Is It Just Me????

[ARtraveler]

Anyone else noticing the "downsizing" and price increasing that seems to be going on with packaging at the super market?

Take a look at potato chip (and related), drink mixes (what used to be 12 packets--are now 10), etc. etc. Prices have not gone down--they have stayed the same or even gone up.

Canned soda--they have tried to push less than 12 oz. sizes and here--the name brand stuff costs 50 cents a can (12/5.99). Used to be two for $11.50. Can still buy generic for 4-12's /10.00 on sale.

Got a package of Hostess Zingers yesterday and they are now about 1/3 the size they used to be.

[Chupaca]

Tricks of the trade....how to trick joe public and make them happy .. going fresh and buying by weight...

[wyliec]

Yeah, that's been going on for a while now.

[BoilerAnimal]

We have a very popular brand of potato chips that used to be 16 oz. and are now 10 oz. The price just went to $4.00 a bag but you can usually get them for $3.25 -$3.50 at some stores. Occasionally, they have a two for the price of one. They used to be $1.50 for a one pound bag. When I was a kid you could get nickel and dime bags (of chips!) but now they only have $1.49 bags for 3 oz. That's just one example, there are many!

[ARtraveler]

We have a very popular brand of potato chips that used to be 16 oz. and are now 10 oz. The price just went to $4.00 a bag but you can usually get them for $3.25 -$3.50 at some stores. Occasionally, they have a two for the price of one. They used to be $1.50 for a one pound bag. When I was a kid you could get nickel and dime bags (of chips!) but now they only have $1.49 bags for 3 oz. That's just one example, there are many!

Yup! I also remember those nickel and dime bags of chips, the dime sodas, and the nickel and dime candy bars. 2 for 1 penny candies.

[Bob Denman]

When they made that indentation in the bottom of the Peanut-Butter jars larger: I just knew that we were all in trouble!

[2Paw]

a king size candy bar is now just a little bit bigger than a regular size used to be. I know I'm showing my age but I remember buying a McDonalds burger, fries and a drink for 35 cents, and gas for 15 cents a gallon, 19 for ethyl.

[BoilerAnimal]

When I was in high school, $5.00 got you a movie, food and gas to drive 30 miles one way to get there and a pack of smokes if you were so inclined. At least $5.00 gets two gallons of gas now, instead of one!

[JerryB]

Hi akspyderman,

Re: Anyone else noticing the "downsizing" . . .

Disclaimer: I am about 40 lbs more than I should be.

It might be a good thing: https://www.infoplease.com/world/hea...ountries-world

Jerry Baumchen

[2Paw]

Hi akspyderman,

Re: Anyone else noticing the "downsizing" . . .

Disclaimer: I am about 40 lbs more than I should be.

It might be a good thing: https://www.infoplease.com/world/hea...ountries-world

Jerry Baumchen

Jerry, since we have gotten bigger we have probably doubled in price.

[2dogs]

On my way home if I want snack I stop by the dollar store for a coke and bag of chips, two bucks. The same is over four bucks at the pakistanie food marts. Note** nothing against the pakistanies, they like to make money like everybody else.

[PrairieSpyder]

As others have noted, it's been going on for a while. I think we're noticing it now because the sizes have gotten so much smaller after successive downsizings.

We drink a lot of sodas and buy 2 liter bottles. I shop the sale papers every week for those. We have 2 supermarkets and a few dollar stores. Most weeks, at least one of them has them on sale. I've also started drinking more iced tea!

We're talking mostly about junk food so far. Has anyone noticed the same happening on other stuff?

And consider what's happened to the cost vs quality & usefulness of a college education!

[trikermutha]

come to cook county they are adding a sweet tax. 1 cent per ounce. along with the state (IL) just raising the income tax

Chicago is no better our Mayor doesn't know how to trim the fat.

[JerryB]

Hi Patti,

Re: And consider what's happened to the cost vs quality & usefulness of a college education

I disagree; both of my kids make twice what I ever made. And I am a Mech. Engr.

Jerry Baumchen

https://smartasset.com/retirement/th...ducation-level

[Bob Denman]

Is success only measured by dollars?

[wyliec]

Is success only measured by dollars?

