I’m becoming uncomfortably attached to this increasingly comfortable lifestyle. I like being reminded of my resourcefulness. It has forced me to take note of how huge portions have become. I eat almost exclusively leftovers. By leftovers, I mean what someone else can’t finish and would normally throw away. I haven’t even gotten close to the dumpsters yet. I can’t imagine the bounty I will encounter there. No wonder America is so fat.

I’m pretty sure I’m going to have to keep this up for a while longer, I haven’t been able to buy any of the things I really want yet. Now I need a root canal so that will dip into all the money I’ve saved. I wish health and wealth would cooperate more fully and stop getting in each other’s way.

The less food I buy, the less everything else I buy. I’m so afraid to go near a store and be tempted that all my spending is majorly decreased. I’ve been carpooling to work. I’m in search of a serious road bike. I want to decrease my living costs en totale so I can focus on living the high life in my tiny, inexpensive apartment¹.

Day 22

At lunch the HR woman who sits near me gave me her leftovers from a Greek place. Pretty ridiculous. And by “ridiculous,” I mean delicious.

That night I went on a date and ate Shepherd’s Pie at Family Wash

I’m not very good at going on dates so I didn’t eat much.

Day 23

Today a coworker offered me Sunchips, but ate them. Luckily I had gotten a text from Holly in accounting telling me to eat her leftovers in the break room’s fridge. They turned out to be the same Greek stuff that I got yesterday. Score.

This time there was some pita bread (upper left corner).

I went home for a second to let my dog out before tutoring and ate a piece of that pizza I got from the photo shoot. It held me over really well and I did 8 miles at the gym. No problem! I feel great. Once I was home I ate some dried fruit left over from the Nashville Film Fest.

Day 24

I wasn’t able to find anything for breakfast or lunch today, then a coworker who just started reading these articles showed up with this.

I feel it needs no further explanation. Needless to say, I don’t feel so good.

Dinner. Last piece of pizza from the photo shoot.

Day 25

Today it took a long time for me to get to eat. I cooked a can of photo shoot tuna in a pan. I also ate some dried fruit. Rough. I feel like I must have eaten something else too, but I think I just drank some hot chocolate that my grandma brought me when she visited a couple weeks ago. That junk can be really filling. Topped off the night be hanging out in a hot tub with some friends and eating a few doritos. Those things are sick, but I really needed them at the time.

Day 26

Today I was supposed to go canoing. There was a triathlon going on, so I was unable to use the lake. Jesse bought me a low fat blueberry muffin from Panera. I’m sorry about becoming so lame about pictures. I was so hungry by late afternoon, I thought I would die. I scoured my cupboards and found a can of refried beans. I had some left over corn tortillas from a parental visit and some photoshoot cheese. Combined, they saved my life. I promise I’ll do better with the pics tomorrow. I’m a little bit ashamed of my laziness.

Day 27

Today sucked for a little while but really got good near the end. The joy started when a coworker gave me an orange.

When I got home I used a bunch of free stuff I got from the photoshoot to make this

I’m calling it “baked FREEti.” It’s kind of like baked ziti, only not good.

It helped me make it to see my friend and banjo player play with another band. Pretty good night.

Day 28

Kick started the day with a banana. I got to my desk and it was laying there looking luscious.

I later discovered it came from an inspired coworker. She gave me that serious cookie also. I feel so supported. Camaraderie, folks, is key.

For lunch I ate a bunch of FREEti leftovers

At tutoring, one of my students gave me the rest of her peanuts because they were not salty enough.

When I got home from working out, I was WRECKED. I did freaking 12 miles uphill in 34 minutes on the bike. So i rewarded myself with a bunch of gross junk that I either found or was given…

World’s smallest, weirdest burrito.

Just when I thought life could get no better, my roommate decided to make peanut butter cupcakes.

They were more like muffins, but they were completely delicious.

Today is technically my “last day.” I don’t think I’m going to quit yet though. I never did get around to the whole dumpster diving scene. I really mean to. My Whole Foods contact just emailed me about getting some bread. Gotta make that happen yet. No, I don’t think I’m ready to quit freeganism.

