How to: Too Good to Go

The Germans or maybe the Swedes or maybe REI coined the phrase "There's no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing." While this sentiment is enough for me to get out the door, the kids need some major convincing to get their daily 60 minutes of exercise or "blowing off the stink" as I call it. Our normal go-to locations for "winning the pants battle" are mostly off the table during austerity measures but thankfully there is the Too Good to Go App. I found this handy video that explains the concept. In summary, the app connects businesses with extra food (that they would otherwise throw away) with customers who are happy to rescue food for 30% of the original cost. More simply put, Too Good to Go is civilized dumpster diving.

In general, you search restaurants/bakeries/hotels based on your location and pick-up time window. I set the radius to one kilometer. When you find something interesting, you reserve and pay on the app, and then pick-up during listed time frame. The time frames can be anywhere to 10 minutes to all day. The description will tell you what you need to bring with you - sometimes just a bag and other times also your own containers. Below are some ways I use the app.

Run the Kids:

Yesterday the boys biked, Carmen and Paul scooted, and I ran to a new-to-us cafe for croissant sandwiches. One hour of exercise: check

New Neighborhood Exploration:

After dropping off Crosby at a birthday party, Carmen and I changed the map radius to see new Too Good to Go options. We ended up going to Latin American market near our house.

We were hoping for chips or enchilada sauce but we ended up with some very interesting items and a beer. My attempt at making Brazilian Tapioca samosas were edible.  

Live Vicariously through your Friends:

I'm never going to eat at 9:45 but when Shanni does cheaply it still feels like a win.

Cheap Date Idea:

We used Too Good to Go a lot when we were doing the walking challenge with Paul's college friends during our last parental leave in the summer of 2020. I'd pick a location for a too good to go meal that would be a long walk during the time period our babysitter was at our house.

I used this strategy last Thursday. The first stop was to first pick-up some croissants:

The key is to make sure to google the bakery to make sure it's not a convenience store. This place is fancy and small portions. Just a snack to keep us going. 

The next stop was offering beer right by an apartment for sale that we wanted to check out anyway. The apartment location wasn't a win, but the beer "surprise bag" was a doozy.

This is a classic case of me missing something every German knows to be true:

The description says to bring 3.10 Euros for deposit. I thought paying a deposit is kind of lame as I didn't have to bring deposit for the other beer pick-ups. However, likely every German knows that 3.10 Euros is the price of the deposit for a 20 rack. The last beer pick-up I did only had five beers. Thus, I ordered a double on this one. Thankfully the tram stop wasn't far away. Work out: check.

Fill-up the Picknicmeister's Lovetank

The first time I went to Oderburger Hotel with Too Good to Go, the buffet was left out for us to take what we want. Crosby and I took the pound of butter which likely explains why now all of the food is on a cart:

Hugo was my pick-up helper this last round:

The key to a good hotel buffet pick-up is to buy all of the portions available. It would just be weird to show-up and have to split it with a stranger. Also, we opt for packaging a lot of small jars so we don't end up mixing all of the sauces. 

Just a little picnic in the hail. I was happy to stick around but nap time was calling.

How to: Biggs' Style Austerity Measures

Scene: 2018 - Buying baby food jars at the organic market across the street from our house

Paige to the teller: "When I had one kid, I used to make his baby food."

Teller: (No response, because small talk is not a German thing.)

Guy behind me in line: "When you have three children, you'll shop at Aldi." ie the cheapest discount market.

And here we are, in 2023, and the random customer's prophesy has come true. I am now a regular shopper at Aldi*

*for organic items.

Austerity measures are in full swing, but these are Biggs austerity which means we cut according to a different set of priorities.  Without further ado, some hot tips on my money saving techniques. First there is a bit of prep involved:

1. Establish yourself as a garbage disposal

Most of our neighbors' last stop before heading on vacation is to our door with whatever food items in their kitchen that won't hold for the length of their vacation. We never say no because...

2. Keep your freezer as empty as possible

Thankfully we have a second small freezer we bought from the family that used to live in our apartment. When I get a lot of fresh vegetables that I can't use fast enough, I throw them all in the food processor, freeze them, and use them as soup veggies in the future. 

