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Open your fridge and cupboards. More than likely, you have carrots in your fridge or pantry.

Of your staple foods, what portion is carrots? How many times do you buy them a month? Are they usually on your grocery list?

In recent years, we have started to see more mini-carrots in grocery stores. First they were introduced as a gourmet food - the baby-cut or mini. They were a cute and sweet-tasting novelty. We had to hunt to find them in grocery stores and these were bought as a treat.

A societal trend that has developed over the past years is one of buying more prepared and ready-to-eat foods. What we have not realized is how this has changed grocery bills. Now in the grocery store, we see piles of mini-carrots and have to hunt for the "old fashioned" variety.

Have you ever considered the cost of mini-carrots? A big bag of mini-carrots costs around $5 and would likely last your family a week. Over a 52-week period, this amounts to $260 a year in carrots.

If you bought an "old fashioned" bag of carrots of equivalent volume, it would cost $2. These carrots would take a few minutes to peel and prepare, but not very long. The annual cost would be $104. By switching to peeling, you may end up with a savings of $154 a year.

Even if you purchased one-half or one-third of the amount in our example, this still constitutes a big savings for a comparably small portion of your grocery bill. This savings could be the cost of registering two kids in basketball or a summer camp registration.

Carrots are big business and families spend money on carrots. We buy them raw, peeled into mini shapes, in pre-packaged foods, in soups, etc. They are a staple food all around the world.

A 2005 survey stated that the carrot was Britain's third favorite culinary vegetable. China is the main producer, followed by Russia and the United States.

In the US, it is among the top ten most valuable crops produced, according to Wikipedia. We're talking about an important vegetable in the world of business. Making the vegetable more expensive is in the best interests of carrot producers, but not your pocket book.

Carrots are an important element to a healthy diet; mini-carrots are a luxury item. They are a gourmet food, like filet mignon. How many other gourmet foods do you buy? None? Well, what about those cute mini-cucumbers in the grocery stores?

Should you be having a hard time making ends meet, the best thing you can do is to track your expenses, and perhaps even to note what types of food you are buying. Your choices will make a difference toward the things you will be able to afford, for example to go on vacation, or to pay your utilities. Little things can make a big difference.

Should you find yourself financially overwhelmed, please contact a financial advisor to help you with your situation.

* Andrea Mailman is a financial advisor specializing in debt restructuring with the Moncton office of PricewaterhouseCoopers. Utilizing her experience in banking and working with debtors, she assists people to address and deal with their financial challenges. Andrea can be reached at 859-8822 or by e-mail at andrea.j.mailman@ca.pwc.com.