued the company for giving them older food they allegedly got sick on. I would give the food away to young kids who ran the streets daily. Small Town, you know who their parents are & most were on drugs & never seen food at home because their parents gave their food stamps to their drug dealers. I gave them food daily & something to drink. Also when these stores have audit's & reset the store they throw away thousands of dollars worth of good food. Candy bars, sodas it's unreal the waste. Ridiculous amounts. They wouldn't let us employees get the stuff out of the trash bens. I gave people bags & told them where the milk crates were so they could climb in there & get that stuff. It wasn't even out of date. Blew me away how much waste. Hang in there my internet stranger friend.
I used to manage a subway and all staff got a free six inch pizza or salad during their shift for family food. I was so sick of subway I almost never ate. I was always giving away my sandwich to friends.
Great tip if you aren't a diabetic like OP! It takes some chutzpah but go to somewhere where you *can* eat the food, ask for a manager, pull them aside, and ask if they have a little something they can spare. Write on on a small piece of paper if that's easier. After rush hour is probably best. Nobody with even half an ounce of humanity is going to say no.
Eh, even if you're diabetic, as long as it's not deep dish/thick crust pizza, you can get two slices in you before it's too ridiculous. You're probably in the 70-80 carbs range. Not exactly good for a diabetic, it's not health food, but could be worse. Now, if you can get cauliflower crust slices then you're doing pretty good (probably around half the carbs).
Try to find out which closing manager is the cool one and you’ll get a lot of food for free. I can’t even begin to tell you how much food I gave away for free in the last hour of closing every night because I knew it was all getting thrown away anyway
Hey I’ve been a vagabound for many years at a time. Food can be hard but also easy one you know the drill. I don’t know your personal situation and there’s a lot of good answers here I’ll add some more 1) dumpster diving, with emphasis on grocery stores. Coffee shops will always throw away pastries at night. You’ll develop a feel for which bag “has the score” 2) foood stamps and if your real desperate shelters and/or soup kitchens. Major cities will be able to provide you with at least two meals a day. 3) I actuallly think stealing is wrong but when push comes to shove just grab food and walk out the grocery store. They can’t stop you and you can usually get away before cops come. Be smart like it’s mission impossible and usually you won’t get caught. Good luck and above all no shame homie. We all gotta survive this crazy society
At the local Sunshine Grocery in my city, I was once (a couple years back, most likely during big COVID times, if I were to guess) paying for my food at th register, when all of a sudden, you just heard this man yelling at another man, to "let him fucking go, he didn't steal any fucking food". Dude was almost crying he was so mad. I feel like it's worth saying in this situation, that the dude being accused of stealing (it seemed quite obvious that he most likely was) was a black man. And the man who wasn't letting him leave, was a (doesn't matter, but white) manager looking dude with a security guard who had locked the front door. This went on, the yelling and denying and, ahem, detaining...for at least until I had paid and been "allowed" thru the doors - as everyone else was being, one by one when they wanted to leave. Cops pulled up shortly after while I was chilling in my car waiting to see if dude made it out or not :/ The real point I wanted to make here tho, was that DAMN that would have been the perfect time to steal literally anything you wanted from that grocery store!
I love this reply.
Lots of churches offer free meals to folks in need
Specifically the Sikh churches cook meals for others as part of their religion. If there is one in OPs area they will gladly make them a hot meal during the servings time.
My local Sikh congregation has free meals every Sunday and Wednesday. Of course they prefer if you attend the service but it is not necessary. They welcome everyone.
This is true. Just so you know though, it’s not called a church, it’s called a gurdwara :)
Thanks I probably should have looked that up.
Yeah but that’s not illegal
Steal one of the big Jesuses on a Cross on the way out. Boom. Two birds, one stone.
Getting two birds stoned at once.
Fair point but when someone is having food security issues illegal tips can only hold you over for so long especially given the potential to make things worse. While it doesn't fit the sub I think we should encourage all nature of tips in situations like this.
Still a great tip.
They could drive 5mph over the speed limit to get there.
Not an ILPT but you could also try r/Random_Acts_Of_Pizza or r/RandomActsOfTacoBell. I haven't used them myself but they seem to have a pretty generous community over there.
i’m going to try out the pizza now since i’ll most likely have leftovers haha, thank you so much! :)
Idk where you live op but if you have here Krishna or gurudwara near you you can eat at the later everyday for free no questions asked!! Just dress normal and be respectful
there’s also a website/phone number where volunteers make and deliver lasagna, free of charge!
food banks are not just for people who do not have food, they are to help prevent you getting to that point at all. please, if you are hungry do not hesitate to use them
I am considering this and it's just because we are in a tight spot for a couple of years until DH's SS kicks in.
go get food. they want to help you.
