Beware of the beans
Buy three at a time - separately
I have just returned from Pak and Save in Petone. My turn to do the grocery shopping.
On the list: baked beans (Watties).
The peskys are eating a lot for seven year olds and one 420g tin just aint enough to feed them, and me. So I thought I’d buy the 820g tin being almost double the size.
Then I checked the price. Cheaper by two cents to buy two 420g tins, plus we’d get an extra 20 grams of beans.
Then I saw the 420g tins blister packed in threes. “That’s got to be cheaper” I said to myself. It’s a recession and I’m looking for a bargain.
Well, the answer is “No!”
A blister pack of 3 tins of 420g Watties baked beans is $5.04.
To buy three separate cans costs $4.50 - a saving of $0.54 cents.
It was obvious from the shelf that most people were buying the blister packs as the shelf was half empty. People will always assume, as I did, that buying in bulk will save you money - and it will, but only of they are packaged separately and not blistered by the manufacturer.
So, next time, if you can be bothered, calculate the weight of each tin divided by the cost and determine which is the cheapest. Never rely on packaging to ’suggest’ a good deal.
The same thing happens with Sunlight washing liquid. Buying two medium bottles of detergent is (9 times out of ten) cheaper than buying the 2 litre bottle.
Happy shopping.
Here endeth the lesson.
Tags: food, recession, supermarket
May 1, 2009 5:54 pm 
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By Piripi, May 2, 2009 @ 1:48 am
It’s official. You are my mother.
By Skinny, May 3, 2009 @ 10:20 am
I didn’t know your Mum was that good at Maths.
My post is somewhat vindicated by this story in the SST today: http://www.stuff.co.nz/sunday-star-times/news/2380433/Alert-to-shoppers-Never-mind-the-price-feel-the-weight
Skinny - leading the way…
By C., May 10, 2009 @ 12:43 pm
Thanks Skinny. I suspect this marketing is based on a cynical assumption that people are too lazy - or maybe just too busy - to do the sums for themselves.
By Thrash Cardiom, May 17, 2009 @ 7:09 am
People have seemingly had the idea that bulk is cheaper ingrained. I find many products are priced this way. I go shopping with my partner. She is good at maths and I am not.