1. I have yet to find said apartment, but have not given up.

People have begun to notice my lifestyle and I’ve been fielding a lot of flack. I’ve been called a “bum” and a “freeloader” multiple times. I am convinced that these otherwise kind people are simply suffering from slight envy of my situation. I was also told that I should pick a real cause. I will address that now. Freeganism is not my cause. My cause is consumerism and freedom. I like to remember that I don’t need a big fat cushy marketing job to live comfortably. I’m not saying my job is cushy, but it has definitely lead to a complacency that I do not enjoy. If I can cut my living expenses way down, I won’t need to make a lot of money to collect material possessions that will doubtless lead to my happiness¹.

Besides, if I’m not paying for my food, I have more money to give that animal Sallie Mae.

I think I’m buying a MacBook Pro² this week.

Day 15

Today I had an apple for breakfast

and an egg roll from the accounting stash for lunch.

Cake³. My roommate gave me a potato and I made fries for dinner. I also incorporated the enriched rolls from week1. Good thing they’re enriched⁴, I guess. Anything normal or healthy would definitely be spoiled by now.

Day 16

This morning my coworker Andy saw me in the break room and told me he had an extra baked good if I was interested. He read last week’s post. I, of course, was interested and enjoyed a ridiculously good scone for breakfast. It was from this bakery in east Nashville, Sweet 16th.

I’m planning on eating some of the chinese food from accounting for lunch. It’s only a couple days old. Don’t be grossed out.

Day 17

Today I had a number of free items. This “Lasagna” was by far the most interesting. Note the cheese whiz.

So much for my attempted health kick, I guess.

Day 18

Jesse Wayne bought me an ice cream cone from McDonald’s. I have a feeling it wasn’t really ice cream. I realize more every day that I am anti fast food.

Tonight was a delight. I stumbled upon a treasure trove of meats at a cook out. I sort of ignored the whole “bring your own” thing. No one said anything to me though, so I guess it was okay. I ate way too much, but I wasn’t sure when I’d see another opportunity for such serious protein.

The cook out really paid off socially. I met two girls who are interested in starting a dinner group with me called “Dumpster Diving for Dinner.” I need to spend next week checking out the dumpster scenes. I am seriously considering making this a real deal. Though I’ve suffered a bit over the last three weeks, I’ve had a pretty good experience. I wonder if I can find a way to sustain myself outside of the generosity of others.

Day 19

Sunday=Slowday
I really didn’t get to eat. I went and did some background vocals for some artist from Austria, Son of the Velvet Rat. I was sort of hoping to snag some more free food, but they wrote me a sweet check instead. Of course, I can’t buy any food with that sweet check, but I’m one step closer to my material desires.

This is my last apple.

Day 20

Today seriously worked out. Holly from accounting baked cookies and practically force fed me. I must have had 40.

I hung out with Jesse and he brought me his leftovers.

I was the subject of a photo shoot and got paid in leftover groceries! This is completely righteous.

To top the whole mess off, this kid I never talk to asked me if I would eat dinner with him. I am not normally so rough, but straightaway I asked, “Are you paying?” He said yes and I said I was down. I met him at Panera and ordered as much food as I possibly could get away with. I will have leftovers.

Note the delicious salad. I wasn’t able to get a picture of everything I had. I just quickly snapped a shot when he got up for a minute. I figured it wouldn’t go over too well…

Day 21

Last night’s Panera provided lunch.

I also enjoyed some sweet pizza. I was so hungry I didn’t let it cook all the way. I still have quite a few big doughy pieces in the fridge. I am feeling pretty good. I think I’m adapting pretty well. I’ve still been working out and haven’t been overly tired or anything.

Now if I can just get these obnoxious hipsters⁵ off my back. If one more little dweeb in skin tight pants tells me I’m not really a ‘true freegan,’ something real bad is going to happen. If you’re worried about my lack of dedication, perhaps you should return to my first post, in which I made the statement,

I’ve recently been fascinated by the concept of “freeganism.” Since I have essentially no gripes with capitalism, I’ve decided to adapt this concept to my own personal selfish lifestyle. In other words, I choose to conserve resources I typically use on food in order to waste additional resources on material possessions. I have a long list of expensive things I would like to own in the near future1. Some of them are accidentally eco-friendly, so maybe the spirit of freeganism will still live on through my manipulation of its precepts.

