Learn to forage: Buy Richard Mabey's 1972 foraging manual Food for Free, now updated with 300 types of natural food, including fruit, fungi and nuts, all described on a season-to-season basis.
Get free samples: Keep a check on sites such as freeinuk.co.uk
Stalk luxury hotel bars (but drink only coffee): Many offer nibbles, Japanese crackers and nuts for free.
Grow your own
If you live in a flat:
I: Get an allotment - but remember that they are hard work and require plenty of soil-hours. They are, however, the best bet for a consistent supply of produce. Contact your local council or find a plot through allotments-uk.com. Discover what you can sow and reap, and when to do it, at allotment.org.uk/garden_month.php
II: Start a container garden in hanging baskets or on a windowsill. You can grow a range of vegetables including tomatoes, chillis, beetroot and peppers.
III: Consider guerrilla gardening (guerillagardening.org), whereby you plant on unused plots. This isn't always legal, however - even if the land is disused.
If you live in a house with a garden: Consider digging up your lawn or getting rid of the patio to plant a vegetable garden. The whole process is explained neatly at rhs.org.uk/vegetables. Plus, think about rearing chickens for daily fresh eggs and, well, maybe a stew when the winter sets in. Get good advice from the Poultry Club (www.poultryclub.org).
Getting through the week
Evenings: Food dumped by restaurants is often edible. Try freeganism (freegan.info).
Weekends: Many volunteer schemes offer free meals (volunteering.org.uk).
Dine on samples at farmers' markets. You can walk away full if you're happy to find out about sustainably made biscuits.
Sunday afternons: Prior to the foodie revolution, traditional pubs provided free food. Some still do.
Holidays: Go on a medical trial (drugtrial.co.uk). Many are residential and include meals.
Once a week: When eating out, complain about poor service or food, and go at busy times. Say you'll tell your friends how bad it was. Don't expect the total bill to be comped, though you might get a punch in the mouth gratis.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
