Never realized how abundant free treats were before!

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DKG28
DKG28 Posts: 299 Member
in Food and Nutrition
My thinking with "treats" which for me means sweets/desserts was that I would have them in reasonable amounts by not making them or keeping them in the house, but partaking when something yummy was offered elsewhere. I don't eat out hardly ever, am not very social, and I work alone in an office, so no break room snacks lying around. Did that work? Nope. It's amazing how many free treats are available in the world around me. And the last fruit salad I ate at a function? It had crumbled up snickers bars in it! It was served as a side, not as a dessert. Really? Guess there will be a change of strategy on the treats.
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Replies

  • elaineamj
    elaineamj Posts: 347 Member
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    That's crazy! I would have thought working in an office by yourself would help.

    It's hard for me to say no to free treats, and I too face a lot of temptation everywhere around me.
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
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    I'd like to see a documentary along the lines of Supersize Me where someone takes every opportunity to eat free food on offer in as much quantity as they could until they received a request to stop along side their normal diet.

    I'm sure if I did the same I would end up the size of a house...

    It's everywhere.
  • Sassie_Lassie
    Sassie_Lassie Posts: 140 Member
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    Where are you people going that there's an abundance of free food available?
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    Work, church, grocery store, bank, eye doctor, orthodontist, etc.
  • elaineamj
    elaineamj Posts: 347 Member
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    It's when you pay attention that you realize just how much free food surrounds you. And it's nearly always high cal stuff.
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
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    The worst place for free food is business meetings. I could easily rack up 1,000 cals in pastries and danishes before they even begin.
  • alias1001
    alias1001 Posts: 634 Member
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    I had that moment in the Godiva store at the mall. I ate lunch and went in to buy a present and ate the free sample truffle. It was good, but somehow wasn't worth the 120 calories. :/
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    jemhh wrote: »
    JoRocka wrote: »
    free treats = food I don't have to buy.

    I've changed how I look at "treats" and stopped looking at a hang up and more looking at what I can get out of it so I buy less food.

    Budget conscious calorie counter.

    This made me laugh.

    My mom was telling me how she's discovered that if she goes to Kroger just before 9 pm when they close, they give away the rotisserie chickens that don't sell. She's been going there once a week to snag a free chicken. Her friend discovered that the produce guy throws out the "bad" fruits/veggies (bruised but still edible) just after 7 am each morning so she has started going on another day in the morning to get more free food. I told her that I am going to buy her a stick and a handkerchief so she can carry all of her free food hobo-style.

    my store won't give them away- but they are DEFINITELY discounted after 10 PM- I should stop by more often and get them and freeze them. Because 1/2 price food.

    I'm making a concerted effort to reduce my food bill (MrMoneyMustache is influencing my life) and I did a great job going from almost 500 to 280 I think- total food was little less than that- just over my desired 250 mark (20 for wine- and some dining out options)...

    but discounted food then frozen. WINNING
  • elaineamj
    elaineamj Posts: 347 Member
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    JoRocka wrote: »

    This made me laugh.

    My mom was telling me how she's discovered that if she goes to Kroger just before 9 pm when they close, they give away the rotisserie chickens that don't sell. She's been going there once a week to snag a free chicken. Her friend discovered that the produce guy throws out the "bad" fruits/veggies (bruised but still edible) just after 7 am each morning so she has started going on another day in the morning to get more free food. I told her that I am going to buy her a stick and a handkerchief so she can carry all of her free food hobo-style.

    my store won't give them away- but they are DEFINITELY discounted after 10 PM- I should stop by more often and get them and freeze them. Because 1/2 price food.

    I'm making a concerted effort to reduce my food bill (MrMoneyMustache is influencing my life) and I did a great job going from almost 500 to 280 I think- total food was little less than that- just over my desired 250 mark (20 for wine- and some dining out options)...

    but discounted food then frozen. WINNING[/quote]

    That's awesome. I've been fighting with my grocery bill. I think I'm stuck at about $650/month for a family of 4. I keep trying but that's the lowest I can seem to get it.
  • MostlyWater
    MostlyWater Posts: 4,294 Member
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    yes, it's amazing how much food is always around.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    I live alone- and I'm talking food only (so I exclude all toiletry purchases)- but the biggest things have been
    1.) buy ONLY off the list
    2.) NO EXTRA FOOD STOPS.
    3.) if you're out- you gotta wait till next shopping trip!

    My extra food stops wracked up almost 50$ in 2 weeks alone because "oh i just forgot something" and then that was "while I'm here I might as well get X"- and my quick trick became a weekly shop refill.

    So- I am trying to keep better track of what I have and what I need- and reduce the volume of trips- if I only go 1 x a week GREAT- but if I go twice- I only get the EXACT single thing I need- tough titties if I'm out of the other thing.

