9 methods to search out free or low-cost meals when cash is tight : NPR

[ad_1] <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4000x2668+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ff6%2F22%2F305b141547dcb23c48dbc583f324%2Fgettyimages-2244512459.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4000x2668+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ff6%2F22%2F305b141547dcb23c48dbc583f324%2Fgettyimages-2244512459.jpg" class="img" alt="An overhead and close-up photo of four cardboard boxes, each filled with fresh and shelf-stable food, pushed together up in a square. The boxes contain sweet potatoes, white potatoes, jars of peanut butter, fresh corn, cans of mushroom soup and green glass bottles." fetchpriority="high"/> Donated meals objects at Curley's Home Meals Financial institution in Miami, Florida, US, on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg/by way of Getty Pictures cover caption

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Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg/by way of Getty Pictures When Kevin Curry graduated from Harvard Enterprise Faculty throughout the international recession in 2008, he could not discover work. So he went to join SNAP, or Supplemental Vitamin Help Program, to make ends meet.

"I used to be embarrassed," he says. "However the caseworker checked out my Harvard fleece and mentioned, 'Do not be ashamed. It is a bridge from the place you're to the place you are going."

Her remark modified his total perspective on meals help, he says. "Individuals need assistance, and it would not seem like one kind of individual. SNAP is a useful resource for all of us."

<img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/1024x683+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F22%2Fde%2Fe2606063417aa22d71f03759d445%2F120522-fitmencook-kathytran-img-6867-1.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/1024x683+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F22%2Fde%2Fe2606063417aa22d71f03759d445%2F120522-fitmencook-kathytran-img-6867-1.jpg" class="img" alt="A portrait of food influencer Kevin Curry leaning against a kitchen counter and smiling at the camera. " loading="lazy"/> Kevin Curry is the founding father of Match Males Prepare dinner, a meal-prepping group providing wholesome, budget-friendly recipes with over 1.5 million followers on Instagram. Kathy Tran cover caption

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Kathy Tran In the present day, Curry is the founding father of Match Males Prepare dinner, a health and meals group that provides meal prepping ideas and wholesome, budget-friendly recipes. Because the authorities shutdown delayed funding for SNAP in November, Curry has been sharing methods on the way to discover free or inexpensive meals along with his social media followers. SNAP recipients have confronted reductions and delays of their advantages, and have been grappling with confusion and uncertainty.

Curry talks to Life Equipment about the way to get reductions and offers on meals and construct a low-cost grocery cart if cash is tight.

If you're a SNAP recipient, use your card to get double the fruits and veggies. See in case your state affords Double Up Meals Bucks, a program that matches your SNAP EBT {dollars} to get twice the produce. "The purpose is to make recent, wholesome meals extra accessible for low-income households," Curry says.

Name the U.S. Division of Agriculture's Nationwide Starvation Hotline to search out essentially the most up-to-date close by meals pantries and meal websites. The quantity is 1-866-3-HUNGRY (or 1-866-348-647), and operates Monday via Friday, 8 a.m. to eight p.m. ET. "You could possibly search on-line, however I've discovered that generally these pantries are not there," he says.

<img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4000x2668+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F44%2Fa5%2F3385a5554b81a1c680717b3f4a14%2Fgettyimages-2243826111.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4000x2668+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F44%2Fa5%2F3385a5554b81a1c680717b3f4a14%2Fgettyimages-2243826111.jpg" class="img" alt="A resident browses donated food items in the pantry at Feeding South Florida in Pembroke Park, Florida, US, on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025." loading="lazy"/> A resident browses donated meals objects within the pantry at Feeding South Florida in Pembroke Park, Florida, US, on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025. Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg/by way of Getty Pictures cover caption

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Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg/by way of Getty Pictures Do not be afraid to buy at a number of meals pantries to get what you want. Completely different pantries have completely different objects, and if there's one thing particular you are on the lookout for, it is completely OK to go to a different pantry to get it. "I am not saying you need to stockpile groceries, however there may be dignity in having selection and selection" in your meals, Curry says.

Discuss to your child's social employee at college about free breakfast, lunch and after-school meals applications. See what your kid's college affords and if you happen to qualify for these advantages, Curry says. Having a couple of meals lined may help minimize down on grocery prices.

Purchase discounted meals that is about to go to waste. Grocers and eating places use apps like Flashfood and Too Good to Go to promote meals about to run out for "a fairly good steal," Curry says. Obtain the apps to see if the companies can be found in your space.

Do not be ashamed to ask for reductions on the grocery retailer. "Staff are individuals too. They know the way it feels," Curry says. So be open about your monetary scenario whenever you're on the checkout line. Ask if the cashier can provide you a reduction in your groceries. "I've discovered that folks genuinely need to assist."

Ask your native grocery retailer after they launch offers and markdowns. Many main chains, like Albertsons, Aldi and Kroger, launch them on Wednesdays, for instance — so you might need to save your purchasing to do till then.

Attempt purchasing for meals on the finish of the day, when employees may be extra prepared to give you decrease costs whereas they're placing away meat or recent objects from the bakery, Curry says.

Construct a low-cost grocery cart by selecting long-lasting, filling and nutritious meals like beans, lentils, rice, oats, pasta, canned items and frozen fruits and veggies, Curry says.

Flip a couple of substances into a number of meals. Curry spent $16 on potatoes, floor turkey, an onion, a bell pepper, cheese, enchilada sauce and a can of black beans and turned them into three dishes for the week. He used these substances to make baked potatoes full of beans and turkey, savory waffles, a tacky bean dip and a frittata. "It is a enjoyable strategy to cook dinner— and it stretches the meals," he says.

Your flip: How do you stretch groceries and meals when cash is tight? Ship an e-mail to lifekit@npr.org together with your recommendation, and we might characteristic it on NPR.org