To determine the total cost of purchasing 5 items, each priced at £3, you can simply multiply the number of items by the cost per item. Specifically, you multiply $5$ by $3$ to arrive at a total of £15.

When calculating the total cost for multiple items with the same price, multiplication is the most efficient method. In this example, each item costs £3, and you have a total of $5$ items. The multiplication expression you need to evaluate is:

Let’s break down the calculation step-by-step:

1. First, identify the cost of a single item: £3.
2. Next, determine the number of items you are purchasing: $5$.
3. Finally, perform the multiplication of the number of items by the cost of one item:

Thus, the total cost for 5 items at £3 each is £15.

Using multiplication in this way is particularly advantageous, as it significantly reduces the time required compared to adding £3 repeatedly (i.e., $3 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 3$). Multiplication provides a faster method for calculating the total when dealing with several items of the same price. This fundamental arithmetic skill is invaluable and will come in handy in various situations, such as shopping, budgeting, or solving mathematical problems.