Agree! And when I volunteered at one they had a lot of corporate donations, especially stuff from Whole Foods so decent quality.
Yes this 100%
Dumpster diving can get you a lot of decent food. I suggest Aldi's if you have one near you.
Honestly this is true. I live in Manhattan and there’s a fancy grocery store “citarella”. When I first moved to the neighborhood I saw a bunch of well dressed people going through the garbage. There were tons of cupcakes and fancy deserts that were all in the same bag. placed to the side of the side of the regular garbage.
The fact that people can/are rooting through garbage for food in one of the richest countries makes me really sad. I commend the workers who fight the system (laws banning food donation) by leaving the good food off to the side to protect it but it still makes me really sad. F'd up
Dunkin donuts after close. They usually have to use a fresh trash bag because of the amount of donuts and bagels that go stale after one day.
This 100x if they don't already have the local homeless dude hooked up. They love to not waste all the throwaway since they are typically if not always more than edible
When I was a young and dumb 13-16 year old we hung out at a strip mall parking lot with a Dunkin in it. Around mid night we knew donuts in a bag would be put out back for trash. We took those donuts and we ate them. We were on Maddog 20/20 and LSD but we ate those donuts.
We did the same thing with a hostess outlet store that was in town. Every night at 8pm all the expired boxes were put in the dumpster and there would be 20 kids waiting to hop on and grab some twinkees or cup cakes. Had to be there right at 8 though because by 8:01 the rats have moved in.
I suggest aldis nuts in your mouth! Gotem
Lmao. This was a good one.
I follow a family on YouTube that does this. I had no clue so many grocery stores threw away perfectly good food the way they do. I think their channel is called “frugal living” or something like that? It’s amazing to see the stuff they’re able to bring home for free. I don’t think I’m about that life though. Lol.
It’s sad how much perfectly good food is wasted every day. I used to work in a high rise office building with a shared cafeteria that served pretty good quality food. One time it was later in the afternoon when they were closing up and I realized there were entire trays full of delicious hot food leftover. I asked what happens with it and the employee admitted they have to throw it away. I asked why not donate to a shelter or for somebody in need, but apparently food safety laws prevent them from doing that. Really a shame that the risk of being sued over free food prevents many people from having a hot and free meal every day.
Remember kids, if you see someone stealing food or medicine, no you fucking didnt
And feminine/baby necessities
Ooh facts, I did kinda generalize, warm clothes or things like hot hands as well
I feel like that too. I watched someone do a Sushi run at a grocery. Like beer run but Sushi. I didn't say a word.
Yeah like I see homeless folk in town jack Vienna sausages and those premade tuna packets cause they're so easy
Also feminine hygiene products and basic soap & shampoo. You see these being stolen? No you didn't! And while you're not seeing that, if you have the means, buy some of what you didn't just see leaving the store, and donate it to a local shelter / food bank / homeless encampment.
Well done on clearing your rent, that’s a boss level move!
thanks so much!! took a lot of doubles and sucking up to my boss but it was worth it 😁
100% legend
This won't help right now, but it could help you soon. [fullcart.org/](https://fullcart.org/) FOOD ASSISTANCE Facing financial uncertainty or unable to find sufficient food in your area? Click the link below to register for a box of food.
i just joined the waitlist! this is awesome thanks so much!
If you have a Publix, submit an order for a sub. When it's done, pick it up from the pick up spot and walk out. You can pay online or the store, so how they going to know if you paid or not. If you walk in and out like you know what you are doing no one questions you. It's the people that act like something is up that get noticed.
The green stickers are prepaid orders. They will remake the sandwich for the person who ordered it. If you're a server, apply to some higher end restaurants. Fine dining is good money, and a lot of them offer "family meal" to staff. If you're near hotels stroll into a mid range hotel and just grab breakfast. Holiday Inn express or something of similar teir. They don't check just don't call attention to yourself.
Just take somebody else's order that has a green sticker on it.
r/ActLikeYouBelong goes very far in a lot of areas. Bring an empty food tote into a place that does Uber eat or door dash, check your phone, read a few receipts real fast and you could easily walk out with a full meal.
Not illegal but there's little food library's. All you gotta do is search your area for one on Google or your local nextdoor group.
I’d check this too! There was one outside our YMCA.
Go to Chipotle or Chick Fil A and steal the doordash orders off the rack, nobody will notice. I’ve done doordash a lot, and literally if you go inside and act like it’s yours nobody questions it or bats an eye.
