Shelf tags lie with confidence. A bright yellow flag says "lower price" while the smaller print shows a worse cost per ounce. The cheaper pack is the one with the better unit price, not the louder sticker.

Glossary

Sticker price

What you pay for the package in your hand. Useful for the register. Useless for comparing sizes.

Unit price

What you pay per ounce, per count, per wash, or per egg. The only fair size comparison. Basket pulls it from receipts so you are not doing aisle arithmetic on a dead phone battery.

Paid price

What the receipt recorded after discounts that actually applied. Not the shelf hope, not the loyalty bait that failed.

Shrinkflation

Same name, fewer ounces, familiar vibe in the cart. Unit price exposes it. Memory does not.

Problem cards

Problem: the value six-pack

$12.99 family pack vs $6.49 mid-size. Per sheet, the mid-size can win by about $4.50 across what you use. Yellow flags sell bulk feelings.

Problem: the coffee you always grab

12oz at $9.49 vs a store-brand twin at $6.29. Swap saves $3.20 on a repurchase you already planned. Unit price made the twin visible.

Problem: the jug that looks expensive

Detergent sticker looks loud until you divide by washes. Sometimes the jug wins. Sometimes the mid-size wins and finishes. Finish rate is part of the card.

Units that count

• Ounces or grams: food staples and liquids
• Count: cans, pods, eggs, snacks by piece
• Washes or loads: detergent and dishwasher packs
• Sheets or square feet: paper goods when comparable

If two products do not share a unit, do not force it. Olive oil versus cooking spray is a cooking choice, not a unit-price fight.

One-minute aisle habit: glance at unit price (or Basket), choose, move on. Teach the house the same rule.