I’ve worked hard over my career to be able to afford nice things, visit nice places, and have nice meals. But I also love a good deal and the thrill of the chase. I’d always bring my kids to free Slurpee day at 7-11, free meals at Chick-fil-a if you dressed like a cow (do they do that anymore?), and free ice cream if my kids received good grades on their report card. They are all grown up now but I still like a little free or reduced price fun.
Every year, about a third of the world’s food goes uneaten. That is a jaw-dropping waste of flavor! Too Good To Go, the world's largest marketplace for surplus food in an app, swoops in with a clever fix: instead of letting unsold food get tossed at the end of the day, local cafes, bakeries, grocery stores, and restaurants pack it up into “Surprise Bags” that you can snag. Pricing is usually for about a third of the original price.
In short? Less waste and a whole lot of savings. Of course, not every bag is going to be a jackpot. Sometimes you get a dream haul of tiramisu, other times it’s pastries made earlier that morning. But that unpredictability is part of the charm. It’s a food adventure wrapped in a brown paper bag.
Restaurants and shops win big with Too Good To Go as well. Instead of tossing perfectly good food and losing money, they get to recoup costs, attract new customers, and make them feel good about small eco-friendly wins. For small bakeries, it can mean the difference between tossing a dozen cookies or turning them into smiles.
A few things to know before diving in:
- Pickup Windows Are Firm: You’ve got to be available at the set time, usually late afternoon or evening.
- Mystery Factor: Sometimes you get cheesecake, sometimes it’s potato salad. Roll with it.
- Location, Location, Location: The app is only as useful as the businesses near you. Big cities? A buffet of options. Smaller towns? A little more hit-or-miss.
But here’s the thing… once you get into the rhythm, it becomes oddly addictive. Happy hunting and eating!
TooGoodToGo.com
How the App Works (and why it feels like a game)
- Open & Explore
Fire up the app, and you’ll see nearby businesses offering Surprise Bags. You can filter by distance, food type, or price.
- Reserve Your Mystery Meal
Pick a bag, pay in-app (usually just a few bucks), and lock in your prize.
- Pick Up & Peek Inside
At the designated time, you swing by, swipe to confirm pickup, and unwrap the mystery. Maybe it’s pastries, maybe it’s a full sushi platter. You may not really know until you open the bag.
- Feel-Good Bonus
The app tracks how much money you’ve saved and how much CO₂ you’ve helped prevent. It’s like earning eco-points for eating dinner.