Is Your Paycheck Not Going As Far As It Used To?
We get it.Everythingis more expensive than it used to be, but your paycheck hasnt kept up.
When money is tight,these resourceswill help nearly everyone.
One place to start is local food rescues, food pantries or community cafes.
These places all act as resources within communities.
Staff and volunteers are likely familiar with local or regional options.
Little Free Pantries has amapping toolto locate pantries near you, but free fridges are trickier to locate.
Searching Instagram for#freefridgeor#communityfridgeis another way to see whats out there.
Generally, farmers dont like to haggle on prices,but there are a couple of important exceptions.
Lumpy or misshapen produce that doesnt make the cut can be sold as second-quality, usually abbreviated as seconds.
Consumers will often buy the radishes or carrots, then leave the greens behind.
Farmers generally dont want to bring unpurchased produce back to the farm.
It never hurts to ask (respectfully!)
so long as you understand that not all farmers can accommodate a discount.
You brew coffee at home, you dont walk into Target and you refuse to order avocado toast.
(Can you sense my millennial sarcasm there?)
you could also glean for personal use.
The foraging nonprofitFalling Fruitmaintains a global database of 3,621edibles to guide you in your hunt.
These strategies are flexible and achievable whether you live in urban, rural or suburban areas.
Lindsey Danis is a contributor to The Penny Hoarder.
