Free tool
Which size is actually cheaper?
The big box is usually better value. Usually is not always, and the shelf label is not always right either.
Put in up to three sizes and this works out the cost per ounce for each.
The answer
Large is the better value, by about 14 percent.
Cost per oz
- LargeBetter value$8.99 for 48 oz$0.187
- Small$3.49 for 16 oz$0.218
Cheaper per ounce is only cheaper if you get through it. A bigger box that goes stale halfway is the more expensive one.
Why the sticker price misleads
Packaging sizes changed a lot in the last few years, and often quietly. A box that used to be 18 ounces is now 14 for the same money. That is why two sizes of the same thing can price in the opposite order to what you would expect.
Shelf unit-price labels help, but they are inconsistent between chains and sometimes measure in different units on the same shelf. Working it out yourself takes ten seconds and settles it.
One caution worth repeating. Cheaper per ounce is only cheaper if it all gets used. For anything with a short life, the smaller pack is often the better buy even at a worse unit price.
Keep the prices you find
Working it out once helps today. Writing it down means you never have to work it out again.
Start your price book