How Much Does Convenience Really Cost? We Priced 10 Pre-Cut Foods Against Whole Versions

Hands use a red calculator surrounded by a collection of store receipts and bills. Calculating the price difference between pre-packaged foods and whole ingredients highlights how much money convenience store items actually add to your weekly grocery tab. Pexels.

How much are you really paying to avoid chopping an onion, slicing a mushroom, or cutting up a pineapple?

We decided to put some actual numbers behind the question. We compared current online prices for 10 convenience produce items with whole or less-prepared versions of the same foods, using Walmart prices as a consistent benchmark rather than mixing prices from different supermarkets. Because package sizes vary, we converted prices to comparable per-ounce, per-pound, or equivalent-serving costs wherever possible.