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6 Food Waste Apps to Trim Your Grocery Bill

Rising food prices are squeezing wallets. These tools offer a creative way to save money

Rebecca Safier,

AARP

En español

Published July 30, 2026

A hand holds a smartphone in front of a dumpster. Produce and other food staples are pictured on the phone screen.

Kyle Hilton

Key takeaways

Food waste apps connect users with surplus groceries and meals at steep discounts.
Using these tools can help reduce waste and stretch your budget.
Some apps offer items on a first-come, first-served basis. Consider signing up for notifications so you don’t miss deals.

Prices at the grocery store keep rising, and the stress is showing for older Americans. In a recent AARP survey, more than 4 in 10 respondents age 50 and older said groceries cost more than they can afford.

“Many seniors are on a fixed income, and groceries are not a fixed cost,” says Bobbi Rebell, a certified financial planner in New York City. “Everyday staples have gone up dramatically in cost, and there’s only so much you can cut for so long.”

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The AARP survey found that nearly half of people age 50-plus are taking steps like reducing impulse buys and using coupons more often to stretch their grocery dollars. Tech tools can help too. Food waste apps connect you with surplus groceries, restaurant meals, bakery items and produce that might otherwise be thrown out at the end of the day.

These apps direct you to steep discounts, often 50 percent or more, and help reduce the 94 billion pounds of food that goes to waste each year in the U.S. Here are six that can help you save big on groceries and meals.

1. Too Good to Go

One of the most popular food waste apps is Too Good to Go, with over 540,000 ratings on Apple’s app store. The app partners with local grocery stores, restaurants and cafés to sell leftover food at big discounts. Its partners offer “surprise bags” containing food that hasn’t sold by the end of the day, with some items marked down by more than 50 percent.

“Users not only get a fun surprise in the bags but also feel great about saving the food that would otherwise have gone to waste,” says Rebell. The app allows users to filter options for vegetarian or vegan diets. The downside: You don’t know what you’re getting until you open the bag — but that’s part of the fun, Rebell says.

2. Flashfood

This app partners with grocery stores looking to sell food nearing its best-by date for up to 50 percent off. You can browse daily deals on meats, produce and other items, then add what you want to your cart and pick up the food at the supermarket.

“You’re getting the same food for less, which is the best kind of savings,” says Jeff Judge, managing partner at Chesapeake Financial Planners in Forest Hill, Maryland.

3. Misfits Market

Misfits Market sells oddly shaped fruits and vegetables, along with pantry staples, meat, snacks and other items nearing their sell-by date, with markdowns of up to 30 percent off, delivered right to your door.

The offerings change each week, and customers can skip orders for free at any time. The company says it delivers to nearly all ZIP codes in the contiguous U.S., but the service is not available in Alaska and Hawaii.

4. Hungry Harvest

Like Misfits Market, Hungry Harvest resells misshapen produce and other items that don’t meet grocery store standards. Produce boxes start at $17, and organic options are available. You can order weekly or biweekly boxes delivered to your home.

According to the company, each order saves at least 10 pounds of food from going to waste. Hungry Harvest currently operates in Maryland; Virginia; Washington, D.C.; Philadelphia; southern New Jersey; northern Delaware; and Raleigh, North Carolina.

5. Olio

Olio essentially serves as a local marketplace where users give extra food and household items to their neighbors. The company also has local volunteers who pick up and resell leftover food from supermarkets, restaurants and cafés.

The app may also be worth exploring if you’re looking to make connections in your community, as the company says 65 percent of users have made new friends through Olio.

6. OH, a potato!

Overspending doesn’t happen just at the grocery store — you may be quietly losing money at home by throwing out spoiled ingredients. OH, a potato! can help you reduce food waste by suggesting recipes based on the ingredients you already have in your refrigerator and pantry.

“Planning from your pantry first, then filling gaps with a list, can cut weekly grocery spend by 15 to 20 percent,” Judge says.

Tips for using food waste apps

If you’re new to food waste apps, here are a few strategies for using them effectively.

Start by experimenting. Download one or two apps to see if they fit your lifestyle. You might enjoy the surprise element of Too Good to Go or prefer a grocery delivery service like Misfits Market. “It may take some trial and error to find the right ones, but it’s worth it,” says Rebell. “Try to focus on the ones that provide the most nutrition.”

Utilize your freezer. If you end up with excess food, consider freezing it for later use. This can be especially helpful given that some items sold through these apps are close to their expiration date.

Expand your palate. Food waste apps can introduce you to new foods that you haven’t tried before.

Set up alerts. Some apps offer items on a first-come, first-served basis. Consider signing up for notifications so you don’t miss deals from your favorite supermarket or restaurant. With these alerts, “you can grab high-value deals before the best ones are sold out,” Rebell says. “This is a case where being the early bird is a definite win.”

Check user ratings and reviews. Some apps allow users to leave feedback on grocery stores, restaurants and other providers. These reviews can offer insight into the quality of the items being sold.

The key takeaways were created with the assistance of generative AI. An AARP editor reviewed and refined the content for accuracy and clarity.

Rebecca Safier has been writing about personal finance for over a decade. Her work has appeared in U.S. News & World Report, USA TODAY, Forbes Advisor, Newsweek Vault and other publications.

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