25 Easy Ways to Get Free Groceries Near You Today!

When money is tight, affording groceries can be challenging. A trip to the grocery store can easily cost more than $100, especially if you have a large family.

Thankfully, there are numerous ways to get groceries for free.

So if you’ve been wondering, “How can I get free groceries near me?”, keep reading to learn more, along with a list of amazing tips and tricks to save more money on groceries.

Get Free Groceries via Charities & Government Food Assistance Programs

There are numerous government programs, charities, and organizations that provide free groceries near you.

Some programs have specific eligibility requirements, such as being on a low income, while other organizations help anyone in need without particular requirements.

If you need assistance with getting groceries, consider these options:

1. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a government initiative designed to help supplement the food budget of families in need.

Through SNAP, families receive benefits via an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) Card, which functions like a debit card. You can use the EBT card to purchase groceries at authorized food stores and retailers.

With your EBT card, you can buy groceries such as:

• Fruits and vegetables
• Meat, poultry, and fish
• Breads and cereals
• Dairy products

To receive SNAP benefits, you must apply in the state where you live and meet certain eligibility criteria, including resource and income limits.

You can learn more about SNAP on the page linked in the section heading. Check if you qualify, and you might receive an EBT card to help pay for your groceries.

2. WhyHunger Hotline

If you’re in immediate need and thinking, “I need help with food today,” consider using the WhyHunger Hotline.

The WhyHunger Hotline connects individuals across the United States with food pantries, soup kitchens, summer meal sites, government nutrition programs, and grassroots organizations that offer nutritious food and support services.

You can call 1-800-5-HUNGRY, text your zip code to 1-800-548-6479, or use the form on the website linked above to find a local emergency food provider and other support services.

3. Food Pantries

FoodPantries.org is a comprehensive website that lists food pantries from across the country.

On the site, you can search for food pantries, soup kitchens, food shelves, and other food assistance services in your area. The website is user-friendly and provides pantry hours, details, and more.

4. USDA National Hunger Clearinghouse

If you’re looking for free food, contact the USDA National Hunger Clearinghouse.

The USDA National Hunger Clearinghouse assists low-income individuals and communities by providing information on food assistance, nutrition programs, and social services. It plays a vital role in fighting hunger and enhancing economic mobility.

You can access the clearinghouse in two ways:

• By phone: Call the USDA National Hunger Hotline, available from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern Time. If you need food assistance, you can reach out to 1-866-3-HUNGRY or 1-877-8-HAMBRE. A representative will help you find food resources such as meal sites, food banks, and other social services near your location.
• By text: Text the automated service at 914-342-7744 with keywords like “food,” “summer,” or “meals” to receive an automated response with information on resources located near a specific address or zip code.

5. Catholic Charities USA

Catholic Charities USA offers assistance to those in need, including food support. You can seek help from your local Catholic Charities. Use the map on the website linked above to locate your nearest Catholic Charities office.

6. Feeding America

Feeding America is a nationwide network of food banks that secures and distributes 4.3 billion meals every year through various food pantries and meal programs across the country. It’s a valuable resource if you need help accessing food.

Find your local community food bank on the website linked above.

7. Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)

Pregnant women and families with young children can receive food assistance through the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).

The WIC program provides federal grants to states for supplemental foods, health care referrals, and nutrition education. It is designed for low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women, as well as infants and children up to age 5 who are at nutritional risk.

The goal of WIC is to protect the health of low-income women, infants, and children up to age 5 who face nutritional risks. It offers nutritious foods to supplement diets, education on healthy eating, and referrals to health care services.

If you qualify for the program, you may receive assistance with food through WIC.

The WIC program serves:

• Pregnant women
• Breastfeeding women
• Non-breastfeeding postpartum women
• Infants
• Toddlers and children up to age 5

Common locations for WIC services include:

• County health departments
• Hospitals
• Mobile clinics (vans)
• Community centers
• Schools
• Public housing sites
• Migrant health centers and camps
• Indian health services facilities

8. The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army is another excellent resource for obtaining free groceries. They operate food pantries in communities across the country. To find out more and locate a local chapter, visit the link provided in the section heading above.

9. Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP)

If you are 60 years or older and struggling with grocery costs, the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) might be able to help.

CSFP aims to improve the health of low-income seniors by providing them with nutritious USDA Foods. The program distributes food and administrative funds to participating states and Indian Tribal Organizations, which then operate CSFP locally.

Here’s how the program works:
– **State Agencies:** Distribute CSFP food to public and nonprofit local agencies.
– **Local Agencies:** Determine eligibility, distribute food, and offer nutrition education.

