General Discussion

SheilaT

(23,156 posts)

127. I live on a very limited budget, especially my food budget.

Sun Jan 20, 2013, 01:56 PM

Jan 2013

I give myself a fixed sum of money at the beginning of every week to grocery shop. My concern is to buy enough food for the week, and it can be challenging. However, I simply must not be purchasing entire categories of food that are being down-sized. And yes, I buy as little processed foods as possible. I make a lot of stuff from scratch, especially things like cookies and cakes, as well as soups and stews and so on. Sometimes I'll hold back a few dollars a week for a while so that I can pay for a ham, which is good for quite a few meals, especially once I start making scallopped ham and potatoes or bean with ham soup. With dried beans.

For quite a while my one indulgence was carbonated water. I've stopped buying it because I can no longer squeeze it into my budget. I drink plain tap water instead.

I certainly did notice what happened to candy bars over 40 years ago, when they got smaller and more expensive.

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Grocers They Think Us Stupid Perhaps [View all] bkkyosemite Jan 2013 OP

And many juice cans are 11.5 oz instead of 12 Still Sensible Jan 2013 #1

How do you know they are needing to maintain market share? bkkyosemite Jan 2013 #73

They think we can't/won't do anything about it. elleng Jan 2013 #2

What about nationalizing the food industry? FrodosPet Jan 2013 #139

MAYBE, under some sort of 'socialism,' elleng Jan 2013 #140

I am a bit confused. ChazII Jan 2013 #157

Jobs! Jobs! Jobs! FrodosPet Jan 2013 #170

Thanks for your reply. ChazII Jan 2013 #171

What pisses me off about the smaller sizes is that DJ13 Jan 2013 #3

+++ 1,000,000 +++ n/t RKP5637 Jan 2013 #28

I love smart people. n/t littlemissmartypants Jan 2013 #30

If you can document that, Sekhmets Daughter Jan 2013 #53

I'm not sure about juices, but meats are considered at price per ounce Recursion Jan 2013 #56

Yes, but the missing meat is made up for by equivalently nutritious Jackpine Radical Jan 2013 #152

I could be wrong, but my understanding is that CPI considers 'expenditure', not 'costs' maggiesfarmer Jan 2013 #57

Here's BLS's description Recursion Jan 2013 #62

good info, thanks. I believe the diaries, reflecting actual expenditures, play a role also, but it maggiesfarmer Jan 2013 #70

yw. One of my friends does that for BLS Recursion Jan 2013 #71

I guess if your handle is 'recursion' you're qualified to call someone wonkish maggiesfarmer Jan 2013 #74

Back in the day. I'm a sysadmin now (nt) Recursion Jan 2013 #75

It's accounted for in CPI-U Recursion Jan 2013 #64

Never thought about that... Bay Boy Jan 2013 #87

Food prices aren't part of the inflation numbers we see, they are left out. bighart Jan 2013 #129

It is very irritating 2pooped2pop Jan 2013 #4

i watch the price of every item that goes across ProdigalJunkMail Jan 2013 #40

yes, sadly you gotta watch every item. 2pooped2pop Jan 2013 #45

One grocer had no problems exboyfil Jan 2013 #63

I do the same thing 2pooped2pop Jan 2013 #66

My wife does the bulk of the grocery shopping exboyfil Jan 2013 #69

I think there's another ounce or two missing from the coffee cans too. nc4bo Jan 2013 #5

It's quickly getting to the point inanna Jan 2013 #6

Coffee use to be sold in pound (16 oz.) bags or cans. southerncrone Jan 2013 #34

Chicory root is often mixed with coffee as a substitute NickB79 Jan 2013 #160

My Gramma used to buy a brand inanna Jan 2013 #161

Was it Chockful O'nuts? southerncrone Jan 2013 #164

Yeah! inanna Jan 2013 #165

Luzianne Coffee? kittykitty Jan 2013 #168

And then there is Subway DollarBillHines Jan 2013 #151

Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that Major Nikon Jan 2013 #7

Only in the case where the average is equal to the median. eom yawnmaster Jan 2013 #14

Intelligence has limits where stupidity doesn't Major Nikon Jan 2013 #149

I think the reverse. Intelligence has no limit, but stupidity limits at zero... yawnmaster Jan 2013 #159

But the bulk of the population pscot Jan 2013 #148

But it's not the grocers 2naSalit Jan 2013 #8

You are right that the grocers are not the culprit. LiberalFighter Jan 2013 #24

Thanks. Grocers have nothing to do with this. Sheldon Cooper Jan 2013 #55

Exactly. The grocers had nothing to do 4_TN_TITANS Jan 2013 #154

But if we don't buy, it affects the whole chain...and perhaps bkkyosemite Jan 2013 #78

Affecting the bottom of the chain (the Grocers where consumers affect) will affect the bkkyosemite Jan 2013 #79

To get to the Food Inc's the only way bkkyosemite Jan 2013 #80

Sorry. I was trying to reply to 3 posts and I replied to #8 only :( bkkyosemite Jan 2013 #82

there are production costs and interests built into produce, dairy, and meat bigtree Jan 2013 #86

