QUESTION: How do you figure out the price per ounce (or other unit)?

[Jessesbride]

IN otherwords, the math equation needed to figure it out! I've been looking all over the internet & I'm just not fingding it! All I'm finding is that we need to use it & we need to teach our kids it, but NONE that explain it! I use to know, but now can't remember! HELP! Thanks!

Kim

[Sara Noel]

Here's an excerpt from an article I wrote about 7 years ago...hope it helps

An example: Cereal is sold different sizes.

• The 14-ounce box is $2.60.
• The 20-ounce box is $3.50.
• The 2-pound (32-ounce) box is $5.00

Which one is the best buy? Unit pricing helps. (In this case, the unit price is the price per ounce)


To figure the unit price, divide the price by the number of units (in this example, it's the number of ounces).

• The unit price for the 14-ounce box is $.19 cents per ounce ($2.60/14).
• The unit price for the 20-ounce box is $.18 cents per ounce ($3.50/20).
• The unit price for the 2-pound box is $.16 cents per ounce (2 pounds = 32 ounces, $5.00/32).

Compare the unit price of each package. Which costs less per unit? In this example, the 20-ounce package is the best buy because it costs less per ounce. Foods that cost less per unit are not always the better buy. The biggest size is not a good buy if you cannot consume it before it goes bad, or if you can’t properly store it.

[Jessesbride]

Thank you Sara!

I couldn't remember the equation... & we'd been shopping more at Walmart (& they have the price figured out for you) for months b/c it was closer to us than anything else (except Sam's of course!) & since we've moved in Oct. we have at least 6 diff stores (incl. walmart supercenter & neighborhood store & a sam's! lol) & not all of them have the unit price!

[monkeywrangler71]

Thank you Sara!

I couldn't remember the equation... & we'd been shopping more at Walmart (& they have the price figured out for you) for months b/c it was closer to us than anything else (except Sam's of course!) & since we've moved in Oct. we have at least 6 diff stores (incl. walmart supercenter & neighborhood store & a sam's! lol) & not all of them have the unit price!

Funny, all the groceries stores here have the unit price on the shelf, except Walmart. I just came from there and had to do it all in my head.

[Christa]

I use the calculator on my cell phone: price divided by the number of ounces.