Yusra3
VIP Contributor
Wombling, named after The Wombles cartoon from the 1970s, has become a popular money-saving hobby. Wombling refers to collecting items that supermarkets and shops discard on a daily basis, allowing clever savers to get goods for free.
From packaged foods nearing expiration dates to perfectly ripe produce that needs quick consumption, wombling helps reduce waste while scoring customers huge discounts and free products. Here’s how it works and saves money with every shopping trip:
- Check dumpsters and skips behind supermarkets where there is often an abundance of usable groceries tossed out simply due to sell-by dates, small imperfections or overstocking issues. You’ll be surprised at the quantity of bread, packaged goods, fruits and vegetables waiting to be rescued. Just be sure to give them a good inspection and wash.
- Develop relationships with market owners to ask about purchasing wombled goods directly from them at an extremely discounted rate before they enter the bins. Be friendly and explain your motivation is reducing waste rather than getting free things. Markets may hold items aside specifically for you.
- Join local wombling Facebook groups where members post locations and hauls so you can get real-time information on “wombled” items in your area. This saves time rather than guessing where the next big score will be on a daily basis.
- Time your wombling to evenings when markets bring out new stock and remove expiring items from shelves. Knowing exactly when various markets/shops clear older inventory makes trips efficient.
- Learn techniques to determine if recovered items are safe for consumption, from looking for intact packaging to recognizing universal expiration date codes. Safety first is essential.
Wombling requires some effort but ultimately pays off many times over with nearly free groceries that would otherwise be dumped. Even donating unneeded food prevents waste. Saving money, helping the environment, and sharing with others - wombling checks all the boxes.
From packaged foods nearing expiration dates to perfectly ripe produce that needs quick consumption, wombling helps reduce waste while scoring customers huge discounts and free products. Here’s how it works and saves money with every shopping trip:
- Check dumpsters and skips behind supermarkets where there is often an abundance of usable groceries tossed out simply due to sell-by dates, small imperfections or overstocking issues. You’ll be surprised at the quantity of bread, packaged goods, fruits and vegetables waiting to be rescued. Just be sure to give them a good inspection and wash.
- Develop relationships with market owners to ask about purchasing wombled goods directly from them at an extremely discounted rate before they enter the bins. Be friendly and explain your motivation is reducing waste rather than getting free things. Markets may hold items aside specifically for you.
- Join local wombling Facebook groups where members post locations and hauls so you can get real-time information on “wombled” items in your area. This saves time rather than guessing where the next big score will be on a daily basis.
- Time your wombling to evenings when markets bring out new stock and remove expiring items from shelves. Knowing exactly when various markets/shops clear older inventory makes trips efficient.
- Learn techniques to determine if recovered items are safe for consumption, from looking for intact packaging to recognizing universal expiration date codes. Safety first is essential.
Wombling requires some effort but ultimately pays off many times over with nearly free groceries that would otherwise be dumped. Even donating unneeded food prevents waste. Saving money, helping the environment, and sharing with others - wombling checks all the boxes.
