Shoppers could be missing out on savings every week simply because they don’t trust their maths.
From 50% off signs to 25% extra free loo roll and buy-one-get-one-half-price deals, percentages are everywhere in supermarkets. But while retailers rely on them to sell offers, many customers still shy away from working them out.
In fact, a third of adults say they feel nervous about maths, with some admitting it even makes them feel physically sick.
Now one maths expert is urging people to turn back the clock and relearn a simple GCSE skill that could help them spot whether a deal is genuinely good, or just clever marketing.
Lyndsey Hartley, head of maths at Kelvinside Academy, believes learning to calculate percentages quickly in your head is “one of the most useful things you’ll ever use in life.”
“In my opinion, percentages are the gateway to becoming a bit of a money detective,” she says. “They allow you to really question your spending, decide whether something is ultimately a good deal or not, and get the most out of your money.”
If you’re unsure how to get started, Lyndsey has these helpful tips.
“My top piece of advice is to always start by finding out 10%. That’s because 10% can be broken down, or it can be built up to whatever you need it to be,” Lyndsey shares.
“So, with something that costs £10, or another number ending with 0, you’d just remove the 0.
- 10% of £10 would be £1.
- 10% of £50 would be £5.
- 10% of £100 would be £10.
“If it isn’t a nice number ending in 0, you’re just going to move that decimal point by one place.
- 10% of £15 would be £1.50.
- 10% of £55 would be £5.50.
- 10% of £105 would be £10.50.
“Once you’ve worked out 10%, you’re off to the races. If something’s 5%, just halve the 10%. If something’s 20%, just double the 10%.
Lyndsey says the 10% trick works just as well on common supermarket offers.
“Take 25% off an £8 item. Start with 10% – that’s 80p. Double it to get 20% (£1.60), then add half of that again to reach £2. So the final price should be £6,” she explains.
Buy-one-get-one-half-price deals can also be broken down quickly.
“If one item is £6, the second at half price makes two £9 in total. That works out at £4.50 each – so it’s only a real saving if you actually need both,” she says.
Even ‘25% extra free’ can be sense-checked in seconds.
“If there are 8 rolls, 25% is a quarter – which is 2 more – so you’re getting 10 in total,” she concludes.
Lyndsey has one final hack to remove the pressure of quick maths.
“I like to use the £1 rule,” Lyndsey adds.
“If you tell yourself that you only need to be accurate within £1, that instantly lowers the pressure massively.
“Remember, you’re not sitting an exam here, you’re just sense-checking, and that small permission can really help make people feel far more willing to try.”
Maths can be challenging, and if you’re out of practice, it can even be daunting, but Lyndsey wants people to just give it a try.
“Maths opens up doors to analytical and logical skills, it helps with problem solving, and in the end, it teaches you to be a little brave and just have a go,” Lyndsey says.
“From there, you’ll become more confident challenging anything to do with maths. You’ll easily question supermarket savings to see if it’s really a big deal or skip them and avoid wasting your money.”
Photo by www.kaboompics.com: https://www.pexels.com/photo/sale-sign-in-a-miniature-shopping-cart-and-paper-bag-5632398/
