TooGoodToGo, anyone done it?
11at a group dinner last weekend, a friend mentioned an app called Too Good To Go. An app where you can sign up to purchase the leftovers from restaurants and bakeries at rock bottom prices. I guess sort of the IRK of fresh food so to speak. I signed up but have not purchased anything yet. In my area, there is Tiff’s Treats, Whole Foods (bakery and prepared foods), a boba tea shop (they sell drinks that were not made to customer specifications by mistake instead of throwing them away), donut shops (Shipley and Krispy Kreme), a macaron bakery and a local Chinese restaurant. Have you done it? Would you do it?
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I have not, never been available where I was. But I would give it a try on something that was not ‘prepared foods’ first, like bakery or donuts and see what happens.
I’ve seen it. It’s mostly bread things, but usually at 50~75% off
While not an impossible deal (I’ve seen bigger discounts on bread), it is a subscription type which makes it a reliable regular deal.
If you can stomach all that bread.
For food, I’m pretty responsible about managing my pantry (fresh produce, refrigerated leftovers, frozen unfinished fresh produce, fallout/emergency preserved foods, backup-apocalypse canned foods) and would rather have a better Buy Nothing community (BN project is like a Craigslist of goods, but only for swapping out giving away; it’s up to individuals to maintain their lists of available stuff)
@pakopako I LOVE, and regularly use the Buy Nothing group in our community!
It’s wonderful giving away all sorts of stuff rather than seeing it going to the landfill? After all… One man’s trash is another man’s treasure! 
@Lynnerizer @pakopako My people! -brofist-
@Lynnerizer @pakopak The one here rarely has anyone post anything. I posted something and it took 5 tries before someone actually showed up to pick it up (and it wasn’t even something that was junk). Curb alerts work better around here.
@PooltoyWolf
@Kidsandliz
Someone even asked this one woman where she was actually putting ALL OF THE STUFF she was getting. TBT, She REALLY was being piggish!
Yeah, I guess it depends on the community and how active people are. Ours was SO active that the mods took a vote (a lot of people weren’t too thrilled about it) and they ended up dividing the group into thirds. People were upset with how they were (or weren’t) being picked for things. Lots of people thought if they responded first then they should be the one picked for the item. Personally, I prefer to let the post simmer for a day or two and then blindly pick or let the roulette wheel pick someone, giving everyone a chance to ask. You know the complainers where the ones who had nothing better to do then sit on their phones waiting for the good stuff. Lol
I agree, curb alerts work well too!
Intriguing, though with my dietary restrictions, I probably won’t be able to take much advantage of it.
It was, and still is not available in my area, but this is a video that probably sent a lot of people their way
@Tiamat114 when I was in free-gan mode (which I think I’ve boomeranged back to), I would hang around bakeries and high end restaurants around dinner time and just take their garbage for them (like they would take the bags out and instead of tossing them into the dumpster, I’d take them and go home). Bakeries toss out pastries en masse and high end restaurants toss slightly browned produce.
If my local Indian places signed on? I would be so down.
@brainmist sigh. Just a local gas station.
/giphy sad trombone
@brainmist So you can get the hot dogs that don’t sell out?
@Kyeh Honestly? Looks like primarily stale donuts.
@brainmist @Kyeh
My mind went to Fenway Park and their steamed hot dogs that my mom goes crazy for! 
Lol
@Kyeh @Lynnerizer if it were Kwik Star, I’d be down… They have good food.
@brainmist @Lynnerizer I’ve never heard of them!
@brainmist @Kyeh I was thinking “day-old gas? Sure, I’m in!”
This would be something I would do in a heartbeat, and as soon as I heard about it (3 minutes ago) I tried! Unfortunately, after downloading the app I found out it’s not available in my area yet!
I’ll check back, thanks for the heads up, love the whole concept! 
As of late last October these were the places that had this program:
New York City
Boston, MA
Philadelphia, PA
Washington, DC
San Francisco, CA
Portland, OR
Seattle, WA
Austin, TX
Chicago, IL
Baltimore, MD
Providence, RI
Los Angeles, CA
Miami, FL:
San Diego, CA
Sacramento, CA
Houston, TX
Dallas, TX
San Antonio, TX
Atlanta, GA
Minneapolis, MN
@Kidsandliz unlike Meh, it’s also in Canada, eh?
Add Toronto, ON to the list! 
I routinely peruse the short dated bakery stuff at my local Walmart. Couple of weeks ago they had 2 pallets of big boxes of “two bite” brownies for $2 a box! There are three boxes in the freezer as we speak. Already took a couple to work… Being in a small town in rural Alabama there’s not much likelihood it’s going to get here.
