A self-contained stand-alone weighing system (10) comprises at least one weight supporting surface (24) for bearing the weight of an object, at least one transducer (60) coupled to the weight supporting surface (24) for producing a signal indicative of the weight, and a processor (66) for receiving the signal and producing a resultant weight signal. The resultant weight signal is then represented in a form perceptible to humans by a weight indicator (38). The self-contained weighing system (10) also comprises a rechargeable battery (36) for supplying electrical energy, and a housing (12,14) for enclosing the weighing system (10) to form a single unit.