Maybe it’s me, but buying groceries is my least favorite chore. I never seem to remember to make a list before I leave, so I’m always forgetting something.
Once grocery delivery services started taking off a few years ago and forgetting a grocery list became a thing of the past, I was fully sold. But between inflation markups and all the hidden fees, my grocery bill tripled.
I’ve known about Misfits Market, a grocery delivery service that sells rescued produce, sustainably sourced groceries, and more for a while now, but I was always super turned off by the idea of “ugly” produce.
What I didn’t know is that this service could save me up to 30% compared to grocery store prices. So, long story short, I put my initial reservations aside and gave it a try.
What’s actually in my Misfits Market box
Misfits Market delivers organic produce, pantry staples, meat and seafood, and more directly to your home, but unlike other grocery delivery services, some of their items are rescued due to cosmetic issues, excess inventory, and packaging errors.
Here’s what it's like to place your first order:
- Create a free Misfits Market account (no membership fees!)
- Each week you get a notification when it’s time to start shopping
- Your cart starts with a curated selection of best-selling items, from produce to snacks and pantry staples
- Add and remove items during your three-day shopping window (over 700+ products to choose from!)
- When you don’t feel like placing an order, you can easily skip it or even pause your plan
My first shipment arrived right at my doorstep on my weekly delivery day, and to my surprise, it didn’t include anything I’d call ugly! Some of the produce was at most a little misshapen, and the cucumbers I got were curvy, but everything I received looked almost the same as the produce I normally buy in the grocery store. I was shocked anyone would consider throwing this stuff away!
I did get some super cute little eggs which were perfect for breakfast sandwiches—one large egg is usually too much for an English muffin, in my opinion. 🍳
It’s definitely a money-saver
The majority of fresh produce sold by Misfits Market is certified organic, including items I’ve personally paid a premium for elsewhere.
By rescuing groceries from lesser outcomes, aka when it’s not being consumed as food, Misfits Market is able to offer up to 30% off grocery store prices. Saving food where they can allows you to save money on their wide range of high-quality meat, dairy, bakery items, seafood, and other groceries. Now I don’t have to place a ton of orders at different stores just to save a few dollars!
Misfits Market order minimums start at $15 and shipping fees start at $5.99, but you can get free shipping when you order a certain amount (mine was $60). It’s also very easy to skip a shipment or pause your plan on their website or app whenever you need to.
There’s nothing wrong with “ugly” groceries
Seriously, you need to write that point down because it’s so important. A lot of us are used to shiny, bruise-free, perfectly shaped produce lined up in neat little rows at the grocery store, but it turns out funny-looking produce tastes just as good. Misfits Market sources and ships produce that might be a little bigger, or smaller, or differently shaped than the fruit and vegetables you’re used to, but lean in—they’re just as tasty.
And it’s not just produce either—they also rescue meat, seafood, and packaged goods that might be going through a packaging change, have a minor size difference or shorter best-by date, have gotten a little dinged up in the manufacturing process, or that a supplier just has too much of.
But there is something wrong with our food system
I was pretty shocked to discover just how inefficient our food system is, and how widespread the food waste crisis is. In the U.S., a staggering 38% of all food goes unsold or uneaten. Wasting perfectly good, nutritious food is pretty shameful, and I’m glad to see Misfits Market is working to combat that.
The inefficient system doesn’t only create waste. It also creates a lot of unnecessary costs. Your food can go through several different hands after it leaves a farm before it gets to you: processors, brokers, warehouses, and more. Because Misfits Market cuts out middlemen, there's no markup. They get products that might have gone to a lesser outcome at a discount, then pass those savings along to shoppers.
I’m sticking with Misfits Market
I’m loving the convenience of Misfits Market, but the huge selection of more affordable, organic produce, sustainably sourced groceries, and more really sold me.
If you’re like me and despise walking into a crowded grocery store but have trouble swinging the cost of other grocery delivery services, trust me: Misfits Market is the move.
