Savvy shoppers know that they need to compare unit prices to find the best deal.  But many are guilty of comparing apples to oranges, so to speak, when choosing units.  You need to compare what will get used in a roughly equal manner.

An Example

Let’s use toilet paper as an example.

Brand X comes in a package of 4 rolls of 1000 sheets each for $4.99

Brand Y comes in a package of 4 rolls of 960 sheets each for $6.99.

Conventional wisdom says that we should figure up the per-sheet cost and whichever has the lowest per-sheet cost is less expensive.  So:

Brand X = .0012/sheet
Brand Y = .0018/sheet

Brand X is cheaper, right?

Well…maybe.  But Brand X is chintzy 1-ply toilet paper, while Brand Y is sturdy, 2-ply, high-quality toilet paper.  Are you going to use one sheet of Brand X for every sheet of Brand Y?  Around our house we wouldn’t!  We’d likely use twice as much of the chintzy 1-ply paper.  So that means I’d need to multiply the cost of Brand X by two for a more equal “per use” cost.

That would make Brand X .0024 for a comparable amount to the Brand Y sheet for .0018.  That means that, in practical terms, Brand Y is actually the better deal!

Other Products

There are other things that work the same way.  If you need a lot more of given soap or shampoo, then a better ounce-for-ounce price might not be as good a deal as it appears. You want an equivalent price for an equivalent amount.

A better per-pound deal on bananas might not be especially helpful if the bananas are almost twice the size as what you usually buy, since you probably eat bananas by the banana and not by the pound.  (Of course, you’ll still be getting your money’s worth for the bananas, but the money might not stretch as far as it seems it should.)

Paint that costs less per gallon but requires extra coats might not be the most frugal option.

Hopefully by now you’re starting to get the idea.

Don’t Get Me Wrong

I’m not trying to discourage you, or to suggest that nothing is ever a good deal!  I’m just cautioning you to be sure you’re comparing apples to apples when you break your prices down.  That way you can be sure that the deals you get really are great deals!

This post is being shared at Simply Natural Saturdays, Growing Homemakers.