To qualify, you must:
– Be at least 60 years old.
– Reside in a participating state or Indian reservation.
– Meet certain income guidelines (at or below 130% of the Federal Poverty Income Guidelines).
– May need to demonstrate nutritional risk as determined by a physician or local agency staff.

Check the website linked above for more information about eligibility and to contact your State Distributing Agency for assistance.

CSFP may not be available in all areas within each state. Contact your state agency to find out if CSFP is offered where you live.

10. Local Churches

Local churches can also be a valuable resource for free groceries. Many churches operate food pantries, soup kitchens, food banks, food drives, or have food outreach programs to help the community.

To find assistance, use Google to search for churches near you, then reach out to them to inquire about their food programs.

11. PantryNet.org

PantryNet.org is a helpful website that lists local food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters across the country.

You can use the map on the site to locate food assistance near you. The website provides addresses, hours, and other details for each location, making it a great resource for finding food help in your area.

12. The National School Lunch Program (NSLP)

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) is a federally assisted meal program that provides nutritious, low-cost or free lunches to children in public and nonprofit private schools and residential childcare institutions.

This program can help you save on grocery bills by providing free or reduced-price school lunches for your children. Additionally, the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) allows schools in low-income areas to offer free breakfast and lunch to all students without requiring a meal application.

In other school areas, eligibility for the school meals program is based on income levels. Families who believe their income qualifies should fill out an application for free or reduced-price meals through their school.

You can find more information about the NSLP on the website linked above.

13. The School Breakfast Program (SBP)

The School Breakfast Program (SBP) provides reimbursement to states for operating nonprofit breakfast programs in schools and residential childcare institutions.

Administered federally by the Food and Nutrition Service, the SBP is managed at the state level by state education agencies and at the local level by school food authorities.

The SBP offers breakfast each school day morning. For more information about the SBP and other child nutrition programs, contact the agency in your state responsible for these programs.

Learn more about the SBP on the website linked above.

14. The Seniors Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP)

The Seniors Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) helps low-income seniors access locally grown fruits, vegetables, honey, and herbs.

The program aims to boost domestic consumption of agricultural products by supporting farmers’ markets, roadside stands, and community-supported agriculture. It also promotes the development of new and additional farmers’ markets, roadside stands, and community programs.

The SFMNP serves low-income seniors, generally defined as individuals who are at least 60 years old and have household incomes not exceeding 185% of the federal poverty income guidelines.

Common locations for the program include:

• Farmers’ markets
• Roadside stands
• Farmers

The program is administered by state agencies, such as the state Department of Agriculture or Aging. Currently, SFMNP operates in 57 states, so check to see if your state agency operates an SFMNP.

You can learn more about the SFMNP program on the website linked in the section heading.

15. The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP)

The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) helps supplement the diets of low-income people by providing emergency food assistance at no cost.

USDA supplies 100% American-grown USDA Foods and administrative funds to states for operating TEFAP. States then distribute this food to local agencies, typically food banks, which in turn provide the food to soup kitchens and food pantries serving the public.

You may be eligible to receive food assistance from a local TEFAP organization in your area in two ways:

• Getting food from a place like a food pantry to take home.
• Or, eating a meal with a group of people at a place like a soup kitchen.

Eligibility to receive TEFAP foods to take home depends on your household income level, which varies by state as each state sets its own income standards for TEFAP.

In some states, you might qualify for TEFAP if you already participate in other income-based federal, state, or local food, health, or welfare programs.

For group meals prepared and served by local organizations, there is no income requirement since these organizations are already established to serve primarily low-income individuals.

To find out if you qualify or to get more details, you can contact your state distributing agency.

You can learn more about TEFAP on the website linked in the section heading.

Ways to Get Free Groceries (or Save Money on Them)

There are plenty more ways to get free groceries. If you don’t qualify for the programs mentioned above, or if they don’t fit your needs, there are other options available in this section that may better suit you.

If you’re struggling a little with money right now and are finding it hard to pay for groceries, then these tips can be really helpful. They offer practical, everyday ways to save money on groceries or even get them for free.

These tips are ideal for anyone who’s not on a low income but is still feeling the pinch from high grocery costs. Of course, they’ll also be useful for those on a low income. They’re helpful in general!

So, give these tips a try if you need assistance with your food bills.

16. Use Ibotta to get cash back on your groceries

Ibotta is a grocery cashback app that you can use to earn rebates on your grocery store purchases.

While Ibotta won’t make your groceries completely free, it can help you earn some cash back on your purchases.

You receive a rebate when you buy specific products and upload a photo of your receipt as proof of purchase.

Rebates typically range from $1 to $3 or more per product, with the potential for even larger rebates in some cases.

You can have your earnings sent to your bank account or PayPal account.

