flash food – in thriver words

With no indication that prices are coming down, you may be looking for bargains like toogoodtogo in 2026. I stumbled on this app accidentally. Participating stores and restaurants in your area will offer bags of food at discounted prices.

Sometimes the bag will be a Surprise meaning you’ll have no idea what’s in it when you order. Whole Foods sometimes categorizes into Bakery Bags, Produce Bags, or Prepared Food bags in addition to the Surprise Bag. In my area, a Whole Foods Bakery Bag contains about $21 worth of baked goods for about $7 and a Prepared Food bag is about $10 for $30 worth of food.

Items typically have dates that are about to expire and are not customizable. This can be dicey if you have food restrictions. But with specialized foods costing more, a household that has some members without restrictions can help keep the budget balanced by taking advantage of these savings.

Rescuing this food is also a way to reduce food waste. Your profile lets you track the reduction in CO2e emissions and water use you contributed to as well as the money you saved. Using this app is a good way to have a positive impact on the environment even if you’re short on time and money.

There are obvious advantages for those who live in larger metropolitan areas. Here, there are a handful of participating stores and restaurants. In Los Angeles, there are many more. For a full list of participating stores, you have to download the app.

Toogoodtogo isn’t the only app for securing discounted food. Flashfood is available in some markets featuring deals up to 50% off from stores like Kroger, Loblaws, Meijer, Gelson’s, Family Fare, Piggly Wiggly, Martin’s, VG’s Grocery, Lucky California, Tops Friendly Markets, and Giant Eagle.

Flashfood’s 2024 Impact Report says 32,154, 406 pounds of food were diverted from landfills while saving customers $80,031,034. It also lists the reduction in CO2e emissions. I don’t know where that falls as a percentage of all food waste, but reduction is reduction and that seems like a good thing.

There are also apps that focus less on food waste and more on saving money. These include your local grocery store’s app. Stores like Target, Safeway, Walmart, and Costco offer deals, rewards, and coupons.

Other apps like Ibotta and Checkout 51 allow you to scan your receipt and submit it for cashback. Fetch awards points when you scan receipts. Eventually you can turn the points into gift cards. Flip lets you find the best deal on a specific item by letting you browse digital flyers from nearby grocery stores. You can then add it to an in-app shopping list.

As you implement your plans for 2026, be sure to take advantage of apps that will help you save money and have a positive impact on the planet. How can doing good ever be too good?

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”