Self satisfaction, which can include dinero.

[wyliec]

Hi Patti,

Re: And consider what's happened to the cost vs quality & usefulness of a college education

I disagree; both of my kids make twice what I ever made. And I am a Mech. Engr.

Jerry Baumchen

https://smartasset.com/retirement/th...ducation-level

That would depend on when you retired, and/or if you are comparing initial salary to when you first started, and when they started; also, some of the better companies try to keep up with inflation. You need our Alaskan friend to compare yesteryear dollars to what they could purchase, and what today's dollars purchase.

[JerryB]

Hi wyliec,

Re: That would depend on . . . .

I completely agree. However, I stand by my post as regards what a formal education can do for someone.

And, yes I am well aware that there are many exceptions to the charts.

Also, I am a firm believer that how well one does financially in life has a lot to do with the drive/ambition of each/any person

Jerry Baumchen

[BigGuy66]

(...snip)

Got a package of Hostess Zingers yesterday and they are now about 1/3 the size they used to be.

... that are now 1/3 the size they used to be and I became 3 sizes larger than I was!! But they are SO GOOD!

[Bob Denman]

Hi wyliec,

Re: That would depend on . . . .

I completely agree. However, I stand by my post as regards what a formal education can do for someone.

And, yes I am well aware that there are many exceptions to the charts.

Also, I am a firm believer that how well one does financially in life has a lot to do with the drive/ambition of each/any person

Jerry Baumchen

Agreed...
But it really has little to do with satisfaction.

[PrairieSpyder]

That would depend on when you retired, and/or if you are comparing initial salary to when you first started, and when they started; also, some of the better companies try to keep up with inflation. You need our Alaskan friend to compare yesteryear dollars to what they could purchase, and what today's dollars purchase.

It also depends on how much you paid for the degree. Today's college education is much more expensive, so the higher average salaries need to have the costs, including interest on loans, netted out. Also, convert today's $ to the value of the previous - or vice-versa.

I keep thinking about when I was finishing high school, doing better in the job market after going to college was a given. You could get a "general" degree and really make out. Now there are college graduates going begging for jobs and facing lots of college debt.

[JerryB]

Hi Patti,

Re: Now there are college graduates going begging for jobs and facing lots of college debt.

From the article that I linked: The unemployment rate for Americans with a bachelor’s degree is 2.8%.

This does not support your assertion.

Jerry Baumchen

PS) I paid the full boat for both of my kid's formal educations. I did it for two reasons:

1. I come from a very working class family. College was NOT something you even considered. My folks could not afford to help me financially. I worked part-time & went to school part-time; took 6 1/2 yrs to get my degree. I promised myself back then, that if I could afford it my kids would not have to do what I had to do.

2. I could afford it.

[ARtraveler]

...

[Bob Denman]

Oh, GREAT!!

Now I'm hungry again!

Jerry,
on doing right by your kids!
We helped ours out by paying for the first three years. We figured that a little bit of student debt could be used to build some credit for the future.
(He came out with a $12,000 debt: pretty manageable!)

[PrairieSpyder]

Hi Patti,

Re: Now there are college graduates going begging for jobs and facing lots of college debt.

From the article that I linked: The unemployment rate for Americans with a bachelor’s degree is 2.8%.

This does not support your assertion.

Jerry Baumchen

PS) I paid the full boat for both of my kid's formal educations. I did it for two reasons:

1. I come from a very working class family. College was NOT something you even considered. My folks could not afford to help me financially. I worked part-time & went to school part-time; took 6 1/2 yrs to get my degree. I promised myself back then, that if I could afford it my kids would not have to do what I had to do.

2. I could afford it.

Good your you, Jerry. Your kids were blessed to have you to do that for them. My folks also paid for my college and graduate school, for which I'll be forever grateful. But I'd still question the return on the investment in college, compared to when we were of that age. Increases in the cost of college education has far exceeded the inflation rate and, IMHO, it is very overpriced. Of course, for some fields it is absolutely necessary, like medicine, law, engineering.

I had a teenage child, I'd encourage them to learn a trade and work at it a while, then go to college if still want too, and if they have a specific field they want to study. I would also advise that you don't have to go to college to get an education, just for a degree.