00:00I'm Lucy Fink, and this week is 5 Days of Being a Freegan.
00:08Freeganism.
00:09What is it?
00:09It's the anti-consumerist ideology that involves limited participation in capitalism and the
00:15conventional economy.
00:16Got it?
00:17Basically, a freegan is a person who doesn't buy anything.
00:20The word comes from a combination of free and vegan.
00:23And while vegans avoid eating animal products because they're harmful to animals,
00:27freegans have taken us to the next level, recognizing that just about anything we buy in society
00:32is harmful in some way, whether it be to humans, to animals, the oceans, rainforests, you name it.
00:38So, how do freegans survive?
00:40Well, they get their food, appliances, clothing, and more through dumpster diving.
00:44They often squat in unoccupied buildings or convert these unused spaces into community centers.
00:49But above all, their main goals are to reduce waste, limit consumption, and create a better world.
00:54Sounds pretty good.
00:56I have to backtrack and emphasize that this week I'm going to try to be as freegan as
01:00possible, but I already know that I'm not going to be able to become a full-on freegan.
01:04For instance, I'm already paying for a place to live.
01:06I have an apartment.
01:07I have a rent.
01:08But I don't think Refinery29 is going to want me to squat in an abandoned building,
01:12so I'm going to be sleeping right here.
01:14Secondly, I know this whole video is a bit counterintuitive because freegans are sort of
01:19against corporate culture, and yet I'm here making a video for my company that's paying me.
01:24But I'm doing this to explore a different lifestyle for five days, hopefully give you guys some
01:29insight into a lifestyle that you don't know much about, and maybe one little thing I do
01:33this week will spark a change in you to start limiting your consumption, reducing your waste,
01:37and using your resources more effectively.
01:39First order of business this week, I've decided to nix all forms of public transportation.
01:43Why?
01:44Because it costs money, and it's not the most eco-friendly way of getting around.
01:48I don't have a bike, but my cameraman lent me his board.
01:52This week, this is how I'll be getting around.
01:55Secondly, when I was planning for this week, I realized I can't wear any of the clothes
01:58in my closet because I've bought all those.
02:00Thankfully, a few of my friends were going through their closets and getting rid of old clothing,
02:04so I asked if I could borrow it for my week as a freegan.
02:06So this week, I'm wearing full-on freegan donated clothing, shoes, makeup, and nail polish.
02:12I know this week is going to be tough, but I'm ready.
02:22Trying to be a freegan is already a way bigger commitment than I thought it would be.
02:28Thankfully, I figured out clothing for the week yesterday, but today is all about food.
02:33Freegans don't buy food, so I of course didn't buy anything yesterday,
02:37but I realized I was eating the food in my fridge that was left over from the weekend,
02:41which technically, doesn't matter when, I paid for that.
02:45So, I'm kind of f***ed.
02:47If this week I'm going to be as freegan as possible,
02:49I need to stop eating all my leftover food and get some new food for free.
02:55Dumpster diving is a definitive option, but I'm not sure I'm quite ready for that.
03:00I'm not ready.
03:00But the first thing that popped into my head was free samples. Duh.
03:04So I went to Eataly, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and the Chelsea Market.
03:08I hit the jackpot at each place, got some granola bites,
03:12I got a butternut squash, Dixie cup.
03:14It was definitely not enough for the whole day today, let alone the rest of the week.
03:18So I contacted the manager of a deli nearby because I figured at the end of the day
03:22they might have some food waste that they could give to me.
03:24Every day, the rescue cuisine, they come and pick up the food.
03:29It's not usable the next day, but it's still good for the same day.
03:34Because I'm a valued, loyal customer at his deli, he gave me a nice container
03:38of some delicious free hot food from the hot bar that's going to hold me over for a couple of
03:43days.
03:44I almost feel as if the food he gave me for my experimentation as a freegan
03:48is taking away from people who are actually in need.
03:52So it's all a very sticky situation, and truth is I'm still hungry.
04:01Remember five days of saving money and my free date with my boyfriend?
