For the past few weeks, my Wednesday 101 posts have been about HOW TO SPEND LESS! Today, I’m going to talk about how important it is to compare the prices of items per ounce.
Many items can be purchased in various sizes. The other day, I was going to purchase some dried pinto beans. The beans were sold in 4-lb bags AND 1-lb bags. We often assume that it is cheaper to buy the bigger size, but that is not always the case! The 4-lb bag was $4.96. The 1-lb bag was $.99. Therefore, if I wanted 4 lbs of beans, it would be cheaper to buy four 1-lb bags than one 4-lb bag. Buying four 1-lb bags would cost $3.96. That’s a $1.00 savings!
Here’s another example with a picture. My sons LOVE beef jerky. They often buy the tall sticks at convenience stores for around $1.00. I was going to buy them some beef jerky at Kroger recently when I noticed that you can buy them in two different sizes. The tall stick (.97 oz.) sells for $1.00. The package of 16 small sticks (4.48 oz.) was on sale for $3.29.
The price of the tall stick averages out to be $1.03 per ounce. The package of 16 small sticks averages out to be only $.73 cents per ounce. Therefore, it is cheaper per ounce to buy the larger package. (Even at its regular price of $3.79, the larger package averages out to be only $.84 per ounce.)
I know that it takes a few seconds to compare the various package sizes to see which one is the better buy, but it is certainly worth your time. Usually, the shelf tag lists the price per ounce. That makes it easy for us to see which package is the best buy. You’ll be amazed at how much money you will save just by taking a little extra time to scope out the best deal.
SIDE NOTE: Has anyone else ever realized that you can buy a pound of New York Strip for less than a pound of beef jerky? Something is wrong with that!
I hope you’re enjoying this series. If you’ve missed the previous posts, check them out:
How To Spend Less By Buying On Sale
How To Spend Less By Using Coupons
How To Spend Less By Buying Closeouts and Clearance Items
How To Spend Less By Comparing Store Brands Vs. National Brands
