This is a shopper’s best buddy when visiting the supermarket

If you’re not careful, shopping can leave you with dodgy discounts and bulk buys that aren’t any cheaper. Here’s how to score maximum value for money.

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Supermarkets can be crazy places.

Thousands of choices confront you the moment you walk inside, and you might battle through screaming children and trolley traffic jams while trying to steer your groceries with wonky wheels.

And let’s not forget when you go to pay for your goods there are never enough cash registers open, as retail giants try to prompt shoppers to use their self-service check-outs so they can save money on staff.

Despite all these concerns, you do have a friend in the supermarket that can save you plenty of money.

Its name is the unit price, and it’s here to help.

The unit price is the price per unit of measure, such as per litre for milk or juice and per 100g for many foods and other products.

Make sure you know the real cost of the groceries you’re buying. Picture: iStock

For example, a 350ml bottle of orange juice that sells for $1.60 has a unit price of $4.57 per litre, while the same juice in a three litre container costs $4 – a unit price of just $1.33 and a massive saving if you shop smart.

If buying groceries online it’s staring at you from the screen. In-store it can be harder to spot on the shelves but should always be listed under the item.

Unit pricing is the easiest way to work out whether you’re getting the best value for money.

Grocery shopping is the second-biggest weekly expense for many households, after rent or mortgage payments, so it’s a good idea to buddy up with unit pricing.

Here’s what you need to know.

WHEN BULK IS BEST

Typically unit pricing will tell you that it’s best to buy products in larger packages, such as the orange juice example above.

But that’s not always the case. Some retailers like to mess with our minds and will offer lower prices for smaller packaging.

Take carrots, for example. You may pay $2 for a one kilogram packet but if you buy them in bulk the supermarket slugs you $3 a kilo.

DODGY DISCOUNTS

Unit pricing will show you if a special is worth buying.

Let’s say the supermarket drops the price of washing powder, with a fancy discount sticker to grab your attention.

You should still compare the unit price of that special with the unit price of larger products not on special to make sure you get a deal.

My wife looked at me sideways recently when I stacked the kitchen cupboard with 1 litre bottles of dishwashing liquid rather than the usual larger packs we buy. Unit pricing, baby!

ONLY BUY WHAT YOU NEED

It’s pointless using unit pricing to find the cheapest deal if you’re going to end up throwing out stuff you didn’t use.

Only ever buy what you need. Wasted groceries are wasted money.

A recent government review extended the current unit pricing rules to October 2021 but disappointed consumer advocates because it didn’t broaden the system to include smaller grocery retailers and other stores such as chemists and hardware shops.

For now, unit pricing remains your supermarket buddy, so call on it regularly.

@keanemoney

Originally published as This is a shopper’s best buddy when visiting the supermarket