FREE Ways To Supplement Your Food Supply

Struggling to build your food supply? Discover how to find free food and make your budget go further. Don’t miss out on these money-saving tips!

Your food supply is essential for survival. We must find alternate ways to build a stockpile when money is tight.

With grocery prices rising in Canada, spare money is hard to find unless you supplement your income.

You can earn extra cash in many ways, but for those who aren’t interested or unable to do so, I’ve got you covered.

Today, I want to share with you all the ways I found to find free food when money is tight.

How To Supplement A Food Supply When Money Is Tight

Your food supply is vital for survival, and although the first place most people go to is the supermarket.

However, alternative methods exist to obtain food without spending money at the grocery store.

Since moving to Canada from the UK over ten years ago, I’ve had to learn about a country with which I wasn’t too familiar.

I had no prior knowledge of farmland, and the seasons in Canada certainly threw me for a loop. If you’d lived in the UK, you would know what I mean.

Since becoming a permanent fixture in this glorious land,, I’ve learned the most critical survival tipsfor food supply from my wife and father-in-law.

Most of all, exploring Ontario through nature walks and educating myself about the local flora has undoubtedly increased my knowledge.

I’m not a pro, but I’ve had my fair share of experience in the woods, on farms, and processing and growing gardens from seed.

I know it’s one of the easiest ways to supplement food supply shortages when in need.

It may not be a fast fix, but it’s certainly one to explore if you don’t mind getting out and about during the Spring, Summer, and Fall months.

If you live in a community with like-minded people, you’ll want to learn about the nature and what grows in your area.

Perhaps starting a local Facebook group or creating an ad on Kijiji seeking people who want to forage and learn together is a brilliant idea.

I do know that most foragers don’t like to give up their source of food supply, as it likely will show up year after year in the same area.

Educating yourself is the best way, and if you have a knowledgeable friend who doesn’t mind taking you along, it’s a great opportunity.

Strengthen Your Food Supply For Free

This post is not just about foraging because I plan to explore this topic in-depth in a future post, and how you can enrich your food supply without adding to your grocery budget costs.

Let’s explore all the ways I can think of, and if you have any ideas to share, please leave them in the comments below.

Picking Excess

Just recently, Mrs. CBB and I chatted about what to do with all the fruit growing on my in-laws’ property.

My mother-in-law has no interest in the fruit and won’t pick it.

We discovered that groups and organizations in the city would come to the house and choose the fruit for free.

There are also groups on Facebook where homeowners have excess fruits and vegetables on their property and offer them to the group members.

It’s a beautiful way to allow people to pick what they won’t be able to use, which eliminates food waste.

Having a group of people on the same food supply and savings wavelength also allows you to make friends, so they know who to call the following season.

On our property, we have a massive mulberry tree, a crabapple tree, and a large rhubarb bush.

We can’t possibly pick and eat all of this fruit, so we offer it for free to the public who want to come and pick it themselves.

Grow A Garden In Pots, Raised Beds, Or The Ground

Growing a garden is one of the easiest ways to supplement your grocery budget, although there are a few expenses you should consider.

Unless you hook up a rain barrel, which I highly recommend, you will incur watering costs.

Related: How to start your garden from seed

Mrs. CBB and I were taught how to remove and dry the seeds from peppers and tomatoes to use in the following growing season.

Additionally, certain herbs, such as mint and parsley, will often return, along with many others.

Seeing all the vegetables growing in my father-in-law’s garden was amazing, considering he had not tended to the garden since his passing.

You may also find lettuce and tomatoes emerging in areas where you once had plants growing.

Again, seeds from peppers and tomatoes that rot and make their way into the soil can germinate the following season.

Related: How To Collect Tomato Seeds To Save Money

Seeds blow and sometimes plant under the soil, and when Spring comes around, poof, they come up for sunshine.

Apart from sowing the garden and starting your seedlings, applying fertilizer and watering, if you plan, you can supplement your grocery budget throughout the spring and summer.

If you grow enough, you can also process the food and keep it for the winter months.

Foraging To Build Your Food Supply

My father-in-law was passionate about foraging and taught Mrs. CBB how to forage for many foods and herbs from a young age.

• Blueberries
• Fiddleheads
• Wild mint
• Asparagus
• Wild leeks
• Crab Apples
• Wild Strawberries
• Dandelions
• Fennel
• Grapes
• Wild mushrooms

I nearly lost my mind when I saw the size of the asparagus that can grow in the wild.

He’d often come home with wild mushrooms, specifically Chicken of the Woods, also known as a sulfur shelf mushroom.

The chicken mushroom grows worldwide, mainly at the bottom of an oak tree or throughout.

Look up and look down because mushrooms can hide in places you least expect them to.

He even bet us we wouldn’t find asparagus one year because he picked them all.

Laetiporus is a genus of edible mushrooms found throughout much of the world. Some species, especially Laetiporus sulphureus, are commonly known as sulphur shelf, chicken of the woods, the chicken mushroom, or the chicken fungus because many think they taste like chicken.

I’m sure he foraged for many other things, but these are some common foods we’d see him bring home from his walks or during his hunting expeditions.

There are also local farmers in Ontario with farmland and forests that allow for foraging, ensuring that food does not go to waste.

Food Supply Is Available, As You Know, Where To Look

I know that wild asparagus is growing in ditches and on farmland in some parts of Ontario.

