What was this power I speak of? Mental Math!
It used to be that buying a pack of 10 widgets was always cheaper (per widget) than buy a 5-pack or a single widget. Or, the 20 oz bottle was cheaper per oz than the 10 oz bottle. But, at some point that started to change. The bigger packs aren't always the best buy. Lately it seems that the bigger packs are rarely the best buy. I know this because I had my super power that let me figure out which pack of widgets WAS the best buy. I'd do some quick division and know for sure which one to buy.
Or, sometimes the single pack or smaller bottle will be on sale but the bigger quantity isn't on sale. Then which one should you buy? Well, with the power of mental math, I could figure it out! It felt like I had special insider info. Whenever I would find something unexpected (like the big pack costing significantly more per weight/unit or a sale price not being the best buy) I got the privilege of being one of the few who knew this information. I could grab the best buy and walk away with my head held high, feeling pretty darn proud of myself.
But alas, I have been stripped of my powers! Look at this:
Do you see it? This item's price is $2.39 or 14.9 cents per once. Its on sale for $1.88 or 11.8 cents per once. It hurts even more that they give the sale price per oz too.
Kroger stores are particularly guilty of this; almost all items in our local Kroger have the price per oz/unit listed right on the price tags. I've seen it in other stores too. Its not brand new, but it seems to be taking off and becoming the norm.
So now everybody can quickly and easily see what used to require the power of mental math to know. I can't help but feel a little miffed. Sure, it makes my shopping experience easier too, but now everyone has been giving my power. And once everyone has it, its no longer a super power. :(
The worst part... now I don't know what to say to students when they ask "when am I ever going to use this?" while learning long division.
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