In our recent supermarket basics survey we found that smaller packs were sometimes a better deal than the large "economy" size. So we decided to look further. We asked members for their own experiences and we went out shopping.
Sometimes smaller packs work out cheaper than the "economy" size if they're on special. But we found examples of products that weren't advertised as discounts where you could make a real saving by buying the smaller pack.
More than 60 of our members also told us how they made savings by comparing pack sizes. Here are some of their tips:
- "I saved about 80 cents by buying two 1.5 kg bags of sugar instead of one 3kg bag."
- "It was cheaper to buy 4 single tins of sardines than the 4-tin pack."
- "We have found loose prunes at a $15 per kg, but pre-packed on the shelf (cleaner and better-tasting as well) the normal price per kg is about $10."
- "Toilet rolls are often cheaper in the 8-pack sizes than in the 12 or 16 packs."
- "Disposable nappies are cheaper to buy in the small plastic-wrapped packs (as those are often on special offer) than it is to buy a bulk box at the same supermarket."
- "Toothpaste in the small tubes is usually cheaper per gram than the cheaper looking large tubes."
Read what our members have to say close
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