1. Facetious-not meant to be taken seriously or literally: a facetious remark.
2. MacBook Pro is one of the items on the original list of desired material possessions.
3. Not actual cake, term used to describe something as being easy: piece of cake.
4. Enriched- another word for “unhealthy”
5. Hipster- A noisy person of no real worth or consequence who tends to engage in combat over ridiculous things real people find unimportant. Let it be known that I have been called “tragically hip” on a number of occasions. This is a misnomer.

Last week was easy. What I lacked in sustenance, I made up in excitement and anticipation. I imagine this week will be considerably harder. I’ve started a new craving that’s making life miserable. I just want to eat a salad. I keep picturing delicious salads with all these wonderful tomatoes and sunflower seeds and all kinds of good things that grow out of the ground. I think this week I need to figure out how to get my hands on some produce. I hear grocery stores throw stuff away all the time…

“In the United States, Canada, and Europe, some bakeries, grocery stores, or restaurants will routinely donate food according to a Good Samaritan Food Donation Act, but more often, because of health laws or company policy, they are required to discard food items by the expiration date, because of overstock, being overly ripened, spoiled, cosmetically imperfect, or blemished. If disposed of “as is” and not destroyed, some of this food may be made “safer” for consumption if properly decontaminated and spoiled ruminates are removed.” -Wikipedia

Day 8
Today was easier than it should have been. I’m on the “safety committee” at work and we had a lunch meeting today. I don’t think freeganism is the healthiest way to live.

I haven’t had a can of coke in about a hundred years. I hope freeganism doesn’t make me fat.

Day 9
9:22AM
I haven’t eaten yet today. I don’t feel well. I hope my absence of health is not related to my current freegan lifestyle. I still have a microwave meal someone gave me last week if for some reason I feel hungry again. Ever.

4:51PM
I ate that microwave meal. It was Turkey and “dressing.” I heated it up before tutoring mathematics to high school students. They all complained that something smelled like chicken soup. I kept quiet.

8:22PM
After working out, I was starving. I went to my friend’s house and she gave me this guy.

Day 10
9:41AM
This morning I am starving. Jesse Wayne called me to tell me he snagged some organic raisins from the Nashville Film Festival. I’m going to try to go get them later. In the meantime, today sucks.

1:45PM

Generous coworker gave me this popcorn. I was so relieved, but burned it real bad. I still ate it.

8:10PM
Lalie and I went to Mad Donna’s. I told her I wouldn’t be buying anything. She shared her nachos with me.

They were pretty great. I decided not to let everyone buy me stuff anymore. It feels too easy.

Day 11
Today I had lunch with my band and the recording engineers doing our EP. I wasn’t going to buy anything, but one of the dudes hooked me up with a $3 kid’s meal. There were a bunch of orange slices by the drinks, so I supplemented my meal.

My mom and grandma stopped by my house on their trek from Florida to NY. At first I planned on gaining their sympathy and getting them to buy me groceries, but I really am through letting people just buy me stuff. They wanted to get me some fruit but I said no way. They did take me to dinner at Jackson’s though. My grandma didn’t finish her “Rio Roll” so I took it home.

Day 12
Today I spent all day in the studio. I heard some vague comments about “lunch,” but it never happened. There was a lot of candy though.

We finished around 6PM and I watched everyone eat burritos. Jon offered me chips, but I’ve also decided not to take just anything simply because it’s free. Last week I felt horrible. Chips are not appealing to me normally so I shot them down. When I got home I was physically shaking. Luckily my grandma’s sandwich was still in the fridge. I really need to get on the whole healthy free bandwagon soon.

Day 13
Today I was feeling pretty much done with life. I ended up taking my dog for a walk with the BF. He bought me lunch.

It was the healthiest thing I’ve eaten all week. I feel pretty good now and the day is about over.
I’ve been supplementing with organic raisins and fruit leather from the Nashville Film Festival. Thanks to Jesse.

Day 14
Today was pretty awesome. Accounting has been working overtime lately and they ordered a bunch of food. They gave me quite a bit of it. I enjoyed an egg roll and am saving the rest of this stuff.

In the background you can see the pretzel “nuggets” from the Nashville Film Festival that I’ve enjoyed all day. I also have been eating more organic raisins. I don’t know what I’m gonna do when the fest is over. It’s really keeping me together right now.

Working out was next to impossible tonight. I’m not sure how I even made it through.

Week two was a success overall, but I didn’t really do a good job of finding produce. Next week will be better.