6 Ways to Get Free Food This Week

I put together a list of my favorites that will give you free food right now. If you're looking for how to get free food, look no further.

Written by Brian Meiggs

Updated March 31, 2024

Whether you are on a budget or just wish to save money on your groceries, getting free meals is sure to come as a big win for you.

So before you head to the grocery store this week, why not check out a few simple ways you can get a free meal or two?

While the idea of a free lunch doesn’t come often, we found some legit ways you can get free food or save substantially on your next meal. The most important thing in scoring free food is knowing where to look.

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6 ways to get free food this week

Hungry? Looking for ways to get free food? Here are 6 solid ways to get a free bite this week with our helpful list that’ll surely satisfy your taste buds.

Without further ado, here are some of the most popular ways of getting free food:

1. Use food apps to score free food and drinks

Looking to eat for free? Here are the top food apps to help you score some complimentary grub! Get free lunch, free dinner, free breakfast, mobile coupons, and more from the apps below:

These free foodie apps allow you to eat at local restaurants without breaking the bank. You can easily find the best free food deals out there you can get by simply downloading these apps.

2. Get $5 in free food with cash back apps

Several companies like GetUpside offer some rather good deals through their cash back offers. While costless food is not always guaranteed through these rebate apps, the amount of savings you can get from the discounts is substantial.

These can be saved over a period of time and used to get free food.

This is a simple way of getting free food as all you need to do is download an app and check out the free food offers.

While some of them offer 50% cash back on food purchased, others offer up to 100% (totally free). Yep, you can enjoy your meal without worrying about paying for it. You’ll have to download the apps below and keep up with the daily offers though:

Rakuten Cash Back — iOS, Android and desktop

Get comped food offers, coupons, and more savings on your next meal. Plus, earn cash back for items you’re going to buy anyway. It mostly works for food deals and allows you to earn money you can transfer directly to a linked PayPal account.

Dosh — iOS, Android

One of the best cash back apps you probably haven’t heard about. No points, no coupons, just cold hard cash when you shop 1,000s of brands they partner with. Available on both iOS and Android. Get a $5 Bonus when you connect your first card.

3. Enjoy a free meal at store openings

This one may not be on your radar but another brilliant way of getting free lunch or dinner is by attending shop openings.

Whether it’s a supermarket or a food store that is opening, chances are high that you will treat yourself to a free meal.

There are usually free samples served on an opening day. Work up a good appetite before and enjoy. You can usually find store openings by driving around your city, in the newspaper, or take to social media.

4. Get free food with coupons

Another effective way of getting free food is through the use of coupons. If you haven’t already seen our recent post on how to start couponing, it may be worth your time reading.

In as much as using coupons may seem outdated, there are actually newer and better ways of getting free meals by using coupons!

Unlike traditional coupons that were clipped off newspapers, modern coupons are digital.

They are therefore easier to use since they have been moved to your phone and are a whole lot more convenient for you.

If you’re not the biggest fan of clipping coupons but still love the savings check out Ibotta.

Now, this will not directly get you free food but you can buy cheap food with it.

Once you download the free app, check out the daily specials for “any” purchase with 25 cent cash back. This essentially will give you 25 cents for free with any receipt upload.

To recap, the best apps you should download to take advantage of free food deals are Rakuten, Dosh, and Ibotta.

5. Eat for free on your birthday

Although this might come in handy only once a year, eating out during your birthday can treat you to a hearty free meal. Delicious!

There are more than a few cafes and restaurants that offer a comped meal to customers on their birthdays.

You’ll want to begin scouting for birthday freebies well in advance to avoid the last-minute rush.

You may even get certain restaurants that offer breakfast, lunch as well as dinner. This is a sure way to score a free day of eating.

You can see a popular list of birthday freebies here. If you’re still wondering how to find food that doesn’t cost you a cent, be sure to take advantage of those birthday freebies.

6. Participate in food eating competitions

Our last brilliant way of getting meals that you don’t have to pay for is by entering eating competitions.

These competitions give you the opportunity to enjoy free food just by signing up.

Signing up for eating competitions is always simple and straightforward.

All you need is an appetite and a name to enter the contest.

More often than not, these competitions are always free of cost.

Ready for those free meals?

Now that you’ve gone through the list there should be at least one idea that stuck.

Finding food that is free near you isn’t always the easiest thing but with a little ingenuity and a helping hand, it’s possible.

Here’s to you getting your next meal free, on us!

For you: Did you learn how to get free meals? What are some ways you find free food near you?

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