04:05Turns out that week I was already practicing freeganism.
04:08We spend so much money on entertainment.
04:11Getting into clubs, going to see movies, theaters, festivals, exhibits and more.
04:15But I know that there are so many ways to have fun in New York City for free.
04:19As a Hamilton fanatic who has seen the show twice,
04:22I would love nothing more than to see the show today.
04:25It doesn't seem with my freegan lifestyle that I will be able to afford a ticket.
04:29So instead, I took myself on a 100% free, Lucy approved, Hamilton walking tour of Lower Manhattan.
04:36First stop, Trinity Church to see Hamilton, Eliza and Phillip's graves.
04:40To see these people's gravestones in real life really adds another layer of depth to my love for this story.
04:47Next stop was a tavern down at the tip of the island
04:50where George Washington and the Sons of Liberty used to have secret meetings.
04:53I felt so on the inside.
04:55And the last stop was the beautiful building that was the original location of the Bank of New York
05:00founded by none other than Alexander Hamilton.
05:04I could not have imagined a better, freer day.
05:13It's official, my food supply was great for a couple of days, but it's running low.
05:19So tonight, I'm going dumpster diving in New York City.
05:22According to feedingamerica.org, in the US, 70 billion pounds of food waste is produced each year.
05:28And, a fact that blew my mind, between 25 and 40% of food that's grown and processed in the
05:34US will never be eaten.
05:35Because of things like conservative sell-by dates and our society's idea of how fruits and vegetables should look on
05:41a shelf,
05:42we throw away so much food that's still completely good.
05:45So tonight, my plan is to take advantage of just that.
05:48I'm meeting up with Jeff Seal who produced a video for Gothamist about how to never pay for food again
05:52in New York City.
05:53And he is going to take me dumpster diving.
05:56Let's dive!
05:58If you know what you're doing and where to go, you will never have to pay for food in New
06:03York City again.
06:05Bold statement, let's go.
06:10I see nothing of interest. This is a dream.
06:15Here we go. A little bit. I wouldn't eat that white blueberry. That's tea.
06:24Nothing here. Nothing at all.
06:27Susan Saran lives in that building.
06:30Really?
06:30Yes, yeah.
06:32Should we ask her if she wants to make me dinner?
06:34We could, we could.
06:35Oh!
06:36But see these? Okay. These you wash off perfectly good. These are perfectly good.
06:41Sandwiches?
06:42Sandwiches, yeah.
06:43Also a little, uh, cream.
06:46The fifth! That's today!
06:47Today!
06:48Jackpot, more packaging.
06:50At least I have some dinner tonight.
06:52There you go.
06:53You can eat that.
06:55Excuse us, we're going to Susan's.
06:58Miss Sarandon?
06:59Miss?
07:00Can't see.
07:01Just kidding.
07:06Happy Friday!
07:08After going dumpster diving last night, I had too many goodies to eat just by myself.
07:12So I brought them home, rinsed them off, and brought them to work this morning.
07:15Laid them out for some of my coworkers to enjoy.
07:17Because after all, being freegan is all about recycling and sharing.
07:21Is being a freegan in New York City a realistic lifestyle for me? No.
07:25But there are certainly ways that I can live smarter at 24.
07:29Taking some of my friends' old clothing and makeup was a really cool way to try out new styles this
07:34week,
07:34but also to make sure that I was using all of those resources to their utmost potential.
07:39The food waste facts that I've learned this week have blown my mind.
07:42And the realization that I can go an entire week without paying for anything has really ignited a sense of
07:48freedom in me.
07:49Gotta embrace some of that freegan spirit.
07:51Because at the end of the day, it's all for the purpose of reducing waste, embracing community, and sharing.
07:56Would you ever try being freegan?
07:58Comment below letting me know.
08:00And as always, let me know what you want to see me try next time on Try Living with Lucy.
08:04Hey YouTube, it's me.
08:05Click here to subscribe to Refinery29 on YouTube to watch some of our other videos.
08:09And click here to watch me try five days of yoga.
08:13Namaste.
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