When the kids were small we used to go to the bakery outlet stores (Hostess etc) to buy short dated breads and stuff. I used to call it going to the “used bread” store!
@chienfou Loved the used bread store! We had one in our neighborhood until about two years ago. It was for Mrs Baird’s breads and Bimbo pastries. The manager was a vicious racist and constantly rude to all POC customers. She later was overheard complaining that she was losing her job over the store closing. Well b*tch, if you had been nicer to your customers maybe that would not have happened.
@chienfou @ironcheftoni Karma is a bitch
@ironcheftoni
Yeah… unfortunately any store is only as good as its employees. I’ve dialed back my use of some stores based on bad experiences in the past.
@chienfou I remember being really young and mom always took us w her to the Wonder bread store (day old/used bread) It always smelled amazing, however it gave me serious anxiety every time we went. They clearly had pastries secured by nafarious means and they advertised!!! Mom even purchased a few STOLENS!!! The fear that the police would come arrest her. OMG
@chienfou @tinamarie1974 hmmm. We had one but it was just like the bread outlet store…
Best buy dates are basically made up for processed products but they would pull them, mostly cause I assume they didn’t want most people to know that but they still wanted to be able to sell it.
Kroger would and still does discount milk and it’s not bad if not opened for a week or two. Also in Europe they just pasturuse to a higher temp and it’s shelf stable. They do not refrigerate it in the store.
That being said the Walmart baked goods bread have gotten moldy from time to time. But. That’s because they aren’t in a breadbox, they do have moisture, and Dartanyan will try and reach from the bottom or hang off the top of a cabinet and open the door to get to bread. So I try and keep it away and then forget.
The best place is above the microwave at the back cause its a couple feet up and maybe 2 feet down from the top. And back. He still opens the doors above cause he can smell it and thinks it’s there, but he can’t reach it.
@chienfou @unksol resourceful kitty
@chienfou @tinamarie1974 STOLEN pastry?! How did they do that?
@Kyeh @tinamarie1974
They branched out to toothbrushes…
@chienfou @tinamarie1974 Or would that actually be stollen?
/image stollen
@chienfou @Kyeh yes, but remember I was like seven or eight. I didnt realize stolen did not equal stollen. They sounded the same and I just figured it was a mispelling and they were advertising stolen pasteries!!!
@chienfou @tinamarie1974
Yes, I can see how that would be super confusing to a little kid!
We have it here but I’ve only used it once, so far. It is a lot of baked goods, some prepared food like deli stuff, and some entree type stuff like pastas and bowls. One regular is an empanada maker – last year I bought a box of assorted empanadas and they were quite good.
One issue is that a lot of this happens late-ish and I don’t really feel like trekking out that late.
I was at first only looking at the app within 5 miles of my house. I expanded further and found two Asian buffets are also on the list to get rid of what’s left on the buffet each night. Certainly cheaper than paying for the buffet price but like all the other options, you get what you get. I’ve seen people pick out all meat out of entrees at the buffet so I don’t want to get stuck with a tray full of broccoli and bell pepper.
@ironcheftoni on the up side, the veggies are usually cheaper
I don’t have it in my area but I do have Flashfood. This app is used by local grocery stores to sell items nesting expiration. Mostly the items are baked goods, produce, meat, and dairy but I’ve seen leftover easter candy and cereal in the past. They used to have (imo) a better referral program (you get 5 and I get 7 after your first purchase) but now it’s we both get $5 if your first purchase is $10… but if you want a referral code let me know
Here’s a shot of a couple of items at my local store and a map of current locations. They started in Canada and are slowly taking over the US too.
We have like 6 local stores we check regularly but also check the app when we’re away from home.
@j2 not sure why the first pic didn’t post
@j2 Not sure if I’ll use the service but post or whisper a referral code just in case.
@callow Flashfood is a fun way to reduce food waste and save up to 50% on groceries at stores near you. Here’s my personal Flashfood referral code: JENN2PT3R. If your first purchase is over $10, you’ll get $5 off! Use the code when you sign up or on the Rewards tab. Download the app today! https://flashfood.onelink.me/yAxk/referral
@j2 Do they pick the item or do you?
@j2 been using FlashFood since they started here years ago
!
They’ve really been pushing their expansion here lately too, with now every Loblaw brand here having it, and lately they’ve started up in pet stores! Glad you’re able to take advantage south of the border as well.
@callow for stores here in Canada, you get to choose the item(s) you’re buying in the app, and when you show up, as long as the employee is friendly and there is more than one unit available you should be able to select your preferred one. The expiry dates shown in the pics or listed in the description must match as well. When they have produce boxes, you get the exact box pictured.
