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Monday, November 4, 2024

When buying the smaller, more expensive per unit, version of a product is the better deal

One of the rules I try to remember when bargain shopping mania overtakes me -- don't buy more of a perishable food than I really need, even if the larger size is less expensive per unit. 

At Walmart this morning, I was buying whipping cream for making pumpkin eggnog and for topping pie later this month. I was going back and forth on whether to buy the larger quart size or the smaller pint size. 

The quart was less expensive per ounce than the pint. I remembered my rule. I ended up buying the pint. And here's why. When I buy something perishable in a larger size than I really need, I end up trying to find ways to use the excess before it goes bad. That sounds like a good thing, right, that I'm using every last bit up? The truth is, if I was only planning on using 8-10 ounces of whipping cream for a batch of eggnog and another 4-6 ounces to top Thanksgiving pie slices, then the foods I'd make with the excess would be more rich foods than we really needed. All because I wanted to use it all up while saving money on unit cost.

So while my family would have been happy to eat the extra goodies I would make with leftover whipping cream, and while I would be happy to not waste anything, we really wouldn't need that many special foods. And excess rich food seems a bit of a waste to me. 

So in this sense, paying more per ounce, but buying less (which is actually the amount I needed), is actually a better deal for my household.

13 comments:

  1. Years ago, I used to justify buying the bigger bag of chips because they were cheaper/ounce. But, of course, I spent more money on something I didn't need than I would have if I had bought the more expensive/ounce, but smaller bag. (Did I mention that I really like chips?) I try not to do that any more, but every once in a while, I justify more treats because they are a better bargain. And not surprisingly, that happens most often when I shop hungry. :)

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    1. Hi Live and Learn,
      I can relate. Chips can be a hard one to buy the smaller package. At least chips don't go "bad" quickly.

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  2. Great analysis, Lili and Live and Learn. All you said is so true. DH and I were just looking at a huge jar of manzanilla olives today, and wondering if it was worth the $5 savings to buy 8 times as many as a small jar, though we could repackage them in smaller mason jars and probably keep them a long time in the fridge. We opted for a couple of small jars on sale, instead. Sara

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    Replies
    1. Hi Sara,
      For a while, I was buying large institutional cans of olives and repackaging in smaller glass jars. Then one time, we just stopped wanting to eat all of those olives, and a bunch developed mold on the surface of the brine. I would have thought brine couldn't grow mold. I think you made the right choice to buy a couple of smaller jars on sale. You saved yourself the repackaging hassle, too.

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  3. So true, Lili. As we are moving into what I think of as the Season of Butter, it's especially important to be mindful of all the extra goodies sitting around. :)

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    1. Hi Kris,
      Good label for the next couple of months -- Season of Butter! That is how it begins to seem. Even if I try to bake more nutritious treats, we still receive tons of goodies from other sources. I'll just have to dredge up some self-control.

      Delete
  4. Great subject for a post.
    What would others do in this situation? I use whipping cream in my morning beverage. I go through a quart in about two weeks (the package says use within 15 days of opening). For a while, Costco had half gallons (so, two quarts) that were less expensive than any quart of whipping cream I could buy elsewhere. The Costco package also said to use within 15 days. I bought the Costco half gallon and tried freezing the extra to use later, which did not work well (it separated and the fats became too clumpy). So, I could either buy a Costco half gallon for a cheaper price and throw half of it away, or buy a quart for a higher price and have no waste. (Note: I don't use whipping cream in cooking or for anything other than my morning beverage).
    I bought the half gallons for the cheaper price once or twice, but I felt bad about the waste, so I switched to buying the higher priced quarts. Now Costco has raised the price on the half gallons, so this is no longer in play.
    I am just curious about what others would do.

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    Replies
    1. Is there something else you could use the cream for? I make cream biscuits/cream scones on occasion out of heavy whipping cream, and using frozen/thawed cream doesn't matter for something like that. If I couldn't use the extra from the larger amount, I'd pay more for a smaller amount, but that's me. :)

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    2. Hi Tina,
      That must have been a dilemma. At least now with Costco's higher price, the decision has been made for you.

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    3. You could make the extra whipping cream into butter or sour cream. Butter is very easy if you have a high powered blender or mixer but can also be done with a lot of shaking in a mason jar.

      Interesting to hear that your Costco has half gallons. Ours only has quarts, but we do buy it when we get up there (90 miles) because it's the only non-ultra-pasteurized option around. When buying closer to home, we opt for the half gallon from Sam's since 3 of us consistently use it in our morning coffee.

      Delete
    4. Hi Cat,
      When my kids were small we made butter a few times using a glass jar. Lot of fun. I'll keep that in mind the next time I'm faced with the choice of less expensive per ounce in larger container or smaller size, but more expensive.

      Delete
  5. I bought the larger quantity of parmesan shreds with the thought of freezing some it but time got the best of me and before I knew it they turned green so into the dumpster they went. Bad move for buying the larger but cheaper and dumping half. Not again. Next time it will be smaller container at a higher price.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Alice,
      What a shame on that Parmesan. That has happened to me, too. These are learning moments. Now you know what choice would be better for your household.

      Delete

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