They are doing it to us again... the corporations control the food supply. Now they are squeezing more money out of us through smaller sizes ...AGAIN. [waiting]
http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/market-news/u-s-companies-shrink-packages-as-food-prices-rise/19897911/?icid=main
I am eliminating as much of my purchases from the jerks as I can... I might even give up Ice Cream.....
The smaller food container sizes are for your convenience and protection. The big corporations have considered that most of the US is obese. They have chosen to sell smaller sizes so we eat less. . . Rising prices make food unaffordable. Again, we eat less, lose weight, and all around are a healthier society.
I say buy all you can! We need to complete the cycle . . . We buy their products, they in return buy the products that we manufacture. Completing the capitalist cycle!
Thanks again to the large corporations for helping to keep us healthy!
(Protests or demonstrations will be dealt with swiftly . . . Egypt for example.)
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Seriously though, we have changed our grocery shopping . . . We are buying more products when on sale and then storing or freezing. Our eating habits have also changed. More grains, cereals, vegetables-potatoes, etc. More shopping with coupons . . . And less dining out.
Meat! What's that!
Question: Why are paper products and lumber costing more when new home construction is non-existent.
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Forgive me.... I was looking at it wrong... thanks, Bayview.... [waiting]
What was it the corporations buy from us... their displaced workers, things that we manufacture? ... [noidea'
Guess I better go back and re-read it....
"The smaller food container sizes are for your convenience and protection."
So that's why the 1 and 3 pound coffee cans are shrinking.....right.
It is actually quite amazing the exponential reduction in price per unit when one can manage a "bulk" purchase. Like 50 lbs of flour, or a pound of yeast.
The price per pound of yeast that I have access to is $5.69, rather than $7.50 for the 4 oz bottle in the grocery. 50 lbs of good quality bread flour was about $11 at Costco last time I purchased it.
I need to know more about coffee storage, as the grocery prices are shooting through the roof.
It's about voting with your wallet. As long as the majority of the public purchases the smaller size packages for higher prices, the suppliers will continue.
I am not on the side of the manufacturers.
What does a manufacturer do if the cost of the raw materials, or fuel costs for heating the factory or for the delivery system, or the health care costs for their employees go up? On the one hand if they keep the same size package they have no cost of new setup or printing new packaging and they box now sells for more. On the other though there will probably be someone else that shrinks the package size in order to try and fool some of us by keeping the box price the same. That's the competitive marketplace. Some places have legislated package size as in standard sizes of loaves of bread. Do we want to see the size of a bottle of ketchup legislated?
\Nobody likes to see higher prices, so they shrink the amount. Many people do not read labels at all and so they are tricked. The sad thing is if you do notice the smaller size what can you do when everybody is playing a similar game? If you like coffee, for example, you have to buy it; it's not something we can grow ourselves. I think there is still competition between the brands so that part of the market is still in play. Or do ya'll think I'm being naive on that?
My 2 cents.
How about we let them play their ripoff games and we all go back to making or growing our own as much as possible... lets bankrupt the greedy $@$##%^ at least as much as practical for us.... now where is that ketchup recipe...
Maybe we will all feel better if we start eating home grown foods....
I agree with you Mountain Don about "nobody likes to see higher prices". For me, I had a fundamental shift in how I approach provisioning in general. It started with the CERT training out here and the revelation that in the event of a regional disaster (think earthquake) our area would be without help for 6-8 weeks.
Once I started trying to plan for that, I started finding out that there is a whole different level of purchasing available to the individual consumer. It takes research and planning because instead of expecting the grocery stores to inventory my supplies, I have to make accommodation for them at home.
I've not purchased any of the freeze dried or long term storage buckets of staples that are offered, as financing does not usually come to me in large chunks, and if it does, I spend it on getting the cabin done. However, finding bulk offerings of things I can safely store based on my current set up, and evolving my storage environment to allow things I want, has greatly reduced my cost of food over the last three years.
Plus, I'm still eating things I like, no hardship here.
"now where is that ketchup recipe" [rofl2]
LOL - Homemade IMO tastes better than store bought anyway. I've learned to make my own syrup, and very seldom buy bread anymore, but there is a ton more I could be doing....
as for the garden, its an ongoing learning process, mostly coming down to comprehensive amendment of the clay acid soil and raised beds. Compost compost compost!
I just went through my garden and reworked an area adding composted wood chips and six month old manure and AEM (Activated Effective Microorganisms).
So .. this year I am going to try to improve the things I knew I should have in previous years.
. . . And, have you noticed that can goods have more liquid. A "can" of tuna packaged with water previously would make two sandwiches. . . Now, when drained, you would be lucky to get ½ a can. We have noticed the same thing with canned veggies . . .
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"And, have you noticed that can goods have more liquid" Yes, but if you buy the new plastic packs, there is no liquid to drain....customer service at its finest. When you get used to the packages, we'll add some water to "enhance" flavors and include a little strainer "free of charge".
Oops, now you really got me started. :-X
Quote from: considerations on April 05, 2011, 08:13:13 PM
"And, have you noticed that can goods have more liquid" Yes, but if you buy the new plastic packs, there is no liquid to drain....customer service at its finest. When you get used to the packages, we'll add some water to "enhance" flavors and include a little strainer "free of charge".
Oops, now you really got me started. :-X
Still, it's for the customers good. More water in Tuna means less exposure to radiation.
The concept of consumer packaging is just shy of 150 years old. Yankee soldiers returning home had developed a taste for tobacco. The Bull Durham pouch was created to individually mail them small quantities. Prior to this everything was sold in, or from, bulk. The country store might have the bulk and you would go buy from his hoop of cheese. Co-ops work like this often. We probably should refuse the individually packaged item whenever possible. I have noticed that when she bakes bread or makes cookies in bulk, they don't seem to last any longer ???
Quote from: peternap on April 05, 2011, 08:47:07 PM
Still, it's for the customers good. More water in Tuna means less exposure to radiation.
...but soon they will be including free radiation with the water.... as a free added value likely....
I think you are right, Don. More bulk purchasing - we have already been doing a bit of it. Time to improve our technique.
Here is a new one that the local young families recommended to me. Somehow they order together and a truck delivers it free in Merced 40 miles away - no freight charge. Someone there takes the delivery. They cautioned me that some things are cheaper and not all things are bargains there. It was offline yesterday so I did not check it out.
http://www.azurestandard.com/
I have to admit I do like starkist tuna. I like my tuna sandwiches. I better go stock up. Because the price and what is on the shelf is probably radiation free and has more tuna in it.
If you wait a while, Stinky, it could possibly enhance your glowing personality..... [waiting]