To think that most people shop like this?

[MojacaSunset]

I was with my cousin and we were chatting about the cost of living and the price of washing powder, she has always bought the same brand her mother used but is now looking for something cheaper. I usually buy own brand or branded if it works out better, I said that I compare brands and decide what to buy by working out the cost per wash and she asked me how? I had to explain that I divide the total cost of the product by the number of washes (usually on the packageing) to see which worked out cheapest.
She was really surprised and said she never bothers to do that. I asked her if she looked at the price per kilo / 100g when comparing food and she doesn't do that either.

YANBU I always compare prices by looking at price per kilo / number of uses

YABU I don't compare prices per kilo / number of uses.

Yes I used pods for years but switched to powder a few years ago. Partly for the reasons you cited but also some of them contain softener which I was told by the shop is really bad for my daughter's school dresses, makes the pleats fall out apparently.

Yes, I always take it into account.

But sometimes I will buy the less good value but smaller item which costs less, if I am buying fresh food, and know we will struggle to finish it before it goes off. For eg we drink very little milk in our house, just a splash in coffee or tea, so I buy the smallest carton of milk even though it costs far more per litre.

🤯

when you put it like that!

Yes I do check the £/whatever for almost everything except when I want a very specific item that I will buy regardless.

I always feel very proud when the kids work it out for me, passing on my tight-arsed ways as my parents did to me!

I do. I even check online while in the supermarket certain things to see what other supermarkets are like on price if I think it's expensive and I can pop into Aldi/Lidl/Sainsburys/Tescos on my way past in a few days. Today it was PG Tips which are on offer in Waitrose £4.60 for 240 (they're £4.79 elsewhere).

I always check, but only if it's written on the label (or online shopping page). Struggle to work it out in my head despite having a stem degree. Generally I go for own brand but sometimes promos make branded cheaper (or worth the extra cost because they perform better). We're comfortably high income (dc at private school etc) but still look after the pennies.

Me too!
It's the best way when online shopping.

Yea I do, especially for washing and dishwasher tablets, tins of Diet Coke

We use Tesco own brand washing stuff as a) it's good value and b) we both have sensitive skin and neither of us are allergic to it, lol.

Even if I found something half the price, I wouldn't want to risk buying it only to find out it brought me out in a rash.

of course! No wonder some people have no money.

Yes it's written on shop labels

Nope, we get the most environmentally friendly and animal friendly (vegan) stuff, regardless of cost so tend to stick to the same products. Lucky that we can I accept.

However even when I grew up dirt poor (single parent mum in benefits in Thatcher’s time), we still prioritised say Ecover over cheap brands. I would in my adult life also cut elsewhere rather than compromise on health, animal welfare and environment even now. Eg vinegar and soda is cheaper than a lot of brand stuff. It’s how I was raised…and it matters to me.

I've been teaching my DD how to do this exact thing this week. She's 9, and their maths homework this week was to interview someone in their family about how they use maths every day!

As others have said it's on the label. I also look at the recommended dose for things like washing powder and weigh it out. I then use a sharpie to mark a scoop, making sure I use the right amount.

I often check the label for the price breakdown especially as buying the bigger pack doesn't always mean it's the cheapest option.

Yep, and I never buy stuff full price either like my fave deo or body wash
Also add up my food shop so I know if I can afford something or not - I'm not skint and can cope with £10 over but more than that and I put stuff back

I’ve always done this except I had to work it out in my head before it was on the shelf labels 😂

Yes, me too, our 21 year old son came home from Uni for the weekend and spoke to us with quiet confidence about shopping around and what he bought from different supermarkets and how there are a couple of things he usually buys but which he's done without recently as the price had risen too much and he couldn't justify the cost to himself! We were really proud of him as we've just passed on what we do and what our parents passed onto us.

But then he's eaten us out of house and home all weekend stuffing his face with things he won't buy for himself! So perhaps there was an ulterior motive for wanting to come home!

Ha yes, they don't need to calculate the price/kilo when eating someone else's food

I always look although I sometimes buy the more expensive anyway.

There are some things that I always buy branded (I don't buy own brand cola, for example, and if I buy ketchup I always buy heinz)

However for most things I am not brand loyal and will buy own brand, or whatever is on offer. Mostly buying bigger packets works out cheaper, but not always.

Yes. For some things like dried cat food
its almost half the price to buy bigger.

Ie I bought cat biscuits recently. €50 for 8.5kg =5.88 per kg.
If I just bought the smaller 1kg bag it was 13.50 per kg! That would work out at €114.75 for 8.5kg if I kept buying little bags.

I assumed everyone would do this unless so well off they don't care what they're spending, surprised to hear that's not the case!

It's so annoying isn't it!

@MyFaceIsAnAONB , A potato is a potato if you ask me.
I find that they vary quite a lot and I buy the ones I like, and they aren't the cheaper ones. Was tempted by the cheap ones at Christmas but it wasn't worth it.