3. Accidentally miscalculate your tithing

This is kind of a random aside, but we were lucky that we accidentally under tithed the last year. Therefore, we can continue to support our friends' monthly charitable endeavors and new church during our income break.

4. Use all of your work perks

Paul was able to use his education budget from last year and this year to pre-pay German classes. We also are still using his sport allowance for personal training by Shanni.

5. Start after Christmas or your birthday

Having some extra Christmas cash and delicious stocking stuffers is a nice padding when you say... realize you should buy your husband some nice Bourbon for Valentine's Day (a day late). The next two points in our case were also facilitated by Papa's Christmas moola.

6. Buy the things you need before you start austerity measures

These snuggle suits are a must-have for keeping the thermostat turned low during an energy crisis. I also recommend buying nice undergarments because there's nothing quite like sad undies to make you feel especially broke.

7. Choose a last hurrah dinner

Our blow-out dinner was a two-for-one. We celebrated completing all of our 2022 personal training sessions with Shanni and the start of austerity measures. 

Fish soup with all the things 

Once you've done that prep, you can build on some of the broke days of yore.

8. Cold? Bake cookies.

This was actually the house rule my last year of college. Before you turned-up the thermostat, you had to attempt to warm the house using the oven to bake cookies.

9. Use the window ledge refrigerator

I forgot about this option until Alla made us a huge pot of Bortsch for our return from Spain. She cooked the soup ahead and then put it on our patio table to chill until we returned home. There's no reason to use the fridge to cool things down when it's freezing outside.

10. Resist the urge to buy tea and spices

As I write this blog, I am drinking mate. Do I normally drink mate? No. But, I inherited this tea from a friend years ago and never made it through the package. I will be plowing through these teas, even through the breastfeeding fennel tea, before I buy some new stuff. As for spices, show me a cook who doesn't have an overflowing collection? 

11. Don't take kids to the grocery store

This one I only follow some of the time as most of my childhood memories with my mom are at the grocery store. I also will often just take one kid to the store for "quality time". However, I spend at least 5-10 Euros more when the littles accompany me. Yesterday I spent most of my blood donation money (yes, it's paid here) on 4.5 pounds of apples and ice cream per Hugo's request. His heart is through his stomach and it was an activity. 

Pro-tip: Have your sous chef cut into quarters. The adult cuts out the core.

The best way to save money would be to avoid the grocery store all together with a box with something like Imperfect Foods. I am currently doing the German equivalent, Etepetete, every other week.

These next tips are Germany specific:

1DE. Free Museum Sunday

We usually have a strict no-plan Sunday rule. However, we're going to open up loose plans for the first Sundays of the month. We just got a hot tip on a new exhibit at the German Museum of Technology and still haven't gone to the Future Museum. 

2DE. Too Good to Go picnics

The Too Good to Go App is glorified dumpster diving. Restaurants, bakeries, grocery stores, and hotels post their leftover options with a time frame for pick-up. My hot-tip is the near-by Oderberger Hotel's post-brunch pick-up. The brunch costs 27 Euros a person, but the Too Good to Go is 4 Euros. Crosby and I cleaned up their brunch, and brought it across the street to the faceplant park for a delicious little picnic. 

Hugo living his best life. No faceplant this visit.

Paul was originally dedicated to forgoing alcohol this austerity time. But then we found out that craft beer is available through Too good to go. It is a gamble what you'll get, but that is part of the fun.

3DE. Take all the Kita food

Before austerity measures, I showed more discretion with which Kita leftovers I'd bring home. But Paul is much less averse to mystery dairy sauces and he's doing more pick-ups, so we are all in. We're eating a lot of breakfast casseroles these days.

There are a few areas where we are not cutting corners. In addition to still eating mostly organic, we will be spending money to do fun things like:

Paul and I did a family climb with Cros to make-up for the two birthday parties he missed while he continued to test positive for covid. Rock climbing summer camp isn't cheap (by German standards) but we will definitely be enrolling him for a week.

Having a roommate, especially one who cooks in bulk like me, was helpful for the budget. But, thankfully Alla found a single apartment nearby. There are still some bureaucratic kinks to work out, so prayers are still welcome. Thankfully, we still see her every week to clean the house (that budget item definitely makes the cut).