Questions: Grocery Shopping and Budgeting

Question 1

A 16 oz jar of peanut butter costs $3.84. A 40 oz jar of the same brand costs $8.80. Which is the better unit-price value?

• A. The 16 oz jar, because the sticker price is lower
• B. The 40 oz jar, because larger sizes always have better unit prices
• C. The 16 oz jar at $0.24/oz versus $0.22/oz for the larger jar
• D. The 40 oz jar at $0.22/oz versus $0.24/oz for the smaller jar

Answer: (D)

Unit price: 16 oz = $3.84 ÷ 16 = $0.24/oz; 40 oz = $8.80 ÷ 40 = $0.22/oz. The 40 oz jar is the better value per ounce. Option C has the arithmetic right but selects the wrong winner. Option B reaches the right answer for the wrong reason — larger packages must still be checked, as they are not always cheaper per unit.

Question 2

A 'buy 2 get 1 free' promotion on a product you rarely use is typically a money-saving opportunity.

• T. True
• F. False

Answer: False

A promotion only saves money if you would have purchased the item anyway. Buying three units of something you don't regularly use means spending more total money than you would have, even if the per-unit cost is lower. Savings come from discounts on items already in your plan — not from buying things you don't need because the price looks attractive.

Question 3

You're comparing organic apples at $2.49/lb to conventional apples at $0.99/lb. Describe the decision-making process for choosing which to buy.

Model answer: Calculate the actual cost difference for the quantity you need, weigh that against your budget and personal priorities (health, environment, taste), and decide whether the premium fits within your total shopping budget for the trip.

The right process is deliberate, not reflexive. Unit prices give you the comparison; your budget and priorities tell you whether the premium is worth it. This models the core skill: gathering accurate per-unit cost information and making conscious trade-offs, rather than buying impulsively or always defaulting to cheapest without considering goals.