Store-Bought Shortcuts: What's Worth It, What's Not

Not worth it. You probably know it's cheaper to buy an entire mango, melon or pineapple and cut it up yourself than it is to pick up a handy plastic container of already-chopped fruit. But you may not realize the savings: An 8-ounce, $3.49 container of pineapple chunks, for instance, winds up costing twice as much per ounce as a $4.99 whole pineapple (44 cents per ounce versus 21 cents per ounce). Some stores also carry cored pineapples, which, while pricier per ounce than whole pineapples, still wind up costing less than chunks. (Though Weiss concedes that if you can afford the packages and they're the only way you'll eat fruit, you should go for it.)