    And a little "tough luck" on the - if you run out bit for number 3. I realize it was to easy to just say "I'll go grab it" (see number 2)- instead of just sucking it up. really- how much is it going to kill me that my yogurt doesn't have frozen black berries?

    I'll be fine- mini punishment for forgetting to check in advance!!!
    Out of tomatoes for salad? TOUGH LUCK.

    A little 'deprivation' from a first world problem for the end of the week has saved me 30-50$ food trips that spiral. LOL
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
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    I haven't encountered much free food.
  • ASKyle
    ASKyle Posts: 1,475 Member
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    jemhh wrote: »
    JoRocka wrote: »
    free treats = food I don't have to buy.

    I've changed how I look at "treats" and stopped looking at a hang up and more looking at what I can get out of it so I buy less food.

    Budget conscious calorie counter.

    This made me laugh.

    My mom was telling me how she's discovered that if she goes to Kroger just before 9 pm when they close, they give away the rotisserie chickens that don't sell. She's been going there once a week to snag a free chicken. Her friend discovered that the produce guy throws out the "bad" fruits/veggies (bruised but still edible) just after 7 am each morning so she has started going on another day in the morning to get more free food. I told her that I am going to buy her a stick and a handkerchief so she can carry all of her free food hobo-style.

    I was at Fred Meyers (west coast Kroger) last night around 8pm and they had marked them down to $3! Naturally I couldn't pass that up.
  • ASKyle
    ASKyle Posts: 1,475 Member
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    Sassie_Lassie wrote: »
    Where are you people going that there's an abundance of free food available?

    Mostly work. It's one of my biggest diet downfalls. I don't buy the stuff for my house, because I know I can't resist it. But at work? It takes all my willpower to walk past the (in the last two days: Donuts, turnovers and truffles) that are always laying around for everyone.

    What keeps me going is that the turnover I passed on probably had as many calories as my entire lunch!
  • Camish911
    Camish911 Posts: 150 Member
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    My job is the worst place for me to go to avoid treats. Once a month my team does a potluck= treats. We usually have at least one day a month where we celebrate birthdays= A LOT of treats. We have a company wide birthday celebration once a month= treats. And it's not unusual for people to randomly just bring donuts/pizza/cookies and pass it out. No one is safe! It's harder to avoid when EVERYONE around me is eating.
  • melissa6771
    melissa6771 Posts: 894 Member
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    @jemhh your post had me laughing! I would love to meet your mom! I am all about saving money food shopping!

    @JoRocka yes! Free food= winning! I buy the discounted meat all the time, bring it home, wrap and freeze it. Also, in my state, if the grocery store charges you more than its advertised for, in any way, up to $10 is free or you get $10 off. I am very good at finding these.

    The worst place for free food? Costco! You could eat hundreds of calories there in minutes!

    @sobriquet01 I saw these coconut thin cookie things and was thinking about buying them, then they had them out for a sample last week. Yeah, they're tiny and thin, and delicious, but not with 30 calories for a bite. I left without them! A truffle might be worth 70, but no way 120!
  • pebble4321
    pebble4321 Posts: 1,132 Member
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    jemhh wrote: »
    Work, church, grocery store, bank, eye doctor, orthodontist, etc.

    Wow, that is just weird to me. Yes, there is free food at work from time to time (but most often boring arnotts family assorted biscuits so they are easy to resist) and the supermarket sometimes has free samples (usually of stuff I wouldn't buy) but I've never seen food at my bank, eye doctor, dentist etc.

    And snickers in fruit salad served as a side dish? That's the strangest thing I've ever heard.

    You people need to move countries! (I'm assuming you are in the US).
  • FeijaFleur
    FeijaFleur Posts: 39 Member
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    pebble4321 wrote: »
    jemhh wrote: »
    Work, church, grocery store, bank, eye doctor, orthodontist, etc.

    Wow, that is just weird to me. Yes, there is free food at work from time to time (but most often boring arnotts family assorted biscuits so they are easy to resist) and the supermarket sometimes has free samples (usually of stuff I wouldn't buy) but I've never seen food at my bank, eye doctor, dentist etc.

    And snickers in fruit salad served as a side dish? That's the strangest thing I've ever heard.

    You people need to move countries! (I'm assuming you are in the US).

    I was thinking the same thing...
    Sometimes at work some sandwiches are left over from a client lunch and will be offered to everyone but the only regular thing we have is a big fruit basket everyone can pick something from.
    Hardly ever come across free food anywhere else...
    Our grocery stores do occasionally discount on things like bread and meat if you come in an hour before closing (usually 35%).

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