Here’s how to get rebates with Ibotta in-store:

• Before you head out to the store, browse offers. Simply choose a retailer, add offers for the items you plan to purchase, and then head out to the store.
• After checking out, submit a photo of your receipt in the app to receive your rebate.
• You can view your cashback in your Ibotta earnings within 24 hours.
• Once you reach $20 in earnings, you can withdraw your money to your bank account or PayPal account.

You can also get cashback on your online purchases with the Ibotta browser extension and mobile app.

17. Grow your own food

Another option to consider, if you have the space, is growing your own food. You could cultivate potatoes, onions, tomatoes, and herbs like basil and cilantro at home.

When you need one of these items, you can simply go to your garden and harvest them for free, rather than purchasing them from the grocery store.

While you may not be able to grow everything you need, you can still grow a portion of what you’d typically buy, which can help save money.

18. Do fun tasks on Swagbucks

On Swagbucks, you can earn points for completing a variety of tasks, such as:

• Taking surveys
• Watching videos
• Playing games
• Shopping online
• Browsing the internet

These tasks are really easy to do, and you can complete them whenever you have some downtime.

For doing tasks on Swagbucks, you earn points that you can redeem for money to your PayPal account. This cash can be used to buy groceries for free.

Swagbucks also allows you to redeem your earnings for gift cards to various grocery stores, such as Safeway, Walmart, and Target. So, you can use these gift cards to get free groceries.

19. Take surveys on i-Say

Another way to get free groceries is by taking surveys on i-Say. This site lets you redeem your earnings for gift cards to grocery stores like Target and Walmart, and you can also get Amazon gift cards. Use these gift cards to get free groceries.

20. Pick up an online side hustle

If you’re struggling with money and find it difficult to cover groceries and other expenses, consider picking up an online side hustle. A side hustle is an extra job you do alongside your regular job to bring in additional income. This extra cash can help cover groceries, bills, and ease financial stress.

If a side hustle interests you, here are some options to consider:

• Freelance writing: Find work on sites like Textbroker, UpWork, and PeoplePerHour.
• Data entry: Look for opportunities on UpWork and Clickworker.
• Virtual assistant work: Check out our post on how to become a virtual assistant.
• Transcription work: Find jobs on sites like Tigerfish, TranscribeMe, and CastingWords.
• Proofreading and editing: Explore opportunities through our list of proofreading and editing jobs.

21. Do some gig work near you

If you’re struggling to afford groceries, consider doing some local gig work. Just like online side hustles, you can complete local gigs alongside your regular job. The money you make can be used to cover your grocery costs.

Here are some local gigs you could consider to make extra money:

• Work as a rideshare driver for companies like Uber and Lyft.
• Do some pet-sitting work on Pet-Sitter .com, Rover, and PetBacker.
• Deliver food with apps like DoorDash, UberEats, and GrubHub.
• Deliver packages with Amazon Flex.
• Deliver groceries with apps like Instacart and Shipt.
• Run errands with TaskRabbit.
• Be a dog walker on sites like Wag! and Tailster.

For more places to find gig work near you, check out my post on how to get paid to deliver stuff, and my list of jobs like Amazon Flex.

22. Take surveys on Branded Surveys

Another way to score some free groceries is to take surveys on Branded Surveys. They will pay you for your opinions, and you can redeem your earnings for gift cards to various grocery stores like Walmart, Whole Foods Market, and Instacart. Use these gift cards to get free groceries.

23. Do easy tasks on PrizeRebel

If you’re looking to get free groceries, try PrizeRebel. The site gives you points for doing a variety of tasks, such as:

• Watching videos
• Taking market research surveys
• Signing up for brand name offers

You can redeem your points for money to your PayPal account, which you can then use to buy groceries. Points can also be redeemed for gift cards to retailers, like:

• Publix
• Target
• Kroger (Can be used at subsidiaries too, like King Soopers, Metro Market, and Food4Less)
• Albertsons (Can be used at subsidiaries too, like Vons, Safeway, and ACME)
• Walmart

Use these gift cards to get free groceries. What’s great about PrizeRebel is that it pays fast. According to the site, processing of all reward claims is completed around 24 hours from the time of your reward redemption.

24. Limit food waste

One of the best ways to save money on groceries is to limit food waste. Wasting food is like wasting money—you’ve spent money on something that you end up just throwing out. If you can limit the amount of food that you waste, you can reduce the amount that you need to buy and, therefore, spend at the grocery store.

Here are some simple tips for limiting food waste:

• Plan your meals for the week and make a shopping list to avoid buying more than you need.
• Store food properly to extend its shelf life and prevent spoilage.
• Use leftovers creatively to avoid throwing away uneaten food.
• Freeze surplus food to preserve it for future use.
• Be mindful of expiration dates and use foods that are nearing their expiration before others.

