Surplus food apps can save big money on groceries

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Inflation may be cooling a bit, but higher grocery and restaurant prices are sticking around.

So what if you could get a business’ leftover food for cheap? Think about it: when stores, restaurants or bakeries have extra food at the end of the day, a lot of it ends up in the trash. But some new apps are helping them sell some of that surplus food and in the process, save you money. MORE: These apps will help you save money on groceries

Baker sells leftover cakes, fruit at deep discount

LaDawn Spivery, owner of a bakery called Sweets by LaDawn , is all in on selling her extra food. She shows us one day's surplus food treat at her Silverton, Ohio bakery: a brownie parfait. Several times a week, she releases a "surprise bag" of cupcakes, cookies, fruit and more at a deep discount, using leftover food she used to toss out. "We have a lot of waste from the leftover pineapple, honeydew melons, and strawberries," she said. Now she sells these treats through the app Too Good to Go , which helps you rescue food from cafes, bakeries or restaurants. One of her recent deals is an $18 dollar surprise bag of fruit, cupcakes, brownies, and more, selling for just $5.99. Janee Ward is a Too Good to Go customer. "I usually get up in the morning just to see what's out there," she said. She is always on the lookout for deals, which change from day to day. "You just gotta catch it," Ward said.

Surplus food apps to check out

Besides Too Good to Go , other food waste apps include:

• Flashfood , where you can order groceries nearing their 'best by' dates for up to 50 percent off, then pick them up in local supermarkets.
• Misfits Market
• Olio

Keep in mind, though, you don't always know exactly what you're getting. That's why they call them" surprise" bags. And apps may not be in your area just yet. Flashfood, for instance, primarily serves the Midwest and East Coast. Too Good to Go is expanding nationwide, however, thanks to a partnership with Whole Foods. Sarah Soteroff of Too Good to Go said "We are growing every single day. We have around 21,000 partners across the country who are saving food with us, and that number continues to grow and grow." In the end, you help cut down on waste and get a great deal. Back at Sweets by LaDawn, you can get "what we deem to be $18 worth," Spivery said, "for $6." So give a surplus food app a try, that way you don't waste your money. MORE: 10 ways grocery stores trick you into spending more money

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This article originally appeared on WCPO , Scripps News Cincinnati.