How to make the most of the something-for-nothing society

The cost of living has continued to rise, but many people are avoiding paying for things altogether.

As internet offers abound, the stigma of producing food tokens has disappeared
As internet offers abound, the stigma of producing food tokens has disappeared Credit: Photo: Getty Images

How far would you go for a free lunch? Foraging for wild garlic in your local park is something most people are comfortable with, but even a persistent bargain-hunter might balk at picking up dead rats off the side of the A338.

However, John McGowan, a part-time taxidermist and naturalist from Bournemouth, does just that. “Brown rat is delicious. It tastes of bacon. It really does. When you prepare it, nobody has any idea what it is – and they are usually safe to eat, especially the country rats that have been living off corn,” he says.

The 45-year-old claims not to have bought meat all his adult life; instead he has relied on the fruits of roadkill. Badger, fox, venison, rat – all make it into his stewing pot or frying pan.

He was one of many people I met as I attempted to see how much I could get for free for a Channel 4 programme called Something for Nothing, which starts tonight.

Would it be possible to eat free of charge, to furnish a home for no money, never to pay for clothes, transport or beauty treatments? The answer is: sort of.

One of the boom areas during the recession has been the emergence of a freebie culture. It has taken many forms, most of which don’t involve roadkill. Printing out a voucher for a restaurant meal or cutting out a supermarket coupon for some free nappies has become standard practice for millions of middle-class consumers. As many as 40 per cent of meals eaten in the big pizza chains are either part or fully paid for using a voucher, and the stigma of producing these slips of paper has disappeared.

There are also many websites where people can claim free consumer goods, especially product samples. In theory, there is no need ever to pay for coffee, shampoo or cat food again.

Deepak Tailor, the founder of one such site, called LatestFreeStuff.co.uk, which collates hundreds of offers, says: “It’s a genuine marketing strategy for big companies. 'Try before you buy’ creates brand awareness.” The only catch is that you have to hand over your name, address and email – a gold mine of data for marketing companies. “Your email in-box can become flooded,” he warns.

Offering yourself up as a guinea pig to apprentices is another lucrative route for those unwilling to open their wallets. With hardly any research or hassle I enjoyed a free haircut, shave, acupuncture session and even a full dental check-up.

Possibly the most fun way of obtaining freebies is to win them via a competition – a pleasingly old-fashioned method that still flourishes on the internet. Jane Willis, from Fleet, Hampshire, is living proof that although the glory days of women’s weekly magazines are over, the readers’ competition is alive and well.

The former part-time teacher enters about 150 a week, and estimates that over the 28 years she has been doing them, she has won £300,000 worth of free goods, including 35 holidays and several televisions, as well as various useless gadgets. “You can’t guarantee an income from it, but it’s a very profitable hobby,” she says.

Freebie hunting can be most satisfying – especially when you get hold of a free meal, television or holiday – but for a number of people, tracking down free food or housing is more of a conviction or necessity than a hobby.

Katharine Hibbert managed to live for a whole year spending almost no money. “In one two-month period I spent just 54 pence – 10 pence of that was on photocopying a piece of A4 and 44 pence was on a Kit Kat,” she says.

She wrote a book about her experiences called Free: Adventures on the Margins of a Wasteful Society, which highlighted how many properties languish empty in Britain, while about 15 million tons of food is thrown away every year. She squatted, sofa-surfed, raided bins and lived remarkably comfortably, only occasionally having to buy medicines from the chemist.

“I lived really quite well,” she says. The local library, with its free internet, became an invaluable resource.

However, some things are impossible to do without spending money, particularly using public transport. According to the Office for National Statistics, transport has become the largest single expenditure for households – a bigger sum even than housing.

Of course, you can cycle or walk – up to a point. But Hibbert says hitchhiking is still a viable option for covering long distances. She recommends, as a safety precaution, that you text the licence plate number of the vehicle to a friend. “The only bad experiences I’ve had have been through people’s bad driving, not their bad behaviour.”

One of the ironies of modern Britain is that while the cost of living has continued to rise remorselessly, so too has the freebie industry. The internet and social networking have made it easier than ever to track down something for nothing. Sometimes, all you need to do is look.

'Something for Nothing’ starts on Channel 4 tonight at 8pm