Lower unit price, but not enough money for the pack
By Erik Nilsen · Kroni3 min read
A larger pack can have a lower unit price and still be the wrong purchase for your child today. There are two separate questions: How cheap is each item, and how much must be paid now? Put both numbers on paper before deciding.
Compare the same need
In this hypothetical example, your child wants to buy writing pencils with their allowance. One pencil costs 12 units. A pack of six costs 54 units. Your child has 40 units available and needs two pencils now. The units are arbitrary teaching numbers, not current shop prices or a rule about which necessities children should fund.
The pack's unit price is 54 / 6 = 9 units. That is 3 units less per pencil. However, two individual pencils cost 2 × 12 = 24 units. Buying them leaves 40 − 24 = 16 units. The pack requires 14 units more than your child has, even though each pencil is cheaper.
Make two columns labelled “whole purchase” and “price per pencil”. Ask your child to point to the number that decides whether they can pay today. The saving on the pack only matters if the remaining pencils will also be useful.
Choose between three real options
You could buy two individual pencils, wait until your child can afford the pack, or have an adult buy the pack and keep the other four. For the third option, agree on your child's share before purchasing. Two of the six pencils, divided at equal cost, come to 2 × 9 = 18 units. The rest belongs to the adult's purchase, rather than becoming an unspoken debt for your child.
A realistic snag is hearing “the pack is cheapest” and feeling that buying individual pencils is foolish. Explain that the lowest unit price does not always mean the smallest payment. A small purchase can be sensible when the same allowance must cover other choices.
Include usable pencils already at home when you consider the need. You do not have to buy more just to make a neat comparison. Finish by asking: “Do you want to pay less today, or do you actually need all six?” Your child's explanation matters more than which option wins.
Carry the calculation into your family agreement
Kroni can keep track of your child's virtual balance. The app does not transfer money, so any actual purchase is paid for outside it. Agree on what you will record, then check the amount with your child afterwards. Do not deduct a possible cost as though the purchase had already happened. Read about allowance in Kroni.