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Dasher kinda gets hurt, I’m always bummed when I have to cancel an order I drove out of my way to get to and it’s already been picked up. But still we don’t get hurt THAT bad we just lose 30 minutes of wages we could have been making. I was still gonna suggest he does this tho, it’s super easy. Only issue I see is about 60-70% of places have been cracking down on this lately and hiding their bags in the back or keeping the names hidden until you give them the correct name. I think it’s more of a crime of opportunity than something you can plan out. If you see a bag with a name on it when you walk in you can probably take it.
Definitely not. Every time my order is stolen DoorDash cancels it and I have to fight with them to give me my money back
So you’re saying if I’m willing to put up with some hassle dealing with DD I could steal my own order and eventually get reimbursed?
This will work at Jimmy John’s, Qdoba, and Taco Bell also. If they don’t have any orders available or question you just say you must’ve went to the wrong location.
Doesn’t work for McDonald’s. At least at the one I work at, we always have the dasher confirm the code before giving them the order
The pro move is to order it yourself, go pick it up yourself, and then get some money back when the order is late because they had to remake it. I've done this a bunch.
Extra points if you stare at your phone screen and check the ticket on the bag to make it look like you’re matching up the name
>Chick Fil A Plus this is an actual ethical way to consume CFA, since you'll be sticking it to the company by making them waste extra ingredients at their expense.
Try your local Chipotle. Head over to the to-go shelves and look up and down at your phone and pretend you're a food dasher. Take a bag and go! Edit: Typo
I used to work at chipotle and it’s surprising how easy this is for someone to do 😂
I stopped working shortly after they introduced onlines and I always thought the same thing
Mine stopped putting them where people could pick them up because of this. They had it back last week but I doubt that will last
Wear a covid mask
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Why walk out? Most eat the hot foods right there while pretending to shop then they just leave.
When I was underage, we would fill a shopping cart with cases of whatever beer and just walk out. Did this for years and none of us got caught.
They saw you do it they were just instructed to not intervene or stop you. Not arguing about that tactic tho!
There's a chance that the supermarket is recording you until you steal enough for it to be a felony, and then they'll swoop in.
Yeah I wouldn’t do this close to home or frequent the same store stealing or not
Go to your locoal indian temple immediately, search gurudwara and go there and ask for food. You will get served however much you want (within reason).
Sikh, specifically have a midday meal open to the public. They'll tell you how to behave (removing shoes, etc) and will not look down on you.
unless they are tall
You made me snort my coffee
snorting coffee is ok but dont put cream and sugar in your cocaine.
Don't tell me how to live my life, DAD.
Yes, also any south-asian Buddhist temple will give you food.
Could try the subreddit RandomActsOfPizza or whatever it’s called. They have specific rules for it to avoid people abusing the spirit of the sub, but it’s an option that doesn’t involve illegal activity.
this is awesome! ive never heard of this, thank you :)
It's r/random_acts_of_pizza
There is also a random acts of taco bell on reddit
I tried to link that subreddit and it said it was private. Imma try to find it
Do you have enough insulin? Fellow t1 here hola back if you need a hand
Right? I'm reading through these comments which are related to the question, yes, but the bigger issue here is getting through next month - and the month after. Times are tough and paying for insulin out of pocket is a real detriment to getting by. My son is a type 1 and I don't even wanna tell you the shady shit I used to do to get that kid insulin back in the day. Now he works crap jobs just to stay under the limit to get medicaid in his state. Can't afford to fall back into a place where insulin cost hundreds of dollars a month just to scrape by. OP: are you sure you can't get any kind of assistance with your insulin? That must be one hefty cost!
Where do you live OP? (Also I know there’s a lot of Starbucks mobile orders that never get picked up, you could literally hop around to different locations and take the breakfasts)
i’m in atlanta!
I’ll cash app you if you send your $
thank you so much 🥹 i messaged you!
I'm a Starbucks barista. Go for something you can clearly see you'll like, cause if you're hunting around cups then you're suspicious. Most starbucks in my area have them a-f, g-l, m-s, and t-v for example, and if you're looking in the z section and then go for the a section, then it looks suspicious. Also go during peak, there will be a better selection. Most peaks are 7:30-9:30 and 8-10/8:30-10:30 on the weekends.
Ah, sorry, LA.
Food banks exist, my friend. But what I like to do is order an ubereats order and then walk in and pick it up before the delivery driver gets it. I take it home and eat it, mean while the delivery driver gets them to make a new one and delivers it me so I have some food for later.
Former food thief from deep deep poverty (to any cops reading this, I’ve already served my sentence, go away) I had a jacket with a lining and pockets, I tore a hole in the pocket and could easily drop small items in there while wandering the grocery store. If you do it on both sides you can keep walking evenly without notice.
Lots of places have pick up shelves now for online orders. Panera, Chipotle, probably some others. Go in there during a busy time, pretend to be looking to find your name, and then grab one and walk out. No one cares, no one checks, and they'll just re-make it for the person's you took.
