Thank goodness most grocery stores list the price per unit or per ounce on the price labels.
I am no good at math. Not to mention those packages can be really deceiving and sometimes it looks like you are getting more than you really are. That is why when I shop I look at the price per unit to compare what is going to be the biggest bang for my buck. Usually the more you buy the better the price, so typically you will want to buy the largest container IF you know it is something you need. However, this isn't always the case. The other day I was looking at the prices on store brand peanut butter and I don't remember the exact numbers, but it was something like this-
18 oz jar- .165 cents per ounce
28 oz jar- .133 cents per ounce
40 oz jar- .142 cents per ounce
Well, I'll be darned the middle size is the cheapest. We go through a lot of peanut butter, but I would still be better off in the long run if I buy two 28 ounce jars than if get the family size.
On a side note, did you know that according to Wikepedia in 2008 Skippy reduced their standard jar size from 18 oz to 16.3 oz by creating a large hemispherical "dimple" in the bottom of the jar while retaining the same height and diameter? Yeah, sneaky sneaky.
There are times I don't buy the thing that is the cheapest per unit like if I don't need that much. That's why Costco isn't that much of a pay off for our little family. Other times I spend more on items I feel are just worth the extra cost, like toilet paper. I am all about generic, but we all have our things that we "splurge" on. That's where the coupons come in. If you have coupons then forget what I said about price per unit/ounce. Buy the smallest or the lowest priced container that the coupon will allow you to purchase and then use up as many coupons as you can get your hands on. For example a 10.75 oz box of cereal at $2.25 may be 20.9 cents per ounce and an 18 oz box of cereal at $3.25 is only 18.05 cents per ounce. So the big box is 2 cents cheaper per ounce, but if you have a dollar off coupon that would make the smaller box 11.62 cents per ounce and the big box 12.50. Now which box is cheaper? The small (and originally more expensive one)! So you're getting more out of your coupons when you use them this way.
I know we are dealing with pennies and fractions of pennies which just sounds confusing and pointless, but it does add up. The bottom line is, read the "fine print" the smaller the number, the bigger the savings. That's how I am keeping it frugal, for more tips check out Frugal Friday over at Life as Mom.
7 comments:
I always try to remember to check the unit price, but I often forget. Thanks for the reminder. Sometimes that bargain isn't such a bargain if you compare the unit prices!
BTW, I saw over on ElizabethG's blog that you are worried about the hair you are losing. Don't fret--hair tends to be much more luxurious during pregnancy, so you're probably on losing hair you didn't really have a year or so ago. You aren't going bald, LOL!
(Between you and me, I'd have traded half my hair to go 9 months without being sick, sick, sick, LOL!)
BTW, those deceiving packages? Have you noticed how many look the same as they did years ago, but suddenly (if you look a the weight) they are really smaller? A quart of mayo is no longer a full quart! And a pound of coffee? When was the last time you saw a can that really weighed 16 oz?
I KNOW! I singled out Skippy, but prizes are going up and quantity is going down.
I always look at the price per unit, but what's frustrating is when the unit=the price of the package! Have you seen that? Where the product costs $1.47, and it'll say "Unit Price $1.47 Per Unit". It's like, oh nice, thank you very much! I couldn't have figured that out on my own! Then I have to pull out my trusty calculator!!
I look at unit prices too, and have found the same strange pricing on peanut butter. I don't understand why that large jar more expensive in the long run.
I check those unit prices too. About Costco (or other warehouses) I wanted to say that my family is bigger than yours, but I still don't think most of their stuff is a deal. There are a few items that are worth it but only a few. I'll really need to evaluate if the $40/yr we pay is worth it.
I use coupons too and buy stuff on sale. In the SE they have Publix which has buy one get one free, but they let you get just one if you want for the half price.
I loved it when I started noticing the addition of price per unit on the price stickers!! I used to (and still do actually) carry a calculator around the store to figure it all out because even some bulk items I could plainly see weren't really cheaper- I ran across Kraft M&C once in a package of 6 boxes for $4 when the individual boxes were only .50 cents! Didn't need a calculator for that one! (The boxes were the same size).
I also recommend you really watch as things are rung up, because I have caught very often things being scanned at a different price then they were labeled! Often more, though if it is less I still let them know to double check- my conscience would never allow me to be too dishonest!
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