Bigger is Not Always Better

Usually, it pays to buy in bulk, but not always.  It's a good idea to whip out your calculator before buying the extra large.  Now, in this instance I'm comparing a concentrated product with a non-concentrated one, but I've found that, per oz/amount/etc. that even a larger portion of the exact same type of product may sometimes cost more (especially if the smaller portion is on sale).  I found these products at the new Walmart near Sun Valley and I-35.  None of them were on sale.

Here is a larger sized ALL...you can see it costs $9.97 and will do 94 loads.

$9.97/94 = 10.6 cents per load*

Now,  before we go further, I'd like to note that in this case it has the per fl oz price (7.1 cent per oz).   That's a great thing to look for most of the time and I love that Walmart does this on many of it's products.  BUT, since we're comparing a concentrate to a non-concentrate, the real important calculation is per load, not per oz..

OK, on we go to our next candidate.  This one is listed as a "MEGA VALUE" and is also just regular (not concentrated).  It's Free and Clear so not scented, but other than that is the same product.  It costs $12.87 and will get you 123 loads.

 $12.87/123 = $10.5 cents per load*

So, this larger size will save you a little over the non "mega value" one.  But check out how it compares to the smallest All there is on this shelf....

All Small and Mighty is a concentrate...so you use less per load.   It's hard to tell just by the pictures, but it's about 1/3 as wide as the Mega version above, and a little shorter too.    You could fit this easily in a backpack.  It costs $4.97 and does 53 loads. 

$4.97/53 = 9.3 cents per load*

(*Rounded to the nearest tenth of a penny)

So, you can see that this even beats out the Mega Value extra large size!  And it takes up less space in your laundry room too!  And unlike some concentrated laundry products, you just have to use less, you don't have to water it down, so it doesn't come with any extra work.

Now, one caveat here...if you're the type of person that forgets to use less when using a concentrated product like this, don't use it, cause you'll burn through this super fast AND your clothes won't rinse out well because you'll be using too much soap.  Otherwise, Small and Mighty will nearly always save you both space and money.    (Also, make sure to check prices in your store, because pricing differences may not always make this cheaper).

 (No one paid me to say all this.   I haven't compared other products because this is just one I happen to use.).