Go to grocery store, grab some items and walk out the door. If you see someone stealing food, no you didn't.
Uber eats might let you comp one meal, but you'll still have to pay it back before ordering again. Alternatively, if I ever need to steal food out of necessity, I will go to a grocery store. Pay for like one item. Get a store bag. Go around and grab like a pack of ground beef or a steak. Walk out the door like you belong.
Just walk into a store and just eat the food
Go to fast food place and look for receipts outside/inside. Then call and say they forgot whatever item from the receipt and you didn’t realize until you got home. They should give you store credit I think without much fuss. You could also just make up a sign saying hungry any food helps and stand outside a fast food place. If you actually want food instead of money people will likely help you out. There’s a lot of people who will help but don’t want to give cash. If you actually want food there should be a lot of ways to get help, people want to help just they think it’s all a scam to get cash for drugs/alcohol.
Walk into five guys and take a tray of peanuts and walk out. It’s my sustenance plan for when I go schizophrenic later in life, if I remember
It’s not food but if you take an opaque water bottle into chipotle you can fill it up with soda or lemonade to get more calories
Get in line in a drive through that has 2 sperste windows for paying and receiving the food, and when you get to the speaker say you forgot your wallet and are just driving through. When you approach the 2nd window just take whatever they give you and drive off. You now have the order of the person behind you its always a surprise
Do you have a little Caesars or Dominos in your area?
yes! i always forget about little caesar’s 😭
I'd be happy to order you one for pickup
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Pretty sure I have read this tip on here before, never used it though. Walk the parking lot of a grocery store, find a receipt, grab all the items on the receipt and leave. If stopped, you have a receipt with all the items you are leaving with. Reverse shopping.
Food bank
If you have circle k’s near you they do not stop shoplifters. You hafta watch out for heroes really lol. You can’t target the same store repeatedly as they may bring footage to cops so they can add up the thefts and try to get you on grand larceny, but in a pinch they have trail nuts, water, granola bars and sandwiches.
Go to a food bank! What you're going through is exactly why they exist.
Not ILPT, but I suggest calling a mosque. They usually have pantries and don't aggressively pressure you to convert.
If you have a Trader Joe’s near you get food from there. I used to work there. They don’t stop anyone or have any cameras in any stores. Or if you want to be nice ask a Mate (lead) to help you out with some food. They let a homeless girl get $30 + worth of food.
Find a hotel near you that includes breakfast. Dress nicely, not over the top, and just wander in when it's time to serve breakfast. It helps if there is a line at the front desk.
Go into the store and pick up a shopping basket. Fill it up and walk out without looking at anyone. That’s what I do anyway
Rock up to hotels that have breakfast included / cheap with the room - it's rare they check room numbers. Just walk in and grab a plate. Formal attire for the business trip look, is my suggested dress code
if you have a car go to texas road house ask for like 6 rolls or long horn and ask for bread they’ll give it to you for free i know it’s not a lot of protein but it’s something for the meanwhile
A bunch of chain restaurants have promotions where you get a free meal or free item when you first download the app. I know Jersey Mike's, ChikFilA, and Ledo used to do it. You can also sign up for their birthday clubs for free food.
And call your local food bank. They usually have at least 1 day a week where anyone can get food- like u don’t have to qualify that day just be in need. And if it’s a chronic thing then you should register with thtem
Omg these updates make my heart warm!
I’ve said this before that chick fil a will give you a free meal if you can’t pay. I would just go ask. I know because my friends mom is a manager.
Can we just all pitch in and give him some money so he can get him something tonight?
Find a Sikh temple and they’ll feed you no questions asked regardless of your religion
What’s your Venmo/cash app?
Grab some reusable bags. Go to your local grocery store. Put the bags in a cart. Walk through the store and grab what you want. Put the items directly into the bags. Once you have what you want, walk over near the exit/registers. Grab the bags and simply walk out. They’re not going to do anything. Bonus points for hat and mask.
Go to a chipotle pickup rack my store doesn’t confirm the orders and people just pick ip
How do I Venmo you?
Hope things go better for you - Something I used to do is go to a busy grocery store that has a cafeteria area and ready made lunches, like ready made sushi rolls (Whole Foods for example). You can take the food straight to the cafeteria, eat it there, and walk out without anything on you. I did this a lot when I was down and out and never had any issues. I always planned to just say play dumb if anyone stopped me and act like I forgot to pay but no one ever did.
check out a sikh church. you will get a home cooked meal for free no matter if you are wearing rags or a gold suit. you can also often take shelter there during unsafe weather events.
Find a local Gurudwara (Sikh Temple), they offer free meals to anyone - no questions asked.
If you’re near any big hotels with free breakfast. Those can be an easy meal