If any fellow Canadians want a referral code, feel free to whisper me.
@callow the items are already separated from general population and are stored in dedicated fridges and shelves at the front of the store. If it’s a listing of 10 containers of strawberry yogurt and you buy 2, they just grab 2. If it’s a specific package of meat they grab that specific one. Quite often there is only 1 unit for sale.
We’ve gotten items that have been moldy (unseen bottom of English muffins) and thought you have to sort it through the app it was very easy.
Occasionally the item you purchased is missing. In the past they would go out on the floor and give you a fresh item but last time they immediately refunded the purchase price.
@j2 Thank you so much!
@curtise @j2 I wish we had Flashfood
@callow @j2 I used your code.Thank you!
@callow @Tadlem43 I hope you get some great deals!
thanks for the heads up on this, as i’d never heard of it. not a whole lot in my current area, but the liquor store right down the road as a rose/sparkling wine surprise bag that we might try out.
@carl669 Can you check what’s nearby without installing the app?
@carl669 so a wine irk…wirk?
@callow i had to install the app.
@j2 mmm… wirk
@callow @carl669 @j2 wirk at work?
@carl669 That does not sound terrible.
So far only one shop has signed up… it is on the other side of town, I will go that far in the early in the morning
Been ordering from TG2G for 3 years next month. I get everything from bread and pastries to boas to Snap Kitchen meals on it. We have a local FB group where folks review what they get. It’s saved us a lot of money.
@yazberrie Um hello I need to understand the discount leftover boas, is this after Pride?
/giphy feather boas
@brainmist @yazberrie Or a pet store?
I’ve been using it here in Portland Oregon for the deals at Bob’s Red Mill: full case of 6 bags of steel cut oats for $6. Full case of gluten free pancake mix for $12. 25lb bag of arrowroot powder for $38. The first two are like buying one bag and getting 5 more for free. The arrowroot powder is $130 for 25lbs usually.
A number of restaurants and more donut shops around here participate. You have to be willing to possibly get something you don’t like because the surprise bags/boxes can REALLY be a surprise. But especially if you’re adventurous it can be a fun surprise.
I’m in San Diego and there are a lot of choices here. I’ve used it a few times. I was happy with what I got. Way more food than what I paid. The restaurant staff seem happy to give you the leftovers.
It’s 100% better for them to sell at a discount for everyone than their other two options.
Throw it in the trash.
Keep it in the fridge till Gordon Ramsay shows up.
Not practical in smaller towns I’m sure. I’d like to see them work with homeless shelters too though if they can’t sell it that night. would have to be careful with his the shelter stores/distributes/disposes of it though. That might be too much of a liability for restaurants.
Grocery stores aren’t preparing/ handling food so that’s safer for them
@unksol Officially working with shelters, there’s a contractual obligation to ensure that the food is safe. Which is often extra work for the potential donor, hence why trashing is the cheaper, faster option, but they won’t sue companies “pilfering” their trash as long as those companies don’t have report where they got their food from.
@pakopako I don’t think that’s actually true for packaged/canned/processed goods. Although I guess it could vary by state. Discount stores sell past date stuff with no issue here. Fresh/raw stuff maybe in some states but that’s still an unfortunate waste of food that just needs to be properly prepared.
Restaurant stuff should just be an agreement that it must be distributed tonight. Or kept frozen or something
I mean you could give someone a fresh off the farm chicken. You’re not responsible for how they cook it, or if they eat it raw. There seems to be some FUD around that.
I wouldn’t eat trash, but it’s not trash. It’s good food… Not hard to put in a good Samaritan law to encourage it
@unksol That’s what happens here - there’s a group that collects a lot of the past-its-prime stuff for an organization called Community Food Share, and then it goes to shelters and assistance programs.
@pakopako also ideas for a federal law on this go back decades. It believe this may be the most current
https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2020/08/13/good-samaritan-act-provides-liability-protection-food-donations
Now… Is the correct way to take care of America’s poverty/hunger issue giving them leftover food… Well. No. But. Who the hell is opposing something that simple? People bitch about welfare while this is wasted en masse. IDK. Seems disingenuous.
Not you obviously just. Some segments of our society. Are super weird about helping people
I’ve done it a few times at a Kosher bakery and another at a really good pizza place - both like $6 and well worth it - take the chance.
I wouldn’t trust the food was stored at a safe temperature and handled correctly.
A bread product would be about all I’d trust, though we have our favorite local whole grain breads we prefer and stores have a ‘day old’ section.
I have used it a handful of times in Dallas. Mostly at snap kitchen. I’ve always gotten way more food than what I paid for and typically it’s always been things I would have bought anyways. Never had a bad experience!