Unfortunately, one of the very most expensive ways to buy food SheilaT Jan 2013 #9

I started making my own ice cream a couple of years ago. FSogol Jan 2013 #44

They were a treat for my grandchildren who I watch and I do make it occasionally. bkkyosemite Jan 2013 #84

I live on a very limited budget, especially my food budget. SheilaT Jan 2013 #127

Exactly ... I buy so few packaged foods, I haven't really noticed it frazzled Jan 2013 #158

I have a grocery spreadsheet where mrsadm Jan 2013 #10

Much more so in the last few months not years. It really shows in the last bkkyosemite Jan 2013 #81

Many, many years customerserviceguy Jan 2013 #130

Are they really gouging? Incitatus Jan 2013 #11

It's not the grocery stores, it's the food manufacturers. Blue_In_AK Jan 2013 #12

good point. too many people eager to jump on the stakeholder they see, not think it through maggiesfarmer Jan 2013 #51

Consumers cannot get to the top they have to affect the bottom to affect the top. bkkyosemite Jan 2013 #83

Did anyone mention... onyourleft Jan 2013 #13

That happened about fifteen years ago. 2naSalit Jan 2013 #27

Mouseprint.org (which I was linked to on DU many, many years ago), has been tracking this forever. TroubleMan Jan 2013 #15

Here are a couple of other shinking product sites- Snarkoleptic Jan 2013 #20

Thank you for these links and the post above you I wasn't aware of them. bkkyosemite Jan 2013 #85

Toilet paper is absolutely the worst arikara Jan 2013 #16

And the rolls have shrunk from 4.5 to 4 in wide Leslie Valley Jan 2013 #21

Yes! The rolls no longer fit on my 15 yr old toilet paper holder! southerncrone Jan 2013 #36

Safeway owns the Domick's Finer Foods stores in the Chicago area. Snarkoleptic Jan 2013 #17

Americans are too fat anyway. ErikJ Jan 2013 #18

It's wonderful that the higher prices and lower quantity of products isn't a problem for you. nc4bo Jan 2013 #37

Sorry. No sympathy for obesity here ErikJ Jan 2013 #39

wait... no sympathy for fat folk ProdigalJunkMail Jan 2013 #41

. nc4bo Jan 2013 #77

A little judgemental, aren't you? smirkymonkey Jan 2013 #76

super judgmental people datasuspect Jan 2013 #94

You shouldn't cook with EVOO. Use it only for marybourg Jan 2013 #115

Thank you for the tip! smirkymonkey Jan 2013 #166

or, extra virgin coconut oil. n/t easttexaslefty Jan 2013 #169

Try NOT using dairy and meat and you will save more money. tantric calvinist Jan 2013 #136

I'm trying to cut down, but it's hard. smirkymonkey Jan 2013 #167

Sorry ErikJ my grandchildren and I are not overweight and bkkyosemite Jan 2013 #91

Okay, so you don't have a TJs... tantric calvinist Jan 2013 #135

They are building a TJs in my neighborhood. It should be openes next year... Walk away Jan 2013 #54

These pudding cups were a treat for my bkkyosemite Jan 2013 #88

And I am not asking anyone to feel sorry for me. bkkyosemite Jan 2013 #90

A way to tell they're making too much money... socialindependocrat Jan 2013 #19

Yes we do!!! bkkyosemite Jan 2013 #92

The Consumerist calls this the "grocery store shrink ray." alarimer Jan 2013 #22

Well it's time for the comsumer ray to shrink the shrinkers ;-) bkkyosemite Jan 2013 #93

Red Stripe Beer went from 12oz bottles to 11oz without mention NightWatcher Jan 2013 #23

Now I'm really pissed!!! Bay Boy Jan 2013 #155

Watch produce take a sharp hike very soon siligut Jan 2013 #25

Several months ago Dole changed how they package their juice. LiberalFighter Jan 2013 #26

Zest soap got smaller and tapered... Science Geek Jan 2013 #32

Same with apple juice the container is ridiculous to hold and yes is smaller. bkkyosemite Jan 2013 #95

big ole box of cereal - maybe 12 x 14 inches - Kali Jan 2013 #29

It's been going on for decades. southerncrone Jan 2013 #31

Yes I bought a Charmin package that said bkkyosemite Jan 2013 #97

And yet... littlemissmartypants Jan 2013 #33

the RETAILER is throwing much of that away KurtNYC Jan 2013 #60

Got two words for you: 99Forever Jan 2013 #35

Yep and Save-A-Lot is another one. nc4bo Jan 2013 #38

Yes they do and they take advantange of it too stultusporcos Jan 2013 #42

This has been going on for years. hobbit709 Jan 2013 #43

Don't blame "grocers" tama Jan 2013 #46

Our farmers market sucks and we don't have a small family business vegetable shop here. bkkyosemite Jan 2013 #98

It has always been this way. I'm used to it. It's the way it's done in the food biz. Honeycombe8 Jan 2013 #47

