I tried the unique service that keeps the fridge stocked for cheap and diverts food waste out of landfills.
Too Good To Go
If you want fresh, hot takeout food without the high cost of traditional delivery apps, you’re in luck. Too Good to Go is a delivery app disruptor that lets restaurants, delis, bakeries and markets offload prepared foods that may otherwise be destined for the trash and to consumers at massive discount. The surprise meals are available for pickup just before the restaurant closes and are mostly priced between $4 and $7, or roughly 50% to 75% cheaper than the normal price.
The app features restaurants and supermarkets looking to offload food a fraction of the normal cost that might otherwise be consumed.
Too Good to Go
I wanted to explore the service, not necessarily in terms of its breadth of interesting food options, but more on the potential money savings built into its concept, so I rescued five surprise bags over the course of a week to see whether this was a legitimate way to eat on a budget. I was primarily looking for options that seemed like they could provide multiple meals, and would have the capacity to freeze well for later consumption.
The more concentrated your population, the more options you’ll have available through Too Good to Go. In my outer-borough neighborhood of New York City, there are over a dozen options available regularly within a one-mile radius of where I live. (I found by looking at the app regularly that not every business has bags to give away every day.) Since I was approaching this from a money-saving and routine feeding standpoint, I wasn’t looking to pop all over town for the most appealing options, but rather to source close to home, or occasionally in other neighborhoods when appointments or commitments brought me to those areas already.
This heaping helping of Chinese food cost me just $6 plus tax.
Pamela Vachon/CNET
My first experience with Too Good to Go was a win, which set a good tone for the rest of the week. Being at a commitment on the Upper East Side, this was something to grab on my way home, with a pickup window in the early evening. The food was extremely fresh, especially compared to similar, buffet-style meals that are offered on steam tables in delis all over town.
Total cost from Too Good to Go: $6 plus tax
Total original cost: $16 plus tax
Savings: about $10
Total number of meals: 3
Total cost per meal: $2.17
Bag 2: Bagel assortment from Murray’s Bagels
This Lebanese pasta dish was more like two meals.
Pamela Vachon/CNET
Many of the eateries available on Too Good to Go are from those whose cuisines rely on long-cooking roasts or braises, where food is prepared in advance and ready to serve, rather than those that mostly cook to order. My neighborhood has a robust Middle Eastern presence, with several options available on the app, so I picked this bag up on the way home one evening from a Lebanese restaurant. I was happy for the pasta component, even though it wasn’t something on their listed menu, since this freezes well and I was able to put a portion away for a later time.
Total cost from Too Good to Go: $6 plus tax
Total original cost: $15 plus tax
Savings: about $9
Total number of meals: Four (I’m not being delicate — this platter was hearty.)
Total cost per meal: $1.63
Bag 4: Miscellaneous groceries from Horton’s Market
Three big slices of specialty pie would normally be more like $10 or $12.
Pamela Vachon/CNET
Pizza is another good score on Too Good to Go, especially in markets such as New York, whose pizzerias sell by the slice and potentially have leftovers at closing time. There are a number of 99-cent slice shops in New York, but A) none of them are in my neighborhood, and B) none have slices this big or this flavorful. (For 99 cents, you’re getting cheese. Period.) The photo isn’t doing the size justice, but each slice here was equivalent to about two and a half slices of conventional pizza, and a meal unto itself.
Total cost from Too Good to Go: $5 plus tax
Total original cost: $13.80 plus tax
Savings: about $8
Total number of meals: 3
Total cost per meal: $1.81
The verdict? With Too Good to Go I saved $80 and ate well all week
In total, I estimate I saved about $80 over the course of the week compared to whether I would have purchased these items outright. More to the point, though, for a total of about $30, I scored 10 lunches or dinners and two weeks’ worth of breakfasts for that price — plus an assortment of groceries, many of which I could put to use for snacks or desserts.
It’s not a perfect system for eating regularly, insofar as the offerings might get stale if you are routinely sourcing from your immediate vicinity. At about $2 or less per meal, it’s about on par with what you might spend to cook for yourself. Should you be lured away from conventional takeout or delivery by the promise of a big discount, however (even occasionally), that’s a savings that will still add up for you in a year. With Earth Day on our minds, rescuing food destined for the trash also leaves behind a good taste.
Where is Too Good to Go available?
The app is currently available in over a dozen countries, and 17 cities in the US, including Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York (and the New York metro area), Philadelphia, Portland (both Maine and Oregon), Providence, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C.