Freeze tomatoes to make pizza and pasta sauces

You can prevent wasting tomatoes by freezing them whole. Freeze the tomatoes on a baking tray in a single layer first so that they don’t stick together in the freezer. Then, transfer them into a freezer bag and put them back into the freezer. You’ll have them ready for quick sauces and soups without wasting them!

Keep nut and seed flours fresh by storing them in the freezer

Nut and seed flours can go bad quickly. If you’re not planning to use the entire bag fast, separate it into smaller freezer bags and put them in the freezer. The next time you need flour, you can simply take it out of the freezer. This will stop it from going to waste and save you money.

Freeze leftover pizza dough

If you make too much pizza dough, don’t throw it out. Instead, freeze it! The next time you need dough, you can just take it out of the freezer and have your pizza made much faster. This way, you won’t waste the dough.

Make your own flavored butter/oils with leftover herbs

Herbs can wilt quickly, so before they go bad, chop them up and mix them into some butter or olive oil. Place the mixture into ice cube trays. You can use this flavored butter or oil whenever needed, such as for seasoning vegetables or sautéing onions.

Place boxed foods in food storage containers

Snack foods and other boxed foods can often go stale, leading to waste. To prevent this, transfer them into airtight food storage containers. This will help keep them fresh and prevent waste.

Instead of letting these items go stale and having to throw them out, place them into food storage containers. This will keep them fresh and help prevent food waste.

Use an apple to stop potatoes from sprouting

Potatoes are incredibly versatile and can be used in a variety of meals. To keep them fresh for longer, store them properly. Placing an apple alongside the potatoes will help prevent them from sprouting.

Keep baked goods fresh longer with a piece of bread

Baked goods like cookies and cakes can dry out quickly, leading to waste. To prevent this, place a slice of bread on top of your baked goods. The bread will help retain moisture, keeping your treats fresh and reducing food waste.

For more tips on saving money and keeping your food fresh, check out my list of kitchen hacks. It’s packed with useful tips to help you save on groceries.

25. Join a grocery store reward program

If you want to save money on groceries or even get free items from the store, consider joining grocery store loyalty programs. They offer great rewards and savings opportunities.

These programs allow you to earn rewards based on the cash you spend at your local store. Many stores, both regional and national, offer reward programs that provide great savings and freebies.

While each loyalty program operates slightly differently, most offer one or more of the following rewards when you make a purchase:

• Points that can be redeemed for free items, typically grocery products or discounts on fuel.
• Cashback.
• Free items when you spend a certain amount at the store.

These programs are beneficial because they provide rewards with every purchase. Since each program varies in what it offers, be sure to check with your store to see the specific benefits of its loyalty program.

Target Circle Card (formerly REDcard)

The Target Circle Card serves as both a loyalty card and a credit or debit card. With this card, you save 5% on every in-store purchase at Target or online at Target.com.

Additionally, you receive free shipping on most items, which helps offset the cost of shipping fees that can make online shopping more expensive. The card also provides an extended returns period, offering more flexibility for returns.

So, the Target Circle Card is one of the best grocery store rewards cards available. You can choose to get it as either a debit card or a credit card.

• Visit the homepage for the Target Circle Card and select the type of card you want to apply for.

H-E-B Loyalty Cards

H-E-B offers both a credit card and a debit card, each providing 5% cashback on H-E-B brand products. Additionally, the credit card offers 1.5% cashback on all other purchases, while the debit card gives you 5% back on H-E-B brand products both in-store and online.

• Learn more about these cashback cards here.

Albertsons Rewards

Albertsons Rewards is a points-based program that allows you to earn points when you shop. You can redeem these points for free groceries or gas discounts. The program, known as Albertsons for U, is free to join.

As a member, you’ll earn one point for every $1 spent on groceries and two points for every $1 spent on qualifying gift cards.

With Albertsons Rewards, you earn a Reward for every 100 points accumulated. These Rewards can be redeemed for free grocery items or discounts on gas and groceries. Additionally, members enjoy extra benefits, such as an annual birthday treat and a free item each month. New Albertsons for U members also receive two welcome offers, each providing $5 off a purchase of $25 or more.

• Learn more about Albertsons for U here.

Be sure to check with your local grocery store to see if it offers a loyalty program. Signing up is definitely worth it if they do.

Start Scoring Free Groceries Today!

As you can see, whether you’re on a tight budget or just looking to save a bit of extra money each month, getting free groceries is possible if you know where to look. Now that you know where to find free groceries and how to locate offers near you, it’s time to take action.

Explore these tips and resources to start saving on your grocery bill and enjoy free food.