It feels like supermarket prices are rising each time we visit at the moment - and for many, this has made the weekly food shop unaffordable.
Our sister site, Manchester Evening News, has been price-watching a number of basic items such as milk, bread and mince, to track just how quickly these prices are rising. In July, the total bill for eight basic items reached double figures for the first time ever.
More and more people have been relying on food banks this year to feed themselves and their families as the cost of living crisis deepens across the country. Data from the Trussel Trust between April 2021 to March 2022 shows a 14 per cent increase in food parcels distributed across the UK compared to pre-pandemic levels.
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Some people are turning to food waste apps to get hold of supermarket, cafe and restaurant food for a fraction of the price. Many businesses, including supermarket giants like the Co-op and Tesco, have signed up for these apps in a bid to save food from going to landfill - 6.7 million tonnes of food is wasted each year according to Cheaper Waste.
The food items shared on the apps are still high quality but may be about to pass their 'best before' sell-by date. Lots of food is still safe to eat after this time, and some supermarkets like Asda, Sainsbury's and Morrisons have ditched them all together on some of their produce.
There are a number of apps available in the Bristol area you can download to your smartphone to see what's available in your area. Most apps will use your location to show you the closest availability to where you're based.
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Olio
This app was first created to benefit not just consumers and businesses but neighbours, too. Whether it’s sell-by-date food from local shops or rescued preserves someone no longer wants, Olio allows excess food to be shared within communities all over the UK.
Everything on Olio is listed free of charge, aside from listings in the “made” section where people sell homemade items such as crafts and food.
Too Good To Go
This is used by cafes, restaurants, fast food chains and supermarkets that are all looking to get rid of any surplus products at the end of the day. They sell 'magic bags' at a huge discount from what they normally would - but you don't always know what you're getting until you collect it - you can also input your dietary requirements.
You also have a specific window to collect your items depending on the business' preferences. We tried the Too Good To Go app earlier in the year to see how far £10 would get us - read what we thought here.
Kitche
Kitche keeps track of the food you purchased from your supermarket shop, will suggest recipes and warn you when items are getting close to their sell-by date, meaning you throw less food away. It claims to save households as much as £630 a year by ensuring everything in your fridge and cupboard is used up.
It works by scanning a supermarket receipt and listing your items in the app so you can always check how much food you have.
Karma
This app works similarly to Too Good To Go allowing households to buy extra food at a good price. It isn't widely used in Bristol yet - so far there are only a few businesses listed - although it is much newer than the other more popular apps.
Unlike Too Good To Go, it pinpoints availability on a map which shows the closest availability more clearly.
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