Living Well On Welfare Series: Free Food

I see so many apples falling from tress as I drive around town.  One way to live better on a tight budget is to take advantage of free food.  If someone isn't using their apples, maybe they would be happy to have you pick them so they don't have a mess to clean up all over the ground.  There are nice crab apple tress full of crab apples at a public place here in town.  We have called them in the past asking to pick the apples there, and they have always been happy to let us.  Another place in town will let you have fruit for free from their bushes if you give them back half of what you pick. They can then sell their half of the berries you picked and they don't have to pick the berries themselves.  You get your half of what you pick for free.  You can make jam, jelly, freeze the produce, make pie filling, can them or just eat them fresh.  You can cook them in some of your favorite recipes.  There is so much fruit wasted each year because people don't use it.  Make it a win for you and them and add fresh produce and preserves to your pantry!