Your Grocery Store Doesn’t Want You to Know This: The Unit Price Trick That Cuts Bills by 18%

You know that tiny number at the bottom of the price tag?

The one you ignore every single time?

Yeah, that one.

It could be saving you hundreds of dollars a year. But you keep walking past it like it doesn’t exist.​

I did the same thing for years. Stood there in the grocery aisle, staring at two bottles of olive oil. One was $8 for 500ml. The other was $12 for 1 liter. My brain tried doing the math. Failed. Grabbed the $8 one because it felt cheaper.​

Spoiler: I was wrong.

And I kept being wrong, week after week, until I realized what that little number actually meant.​

What Is Unit Pricing and Why Should You Care

That tiny number shows how much you pay per kilogram, per liter, or per 100 grams. It’s the actual price that lets you compare apples to apples. Or in my case, expensive olive oil to cheaper olive oil.​

Stores are legally required to show it in most places. But they make it so small you need reading glasses to see it. Wonder why?

Because when you use unit pricing, you stop falling for their tricks.​

Queensland University of Technology did research on this. They found families who learned to use unit pricing saved 18% on their grocery bills by week six. That’s around $1,700 a year for a family of four.​

$1,700 just from looking at smaller numbers.

The Three Ways Stores Play You Without Unit Pricing

Bigger Looks Better But Often Isn’t

I used to assume bigger packs always save money. Bought the family size everything. Felt smart about it too.​

Turns out stores know we think this way. So sometimes they charge MORE per unit for bigger sizes. Yes, you read that right. The 2-liter bottle costs more per liter than buying two 1-liter bottles.​

One study found you can save over 20% just by switching pack sizes within the same brand. Not changing brands. Same exact product, different size.​

Sale Prices Mess With Your Brain

Red sale tags make your brain go “DEAL!” and stop thinking. I’ve done it a thousand times.​

But here’s the thing. That promoted medium bottle at 30% off? Still costs more per unit than the small bottle at regular price. The unit price shows you this instantly.​

Stores spent millions figuring out how to trick your brain. The unit price is your defense against all that manipulation.​

Shrinkflation Happens When You’re Not Looking

Your favorite chips went from 200g to 175g. Same bag design. Same shelf spot. Same price.​

You didn’t notice because why would you?

The unit price notices. It jumps up. That’s how you catch companies quietly charging you more for less.​

How I Actually Use This Every Week

I keep it stupidly simple. When I’m comparing two products, I look at the unit price. Lower number wins.​

That’s it.

No mental math. No guessing. No falling for the “family size must be better” trap. Just look at the little number and pick the smaller one.​

Takes about three extra seconds per decision. In a typical shopping trip, maybe adds two minutes total. Research shows it can actually make your shopping faster because you stop second guessing yourself.​

And the savings add up fast. QUT’s research showed people who got educated about unit pricing saved between 11% to 13% consistently, even months after learning about it.​

The Exceptions Where Unit Price Lies

Unit pricing isn’t perfect. Sometimes you need to use your brain too.​

Don’t buy 5 kilos of strawberries just because the unit price is better if half will rot in your fridge. That’s not saving money, that’s wasting it.​

Also, some stores use different units for similar products. One shows price per kilogram, another shows price per 100 grams. You’ll need to convert or just move the decimal point twice. Annoying but still worth it.​

And obviously, if the cheaper unit price comes from a brand that tastes like cardboard, maybe spend the extra 20 cents. Quality matters too.

Why More People Don’t Do This

The QUT researchers found something interesting. People don’t ignore unit pricing because they think it’s hard. They ignore it because they literally forgot it exists.​

During the study, once people were reminded about unit pricing and shown how to use it, they changed their behavior immediately. By week six, they were saving 17% to 18%. Without any extra effort.​

It’s not a skill issue. It’s an awareness issue.

Stores did some initial campaigns when unit pricing became mandatory, then went silent. Because educated shoppers spend less. And stores don’t want you spending less.​

Your Next Shopping Trip

Here’s what I want you to do. Just once. Try it.​

Next time you’re choosing between two similar products, look at the unit price instead of the big price tag. Pick the one with the lower unit price.​

See how it feels. See if it actually saves you money when you check your receipt.

My guess? You’ll keep doing it. Because it’s so simple and the savings are so obvious that it becomes automatic after a few trips.​

And maybe a year from now, you’ll realize you’ve saved enough for that thing you’ve been putting off. A weekend trip. New shoes that aren’t falling apart. An emergency fund that actually has money in it.​

All from looking at tiny numbers at the bottom of price tags.

The world makes you feel like saving money requires extreme couponing or eating nothing but rice and beans. But sometimes it’s just about using information that’s already there. Information stores hope you’ll ignore.​

So don’t ignore it.

What’s stopping you from checking unit prices next time you shop? Drop a comment and let me know if you’ve been using this trick or if I just blew your mind!