We all like to grab ourselves a bargain but sometimes we see what we want to see and not the actual deal. No deception in this but it is down to our own assumptions. You need to keep your eye on the ball!
We often make comparisons of prices between two or more shops. Popular comparisons are Iceland and Farmfoods or Tesco and Asda.
Don’t be fooled by the pack price.
A lot of items in pound shops are seemingly cheap because they are priced at just £1 each. Bargain? Maybe not!!!
When I worked in retail both with food and non-food I always had a mantra for people
“Don’t buy a price ticket-buy a product”.
I still have that mantra. It has saved me time and money over the years.
Here are some common food items I have noticed vary one shop to another
Milk 2 litres rather than 4 pints. That is half a pint less so 12.5 % less milk in the bottle. Is it 12.5 % cheaper?
Potatoes. Years ago it was a 5 lb bag which is approx 2.5 kilos. In many shops, the bag is only 2 kilos. Did you notice that you are getting 20% less?
Butter: A standard pack of real butter is 250 g which is approx 8 oz. Sometimes your “bargain butter” is 225 g. so is in fact 10% less. It may still better value but knowing this, do check the price per kilo.
Eggs These have always been sold in multiples of 6 so you would buy a dozen eggs (12). Many boxes now are boxes of 10. The same goes with the larger boxes of 18 and 36. You now tend to get 15 and 30. Check the price per egg not per box as box sizes are often different.
Cheese The packet for “just £1” is often the most expensive cheese you will buy. It is only a tiny packet and when you compare the price per kilo you will not be pleasantly surprised. Remember that mantra? Let it be yours. The worst value is prepared mini blocks which can be around £19 per kilo.
Check the weight
Bigger blocks also vary enormously in price and may look the same in each shop. Same brand, same packaging but different WEIGHTS. Again, check the pack size/weight but more importantly the price per kilo.
Sometimes, it is not what it looks like. I tested a friend on this a while ago. I covered up the price per kilo and asked which was the best value. She got it wrong every time, Now I am guessing you are much more price aware than my friend but it is easy to make mistakes, especially if you are in a hurry. I often do my price comparisons online before I shop.
Crisps These are traditionally sold in multiples of 6 or 12. Some have now shrunk to 5,10 and even 7. as well as the multi-pack size look at the weight of the bag inside. It does state this on the packaging. Is it 25g or 20g?
If it is only 20g and the same price you have just lost out.
Chocolate Items such as Mars bars and Snickers vary in the same way as crisps.
Frozen Vegetables
Originally frozen vegetables were in one-kilo bags. Some shops then sold them in 900 g bags. Now they have shrunk to 600 g and 700 g bags in some shops. So the “only 49 p for 600 g” is the same as the kilo bags at 79 p.
Shop with a smile. Get the best value you can. Size Matters.
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