💰 Money Skills for Kids & Teens · Lesson 5 of 7
Smart shopping
Comparing prices, unit price, and the tricks of sales and ads.
Unit price
A big box is not always cheaper. Look at the price per unit — per ounce, per item or per pound. Most US grocery shelf tags show it in small print. Cereal A: 12 oz for $3.60 = 30¢ per ounce. Cereal B: 18 oz for $4.68 = 26¢ per ounce. B is cheaper per ounce.
Sales and deals
| “Buy one, get one free” | Only a deal if you would buy two anyway |
|---|---|
| “Was $50, now $35” | Check whether the item was ever really $50 |
| “Only today!” | Pressure to buy fast. Stop and think |
| $9.99 | It is really $10. Prices ending in .99 are a trick to look cheaper |
Sales tax
In most US states the price on the tag is not what you pay: sales tax is added at the register. With a 7% tax, a $20 shirt costs $21.40. A few states, like Oregon and Delaware, have no sales tax.
Ads
Ads are made to make you want things. Influencers are often paid to show a product. Ask: who made this ad, and what do they want me to do?
Tip
💡 Make a list before you go to the store, and stick to it. Stores put candy near the register on purpose.
✏️ Practice: your turn
- At the store, find the unit price on 3 shelf tags
- Compare two sizes of the same product: which is cheaper per unit?
- Find a sale and decide whether it is really a good deal
- Watch an ad together and ask: what do they want me to feel?
🧠 Quick quiz
Answer all 4 questions correctly to mark this lesson as done.
0 of 4 correct
All lessons in Money Skills for Kids & Teens
- 🪙 1. What money is and where it comes fromBartering, dollars and cents, and how people earn money
- ⚖️ 2. Needs or wants?What you must have, what is nice to have, and how to decide
- 🫙 3. Allowance and a budgetThree jars: spend, save, give
- 🎯 4. Saving for a goalHow many weeks until I can buy it, with a full example
- 🛒 5. Smart shoppingComparing prices, unit price, and the tricks of sales and ads
- 🏦 6. Banks and interestAccounts, debit cards, interest and compound interest in dollars
- 🔐 7. Money online, safely — and a final projectIn-game purchases, scams, card details and a family budget