ConsumerValue: Groceries
2. Check the unit price
If a food product is sold by weight, volume or measure, the shop must display its unit price - essentially its "price per kg" or "price per litre" - along with the full price of the product. This must be shown on or near the food, such as on the shop shelves.
Check the unit price of what you are buying. Buying another size (sometimes even the smaller size) may represent better value overall.
Some items are typically cheaper when bought in bulk. But remember, buying in bulk only makes sense, value-wise, if you're going to use most, or all, of the product before it goes off.
Unit pricing allows consumers to easily compare the price of different products on the shop shelves even if those products may be in packaging of different shapes and sizes, or with no packaging at all, such as loose fruit and vegetables.
For example, a large bag of potatoes can work out a lot cheaper per kilogram than half a dozen potatoes bought individually.
By contrast, smaller pre-packed items such as tomatoes or parsnips can work out more expensive when bought pre-packed under cellophane than if you buy them by the kilo from the "loose" vegetable section. Again, always check the unit price to work out the best value for you.
The same principle applies to meat products. A whole chicken can work out to be not much more expensive than two or three breasts, and yet will provide you with more meat and a carcass which can be boiled up to make stock for soups etc.
Pre-sliced ham or other cold meats can work out at multiples of the price of a joint of that meat that you cook and slice yourself at home, so consider your needs, the likelihood of waste and make a judgment as to what represents best value for you.