I love — and I mean love — to cook. I could spend forever in the grocery store walking up and down the aisles, figuring out exactly what I want for a specific dish. And don't even get me started on how long I can spend chopping produce, mixing sauces, and grilling chicken (hint: it's a long time). But that means there are times my fridge has more food than I can keep track of, leading to spoiled groceries I can't eat. That's why I was so excited when my friend told me about Too Good To Go, an app that connects users with restaurants and grocery stores in their area to minimize food waste. And when I tried it for myself, it was even better than I could have expected!
Here's everything you need to know about my Too Good To Go experience — plus five other apps you can try today to minimize food waste in your own life. That way, you can save money, reduce trash, and spend time on what really matters: cooking a yummy meal.
Too Good To Go Helps Minimize Food Waste
When I tried Too Good To Go for the first time, I ordered a Surprise Bag from my favorite local grocery store. To minimize metaphorical bumps in the road, I didn't want to try a brand new store *and* brand new app at the same time. The actual order process was easy: all I did was follow instructions within the app, pay through Venmo, and head to the store in my given time frame.
Pick up was equally easy. Well, once I finally figured out who I was actually supposed to talk to! I will note that there's a toggle you have to slide for "I'm picking up my order," and you'll want to wait until they actually bring you your bag before you do that (oops). For this first Too Good To Go order, I got a bag of cheese sticks, two containers of salad mix, cottage cheese, and Greek yogurt — all for $5! (In fact, I'm looking at the app as I type this and these bags are available for $5 instead of $15. That is literally more than half off!)
I did have to throw the cottage cheese away because it was moldy, so here's your reminder to check expiration dates, smell any products that could be spoiled, and trust your gut on whether or not you should eat something. Give yourself grace in moments like this because the end goal is to reduce food waste — don't beat yourself up if you have to get rid of a product anyway!
Another thing to note is that Too Good To Go works with both grocery stores *and* restaurants, which is something I didn't realize when arranging my second order. So I was definitely surprised when I ended up with a $7 meal instead of a bag of groceries! However, since I was able to split the meal into two servings, it was still more cost effective than my usual takeout budget items.
Overall, my experience with Too Good To Go has been super easy and beneficial, and I love knowing I'm helping minimize food waste, even if it's a little bit. Plus, cutting my grocery bill isn't too shabby either!
More Money-Saving Apps To Help Reduce Food Waste
Olio
Olio takes the idea of community food sharing even farther by connecting neighbors with one another, as well as local businesses. You can share extra food (and other items you don't use) by uploading images to the app and setting a (safe) pickup location. While everything on the app started out as a borrow or give format, there's a buy and sell option now too!
Nosh Food Waste App
This isn't your average grocery app — instead of ordering discounted groceries, it allows you to keep track of what you already own, as well as your food waste habits. That way, when you're in the store and aren't sure if you should buy something, you can check! It also has expiration date tracking, recipe suggestions, and personalized shopping lists.
Misfit Markets
Misfit Markets gives you the opportunity to purchase "ugly" food from grocers that would otherwise be thrown away. That's right, this food is totally fine to eat, but because it's not aesthetically pleasing or it's the wrong size, it won't be sold in-store! This food waste app has everything from produce and meat to bakery items — and it's all around 40 percent cheaper than regular grocery stores. And they deliver to your door without fees!
NoWaste
There are few things more frustrating than spending a ton of money on food for the week, forgetting about it, and having to throw it away. That's why apps like NoWaste are so great! Not only does it help you organize your food inventory, but you can also create shopping lists, plan meals, and scan barcodes. It's a pretty simple app but it'll keep you organized, which will help you cut down on food waste and overspending!
Imperfect Foods
This food waste-reducing app promises "sustainably sourced, affordable, and conveniently delivered to your door." That sounds good to me! They offer everything from "ugly" produce that can't be sold in-store to sustainably-made snacks and even some beauty products. The best part is that their customers have saved 139 million pounds of food!
Have you tried any of these grocery apps? If you have any other hacks to reduce food waste, let us know on Facebook!
Lead image via Sarah Chai/Pexels, all other images from their respective app stores.
