This happens surprisingly often. I see it at the grocery store (Safeway) so much that I started to calculate the price-per-unit on everything.

@DrGirlfriend: Same here, for the same reason.

I will also admit to being one of those shoppers you need to go around in every aisle because I'm doing math.

@DrGirlfriend: P.S. Aren't the inconsistencies in the per unit costs between similar products SO annoying? It's bad enough I dawdle to compare "3.5 cents/oz." to "3.2 cents/oz.", but the math to compare "3.5 cents/o.z" to "60.8 cents/lb." sans calculator is criminal.

The calculator on my cell phone has been getting a workout lately.

I was in the egg aisle of the dairy department last month and I was doing the per egg price on the various quantities of eggs. It ended up gathering a small crowd of people. Then one senior asked me what one was cheaper per unit. Then everyone standing around bought those.

Ah the metric system. It makes grocery shopping so much easier.

@bohemian: That story rocks. You should get a Consumerist t-shirt or something. (Note: I don't think we actually have or give away Consumerist t-shirts.)

@bohemian: that's awesome!

I'd like to point out that "duplicates" does not mean double the number of checks... it means you get the carbon copy of the check left in your checkbook. The "single" book doesn't have them.

Costco gives you a price-per-unit on everything

@jaredharley: I'd like to point out I'm an idiot. Jared, practice your reading.

Move along, nothing to see here

Wait wait wait... and Sam's Club is a part of which company? Hmmm...

This is just a smaller scale version of the whole Sam's Club experience...

Sam's is a giant con. They have convinced people that buying a Holy Roman Empire size box of cookies saves them money,no matter what the unit cost really is.The feeling seems to be "Hey , there are three times as many things in the package,so it must be a better deal" Many,many times I found that the Wal Mart across the parking lot had a better unit price on the same stuff,but in different packages. This is reinforced by the "membership" model that makes people think that since they have to PAY to get in,there must be some magical sugar plum fairy inside cutting prices with a chain saw. Also , the assholettes that manned the door to look you over like a thief is a nice touch. BTW the most rude , brain dead slugs I have ever met worked at the Sam's Clubs that I USED to go in 'til I did the math. They were so anal about that fucking card that I decided that it was just better to mosey over to their competition. Best thing I ever did.

Sam's Club is masterful at taking advantage of their reputation as a bulk discount store. When shopping for HDTVs, I noticed Sam's was charging upwards of $100 more than the exact same model number at Wal-Mart.

If they did give away free T-shirts they could charge $5.00 to ship one to you or $10.14 to ship two of them!

@glass: WALLYWORLD! YAY!

Sigh, welcome to America where people still write checks routinely!

Even so, I think checks should be considered a long term purchase with the advent of online payment systems.

Wal-Mart and Sam's count their pennies every day in little 'ol B-ville, AR. Hundreds of billions of them. Only fitting that we should do the same. Every day.

@uricmu: So does Kroger.

@bohemian: You're killing captialism! :)

But really... I have to wonder though if the absolute cheapest eggs aren't the ones that are the lowest quality, torment the chickens the most, and are imported from Mexico. We should all know by now the Wal-Mart effect isn't always a good thing.

Lord, I've been waiting for this article for months.

Plain and simple, Sams Club is not a bulk warehouse. They may think they are, and they may want you to think they are, but when I pay less per unit at my local Jewel or Dominick's than Sam's charges for "bulk" - it ain't bulk.

Sorry Sam's. Lost my biz five years ago. Ain't gettin' it back.

"-$.03 anti-savings". With that being a double negative ("-" and "anti")doesn't that mean its a 3 cent savings. However I do agree with the math, that is a bad deal.

Has it occurred to anyone that if the order is for home delivery, four boxes of checks weigh twice that of two boxes of checks and will cost more to ship?

Or d'ya maybe think the shipper will just sink the extra delivery costs out of the goodness of their hearts?

@BugMeNot2: Try not to overwork yourself on this one:

If you want four boxes, what do you do?

Either buy two sets of "2 boxes" at 10.06 each.

Or buy one set of "4 boxes" at 20.15 each.

If each box is packed individually, they will weigh precisely the same. Though if they are smart and pack the sets together, the "4 boxes" will actually weigh less. And yet the latter is more expensive. (Cue pyrotechnics).

@astrochimp: (And keep in mind that shipping in bulk -- e.g., shipping double the size -- is almost always cheaper than shipping two items which are half the size).

@bugmenot: keep in mind that the marginal cost of extra weight while shipping is LESS, not more, because you've already paid for the trip to your door. Not to mention, this screen snap did not include the shipping charges.

Did anyone else notice that the cost of 8 items was also more than double the cost of 4 items?

@uricmu:
The one in Glenview, Ill doesn't have unit pricing on lots of stuff.

@BugMeNot2: Has it occurred to you that they already charge separately for shipping?

*insert obligatory "Costco love" comment here*

I hate this about any store related to the Wal-mart stores. They are horrible about this. I used to use Mach 3 razors and found out that it was cheaper to buy 3 four packs of razors than to buy one 12 pack.

But it is more than that. Almost everything in the pharmacy/bath section does this.

I have started to check prices per unit on everything. It is the only way to make sure you are getting the best deal.

it sounds more like a computer/tax thing. i doubt costco has some sort of evil plot to cheat money out of people.

Seriously people? It's not 2x the amount of checks. They are dublicate checks. The kind with the carbon copy underneath each check.