How an ugly carrot could save you a fortune

NOWADAYS many of us find ourselves in tricky financial situations due to a number of factors.

Some of these factors may be outside our control but others are not. And plain and simple waste is something that we all need to address and control.

Today’s throwaway society encourages waste. Mess up a message on one piece of paper; don’t worry, just bin it and grab another piece – is the current state of mind. Everything is replaceable. But this attitude is financial quicksand for your wallet.

One area where a lot of money is wasted is with regards to food. Fancy packaging and marketing has us buying one more expensive branded product over another, while commercial outlets have us brainwashed that unless an apple is beautifully round or a carrot is perfectly formed it’s not worth eating.

A supermarket in France however has noted how ridiculous this trend is and has  introduced a new scheme in all of its stores that has become an overnight success, as customers are saving a lot.

We are told to eat our five-a-day of fruit and vegetables, but this can be quite an expense for many families. But then on the other hand, 300 millions tonnes of fruit and vegetables are thrown away each year simply because their shape is not pleasing to the eye. Wonky carrots, not-perfect vegetables or two-headed tomatoes, don’t make it onto supermarket shelves, rather into landfills, because they are considered undesirable. .

Food is life. And to give customers a better chance at a healthy one, the French supermarket chain has decided to buy all the ‘undesirable’ food from their growers (the food that usually ends up in the bin) and is selling it off at prices 30 per cent cheaper than normal. The food is just as nutritious; it’s just not as pretty.

The idea is brilliant and will hopefully catch on in Spain too. Not only is it an intelligent and sustainable stand against waste, but after a quick opinion scoop around French stores customers boast that they are delighted with their reduced grocery bill too.