Your post is timely. Last week I taught unit price to a class of sixth graders no_hypocrisy Jan 2013 #48

Wonderful and observant teacher you are. Thank you for what you do! bkkyosemite Jan 2013 #103

On the plus side.. ananda Jan 2013 #49

Either that, or raise the price. Robb Jan 2013 #50

My oatmeal canister never held all of a large sized cardboard canister. One of those brewens Jan 2013 #52

Yes, it's everything. nc4bo Jan 2013 #59

You said it so well, thank you! bkkyosemite Jan 2013 #105

For the past 6 months, I've made our own laundry powder. phylny Jan 2013 #147

Grocers aren't the ones doing this -- why blame them? obamanut2012 Jan 2013 #58

They are part of it. Everything you buy in a grocery is $3 (on average) KurtNYC Jan 2013 #65

No, the grocers are not part of this obamanut2012 Jan 2013 #68

They have their own brands -- made and packaged to the Grocers specifications KurtNYC Jan 2013 #138

We have tons of land. Just Monsanto and the Gang controlling our food supply! bkkyosemite Jan 2013 #107

How do you get to the suppliers without not buying the food... bkkyosemite Jan 2013 #106

You are attacking the wrong people obamanut2012 Jan 2013 #110

a recipe can change dembotoz Jan 2013 #61

Local KeyFood Supermarket ... SummerSnow Jan 2013 #67

This reminds me of Subways 11" "footlong" Generic Brad Jan 2013 #72

Except grocers aren't doing this obamanut2012 Jan 2013 #102

It's not the grocery chains Yo_Mama Jan 2013 #89

The psychology of smaller packaging/same price is deceptive, and so it should be illegal, Nay Jan 2013 #99

There is an equivalent shift to larger packaging as well Yo_Mama Jan 2013 #100

Absolutely!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! to the word deceptive! bkkyosemite Jan 2013 #108

I've noticed that the package is the exact same size but there's less product inside. riderinthestorm Jan 2013 #101

Yes that too! bkkyosemite Jan 2013 #117

The problem is the packages are smaller but the price is the same as for bkkyosemite Jan 2013 #112

I guess making stuff from scratch has become a lost art in this country. tjwash Jan 2013 #96

You do know that "grocers" just sell? Their profit margin is miniscule. WinkyDink Jan 2013 #104

Less than miniscule. Codeine Jan 2013 #146

Smaller packages can mean less gets thrown away muriel_volestrangler Jan 2013 #109

My thoughts are of a boycott and yes thank you that is what I meant. bkkyosemite Jan 2013 #118

Interesting theory, but food producers have shown a clear pattern of shrinking items when costs rise Gormy Cuss Jan 2013 #133

That's where they think we are stupid....not bkkyosemite Jan 2013 #141

Smaller packages makes more garbage nolabels Jan 2013 #162

"They" don't care what we think SoCalDem Jan 2013 #111

Yes you are so right and said it better than I could. That is what is happening.! bkkyosemite Jan 2013 #119

Are you sure it's the grocers and not CEO pay? lonestarnot Jan 2013 #113

They all work as a team but you do have a good point! bkkyosemite Jan 2013 #120

It's like shopping in Europe. MADem Jan 2013 #114

I'm no longer surprised at anything sociopath CEO's do. There's nothing you can do about it! n/t L0oniX Jan 2013 #116

If we have that thinking we are doomed. It's up to us the consumer the one that spends bkkyosemite Jan 2013 #122

LMAO ...yea they'd take notice and pay off some more politicians. n/t L0oniX Jan 2013 #123

It's not funny but you do have a point. bkkyosemite Jan 2013 #124

This explains why I sometimes wonder beveeheart Jan 2013 #121

It doesn't serve a family of four. bkkyosemite Jan 2013 #125

they do it to help you FreeJoe Jan 2013 #126

4 jello snacks for the price of 6.... Historic NY Jan 2013 #128

You can make your own for pennies ..in small containers SoCalDem Jan 2013 #131

Watch Your Favorite Shampoo.... global1 Jan 2013 #132

So deceitful and it should be regulated or we will be buying bkkyosemite Jan 2013 #144

Grocers? Buddy, that's what I do for a living. Codeine Jan 2013 #134

"that it's fractionally smaller than the existing shelf stock." I disagree it is not a small change. bkkyosemite Jan 2013 #142

Grocers don't work as a group. The idea that we do is laughable. Codeine Jan 2013 #145

I'm not against you! But if ALL Grocers stuck together with the consumer bkkyosemite Jan 2013 #150

And realistically I do understand that all Grocers would not want to do this. bkkyosemite Jan 2013 #153

I don't buy much in the way of processed foods. kestrel91316 Jan 2013 #137

That is true. This will get people to buy less in processed foods which is good bkkyosemite Jan 2013 #143

Here is my shopping list... Kalidurga Jan 2013 #156

i made rum cake this xmas. recipe cake 18.5 oz. what i buy now? 16.5 oz. the whole recipe seabeyond Jan 2013 #163