Tips for a frugal form of existence

According to the MerriamWebster online dictionary, freegan, a portmanteau of the words “free” and “vegan”, refers to an activist who scavenges for free food as a means of reducing consumption of resources. Cambridge online dictionary defines it as “a person who chooses to eat food that is not bought from a shop, especially food that other people, shops or organizations throw away, so that food is not wasted”. The word was first seen in print in 1997 and added to the dictionary in 2014.

Ding Hong began her freegan lifestyle in 2009 with the belief that “the less you rely on material, the more freedom you will have”.

If you are interested in the principles of the freegan lifestyle, the following are three practices that Ding abides by.

The first pertains to food.

To avoid food waste, Ding uses leftover food packed by her friends and colleagues. For freegans who let the people around them know about their lifestyle choice, there will be more than enough food given to them before it is thrown away. Then comes the clothes. Many people have closets full of clothes they seldom wear. Instead of tossing out items that are damaged or used, freegans emphasize the importance of mending clothing and fixing items in their possession.

Ding wears secondhand clothing that she obtains from her friends, and sometimes she donates excess clothes to help more people. She has also started getting creative with designing her own wardrobe. Recycling old clothes and customizing them into something new gives her a sense of satisfaction. Finally, housing.

Different from food and clothing, a home is not something that you can recycle.

For Ding, jobs often come with a place to stay. While traveling, she uses networks — such as couch surfing websites and apps — to stay for short periods in other people’s homes.