cheaper by the dozen

cheaper by the dozen

1. Costing less money if purchased in large quantities (not necessarily a dozen). Avocados are quite expensive at most supermarkets, but one down the street has a good deal for a bag of 12—cheaper by the dozen, I suppose!
2. Requiring less effort or accomplished more efficiently if handled by a larger group of people. This will be cheaper by the dozen if we all help, so let's pitch in and get this cleaned up!
See also: by, dozen
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
See also:
  • have the shirt off (one's) back
  • take the shirt off (one's) back
  • by the handful
  • handful
  • economy
  • false economy
  • get down to some serious drinking
  • heck of a lot of
  • hell of a lot of (something)
  • spend money like it's going out of style
References in periodicals archive
On current evidence, once he's got 12 movies under his belt then 'Cheaper by the Dozen: The Cure for Insomnia' will be the perfect title for his career box set.
Script muscled out by beautiful bod dies; Big Movie
I thought Cheaper By The Dozen was awful - I had no idea how much worse it could have been until I saw this.
BACON AT THE MOVIES: IT DOZEN GET ANY BETTER.. YOURS, MINE AND OURS Rom-com CERT: PG
In Cheaper by the Dozen, Martin is left to fend for himself and cope with the chaotic horde when screen mother, played by Bonnie Hunt, goes away to promote her book.
Dad's army
That is the uncomfortable reality facing Steve Martin in the new family comedy Cheaper By The Dozen.
Tickets can be yours
VA health care is cheaper by the dozen. The VA health care system must treat a sufficient number of veterans to remain viable.
Facts support guaranteed funding for VA health care
They were cheaper by the dozen so I had bought two dozen of them.
Activities: from a chaplain's notebook
Hart herself appeared as Frank Gilbreth--complete with a large black mustache--from Cheaper by the Dozen. "Kids love to see their teacher assume different personalities," she explains.
Out of the pages of literature
The property actually was the home  in the hit 2003 flick "Cheaper By The Dozen," based on the popular children's book about a family with more kids than they know what to do with.
Kat Von D Drops $6.5M On 'Cheaper By The Dozen' Mansion
(SKY MOVIES ACTION & ADVENTURE) 6.15pm Cheaper By the Dozen. (PG) (2003) Family comedy remake, starring Steve Martin.
MOVIE CHOICE
His recent work includes Bringing Down the House, Cheaper by the Dozen, The Pink Panther and It's Complicated.
up close with ... STEVE MARTIN
CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN C4,7.05pm Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt take on the roles of Tom and Kate Baker, parents to a dozen children.
FILMS OF THE DAY
The "Cheaper By The Dozen' actress, who will also be seen making guest appearances on other current NBC shows, will decide the right project to cast herself in after meeting up with writers.
Hilary Duff set for TV comeback on NBC
Also out in 1-2-3 format this month, and only pounds 7.99 in Woolies, are: Anastasia, Cheaper By the Dozen, Dr Dolittle, Ice Age, Robots, Bartok the Magnificent, Digimon, Ferngully, Home Alone, Joey and Thumbelina.
DVDs
Also released this week: The Rock stars in Doom, the action film of the video game, and Steve Martin tries to cope with his large family in Cheaper By The Dozen 2.
CLASSIC CONQUERED DVD; THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA (PG)
Frankly, Cheaper by the Dozen 2 is all pretty obvious and uninspiring, although suitably inoffensive for a festive family outing.
Mark Adams' at The Movies: FAMILIES GO TO BORE; CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN 2 (PG)