Shopper’s shocking 'money-saving' tip sparks outrage among customers

As living costs rise and Aussies tighten household budgets, it's no surprise that many of us are looking for ways to save a few dollars.

However, one Coles shopper's attempt at frugality stirred a debate about the line between savvy shopping and selfish behaviour.


In a now-deleted post, a woman at the Coles produce section decided to cut a carrot in half and claimed she only needed half for her lunch.

She then returned the remaining half to the shelf.

She shared this 'money-saving' tip on social media, igniting a fierce debate about the ethics of such actions.


compressed-carrots.jpeg
Carrots can be used in multiple ways and has a shelf life of three to five days unrefrigerated. Image Credit: Pexels/Pixabay


'I don't think it's a good and fair thing to do—there's not much waste on a carrot,' one commenter wrote.

'I do want to say that broccoli stems should be trimmed by the workers as they are getting longer and longer, it seems,' the commenter added.

It's not just about the carrot but about the principle of the matter.

Breaking produce and leaving it implies disregard for the next customer and the store's operations.


'The same people who do this are the ones that complain about cost increases,' a second wrote.

'People will not buy the other half of the vege you have put your hands all over. This results in less profit for the already greedy supermarket so that they will increase prices even more.'

What constitutes wastefulness versus rightful consumer behaviour was at the heart of the debate.

'At best, it's wasteful. At worst, the store would be perfectly within their rights to request customers to now pay for the entire piece of fruit or veg they have damaged, or could in theory even ask for charges for willful damage,' someone wrote.

'What a selfish thing to do,' a fourth said.


This is not the first time Aussie shoppers were caught using controversial cost-cutting measures.

Similar incidents occurred with broccoli, where several customers snapped off stems to reduce the weight and the price.

Some supermarkets already posted notices asking customers to refrain from this practice.

As we navigate these challenging economic times and food insecurity, it's essential to consider the impact of our actions on the community and the businesses we rely on.

While saving money is essential, so is maintaining a sense of collective responsibility and respect.

We understand the importance of stretching your dollar further, but we also know the value of ethical shopping practices.
Key Takeaways

  • A shopper caused controversy by breaking a carrot in half in Coles, leaving the unwanted half in the produce section as a 'money-saving' strategy.
  • Her actions sparked a debate on social media, with some calling it wasteful and selfish while highlighting hygiene concerns.
  • The incident led to discussions about shopper behaviour, as some brought up the issue of snapping broccoli stalks to save money.
  • The behaviour of such shoppers has been linked to rising living costs and raised concerns about food waste and balancing fair use of supermarket produce.
Have you witnessed similar behaviour in your local supermarket? What can supermarkets do to prevent this practice? Share your thoughts on this issue in the comments section below.
 
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To the person who doesnt like long broccoli stems all you need to do is clean them up and slice them and steam with your broccoli .Very nice .My grandchildren love them better than the flower ones or the broccoli. Waste not want not I say with the cost of living forcing us to use everything.
That’s exactly right I even eat the pumpkin skin and seeds, apple pips and core we were brought up to not leave anything.thanks mum and dad.👍
 
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No I haven’t witnessed this. But I agee that the stems on Broccoli are nearly as big as the flourett. I also don’t like to see greedy people grab big amounts of specials. I think they should put a limit on how many one person can buy.
 
No I haven’t witnessed this. But I agee that the stems on Broccoli are nearly as big as the flourett. I also don’t like to see greedy people grab big amounts of specials. I think they should put a limit on how many one person can buy.
A better idea would be if they were to hold enough stock to cover the demand. After countless years of doing this they should have a good idea how much stock they require.
A limit would probably not affect city shoppers too much but us country people have to travel 100s of kms to shop and obviously want to shop in bulk.
Nothing to do with greed just economics and time.
 

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