Saving money on food and toiletries while traveling

QUESTION: I like your book but don't like taking free food. I thoroughly enjoyed your book and think you have many useful and thoughtful ideas. Still, I don't think you should be advocating taking the condiment packs from fast food places (or taking toilet paper, etc.) in excess of what you will use during that particular visit. I know this may seem like a minor issue, but I believe that this is still unethical behavior. I am an avid backpacker and this topic comes up all the time. This kind of behavior, if widely known, could negatively affect Vanaboding in general, which would be a shame. I'd be interested to hear your view on this issue. Thanks for the great book!

MY ANSWER: My methods of traveling and living on $20 a day do not rely on using a free mustard package from a fast food joint. 99% of the money saving and smart budgeting information I reveal in my Vanabode book gets rave reviews because I save people hundreds of dollars a week on camping fees, hotel rooms, food, entertainment, and fuel.

In this one tiny area of condiment useage people complain though. I offer the following input on the issue.

1) If you feel taking the free napkins, disposables, and condiments from restaurants and hotels is unethical then don't do it. It is NOT one of the more important strategies for traveling forever on $20 a day.

2) In the Bible God allowed people (notably the poor) to take whatever food they could find from anyone's property as long as it was for their families personal consumption. God did NOT allow this "gleaning" to be done if the food taken was to be later sold.