If you spot it or the farmers want it removed, they may allow you to pick it up for free, thus helping you increase your food supply at no cost.

It’s worth becoming friends with your local farmers for this reason and, of course, to help each other out.

Foraging is a great way to supplement your food supply, but remember to forage only what you know and where you are allowed to go.

Most local cities have a foraging Facebook page, so also look into that to collaborate with like-minded people.

Do Not Trespass On Someone’s Property

Trespassing on private property or picking what you are not allowed to, such as items on a covered nature trail, may result in a fine if caught.

You should never forage for what you don’t know or eat what you don’t know, especially wild mushrooms, as they can cause illness and potentially be fatal.

Although I plan to create an Ultimate Guide for Foraging in Ontario, it will take me time to assemble it.

If you’d like to contribute or know someone who might be interested, please have them contact me.

Barter and Trade Food

Hunting On Farmland In Trade for Food Supply

Over the years, my father-in-law became acquainted with many farmers in the area, who grew vegetables and fruits to sell during the spring and summer months.

He became friends with a couple of farmers, in particular, over the years, which allowed him to barter his hunting services to help control the animal population on the farm legally.

By doing this, one farmer allowed him to grow a massive garden on a section of their land, and the other let him pick fruits and vegetables for free or at a deeply discounted rate, depending on the item.

It was a great way to get the family out to learn about farming and picking fresh produce rather than buying it from the grocery store.

I’m certain this is why Mrs. CBB feels strongly about taking our son on nature trail walks to explore what Ontario has to offer, as well as picking fruits at local farms.

We recently picked strawberries, and he had a blast doing so.

Get to know the egg and pork farmers in your area, and you may be able to barter your services for free eggs and bacon.

A friend of ours who owns farmland in Ontario supplements their food supply by trading goods with other farmers in the area.

Food Bank Donations

A straightforward way to supplement your food supply is to visit a food bank if your pantry appears to be running low and you are in need.

Almost every community in Ontario has a food bank or community centre that offers free food to singles and families in need.

We’ve visited our local food bank a couple of times with a friend who needed to stock up her kitchen, and it was interesting to see how the food bank operates.

It’s always a learning experience, especially if you aren’t familiar with the process, but it also opens your eyes to the community’s needs. \

You may also find that volunteering at your local food bank is a great way to give back to your community.

Consider donating if you have food you won’t use at home or while grocery shopping; there are bins in most stores for food bank donations.

Shopping Smarter With Coupons and Apps

Being an informed shopper means you know the ins and outs of saving money and getting free food along the way.

There are free product coupons offered by many Canadian companies via

• Social media
• coupon websites
• In-store displays
• coupon apps
• QR codes
• Mobile device
• Promotions and Marketing Days
• Scanning Code of Practice

Sometimes, using coupons means you get products for free because the coupon is the same amount as the product is selling for, so it is certainly something to watch out for.

• Mystery Food Shopper
• Collecting rewards points
• Free Product Coupons
• Coupons

Bulk Your Food Supply: Collecting and Using Rewards

Collecting rewards can add extra food to your grocery cart when collected carefully, which means following the rewards program and loading promotions via your app or online.

With over 3 million PC Optimum Points, Mrs. CBB and I can spend around 3,0000 to get free food at PC stores or almost anything at Shoppers Drug Mart.

How I Got A Free Refrigerator With Rewards Points

Lastly, you can become a mystery shopper for Mystery Shopper Canada or scan your purchases for Nielsen Home Scan Canada, which provides you with a hand scanner.

By doing so, you earn points that you can redeem for free items from their catalogue.

I used to do this when I lived in the UK and bought myself a new refrigerator.

My refrigerator broke, but with points, I was able to get a new one for free, so I didn’t have to store my food on the back porch in a cooler.

I also redeemed points for gift cards, which allowed me to get free food at the grocery store.

If you need to boost your food supply, there are ways to make it happen, so no one has to go hungry.

Discussion: What other ways can you supplement your food supply in Canada?

Please leave me a comment below with your other ideas or suggestions.

July 2018 Grocery Game Challenge

• Last shop June- 12 Cold Supper Recipes That Are Budget Friendly
• Strawberry Picking Tips Fun For The Entire Family – July 2018 Shop #1
• How to Pack Food for a Theme Park Visit – July Shop #2

2018 Grocery Shop Results

Yearly grocery budget for two + 1 Toddler 2018: $3600 or $300/month (The above total does not include the stockpile budget of $300/year or $25/month.

Points Overview (add any other sections you need to show us your savings or that you would like to track on your own)

• Total Grocery Budget for this Month: $300
• Total Grocery Budget with any carry-overs $300-$13.63=$286.37
• Total Gift Cards used to date: $0
• Total Rewards Points redeemed this week: $0
• Total Rewards Points used to date: $0
• Scanning Code of Practice (SCOP) to date $0

Coupon Apps (add any other apps you use to save money)

• Checkout51- $1.50

CBB Weekly Grocery Shop

Food Basics Canada

• Ontario Strawberries 1lb $2.50
• 2 x White Mushrooms 1lb $5.00 2/$5
• Case of 24 Coke Zero $6.35
• Kale $2.99
• Radishes $2.49
• Bananas $0.73
• Iceberg lettuce $1.99
• 2 x Spring Onion bunches  $1.96
• Romaine Lettuce $1.48
• Olymel Pepperoni $3.99

Total Out-of-Pocket $29.48

Note: All totals below have already been tax factored into them.