Know the Unit Price - it's important

Know the unit price of things at the grocery store. The whole idea of unit pricing came into effect many years ago as a way for consumers to figure out what their money was buying.

It's the price per ounce, pound or item that is displayed with the overall cost of the product you're buying, and it's shown on the label on the shelf.

Being aware of the unit price is essential if you're trying to save money on groceries, so looking for it and make use of it.

Look at bottled sauces and see the difference between small, medium and large. You might find that the larger size is considerably less expensive than the smaller size, when you look at how much you are paying per ounce.

Know the unit price and use it to your advantage. You'll find that larger isn't always cheaper, even though it is labeled as the economy size, family size or institutional size. See how much they want per ounce or per pound and you might be surprised to find that a medium size item is more cost-efficient than the larger size.

Here is an example of using unit pricing to save money on groceries.

Now, if you think you can save money by looking at the unit pricing, I have to tell you that it isn't always a snap. Sometimes the stores will throw you a curve ball. Take your local warehouse "wholesale" store like Sam's Club. They often unit price the same type of product in different ways.

Sometimes I think they do that deliberately to "corn-fuse" us as consumers.

For example, one brand of tomato sauce might have a unit price per ounce, and another brand a unit price per jar. To make matters more confusing, the two brands might provide the sauce in different size jars, one 28 ounces and one 32 ounces. Now you need to do even more math to figure out which one is the better buy.

Take a calculator along. It will help you know the unit price and that can be key to saving money. Then, beat the store manager over the head with it for making your job as his customer much more difficult.

Let them know. Stick it in their ear. They'll fix the problem when enough people (or just one customer repeatedly) tell them that they're going to shop somewhere else. Remember, this is your store. It isn't their store. Without you, they're nothing.

Done with Know the Unit Price, back to Frugal Shopping