That first little harbinger when I knew the American consumer was well and truly screwed

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

It was when all of a sudden a "pound" of coffee was sold in a 14.5 oz tin can for the same price I had previously paid for a 16 oz can of coffee.

And, strangely enough, ALL of the brands showed up in the smaller cans at the same time although they were from many different manufacturers. Odd, isn't it? And what size are they now? All different brands, and yet no one company decided to hold the line or be less expensive or keep the larger size can. So very strange.

Draperies always used to be sold in pairs as that is of course their common usage. Now they are sold per panel at twice the cost.
When will we start purchasing left and right shoes?

There are actually many little=large consumer screwings just like that. I'm sure you can think of others.

[Chipper Chat]

1. Or condoms with a screw-on tip.

Purchased separately of course and with an additional charge.

[Jackpine Radical]

2. I go down to the local food co-op & buy coffee by the pound,

fair trade, organic, whole bean.

We have a freezer full of free-range beef & pork from a small farmer. The veggies we don't grow come from the local farmer's market, at least in season, and we're thinking about building a greenhouse.

So screw them.

[ClassWarrior]

3. JR, I'm moving in!

Good eats at Jackpine's place everybody!!

NGU.

[Jackpine Radical]

4. Wonderful news. You'll be welcomed.

You should be here just in time to help slaughter the next pig.

Garden could use a little weeding too.

[rucky]

7. Will work for pork!

don't tell my rabbai

[ClassWarrior]

8. I ain't never slaughtered a pig before.

That actually sounds kind of interesting to this jaded city boy.

NGU.

[Jackpine Radical]

10. And of course the venison.

You urban types just have no idea of how to live.

[annabanana]

5. We're down to 11oz cans here now. . . . n/t

[pansypoo53219]

6. prices have sent me into the evil walls of walmart

i sell my prints in cheap little plastic frames i used to get at walgreens for $1.49(on special). special price went up to $1.79.
had a little art fair emergency and looked for them at walmart. $1, and they had quite a few.
sigh.
but i resisted the $4.99 tank tops.

[katmondoo]

9. What about everything in the juice dept. being sold in 6 packs,

You cannot buy one small can of any juice. Its either 1/2 gallon or a six pack

[Wcross]

11. Bacon too! Same price for a 12 oz pkg as it was for 16oz yr ago.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

12. No more 12 OZ 6-pack cans of Coke.

They are either 20 OZ plastic bottles or 8 OZ cans ( which of course cost the same as the old 12 OZ cans).

[zanne]

13. I noticed it in dishwashing detergent.

My mother always told me "they won't raise the prices--they'll just make everything smaller".

[YankmeCrankme]

14. Frito Lay did that a few years ago...

Smaller bags with less in them for the same price. The little vending machine bags of chips went from 1 3/4 oz to 1 1/4 oz, bag was little smaller so people wouldn't notice the increased void and the price stayed the same.

It's a backdoor price increase without having to announce it. Maybe that's how they help keep the perception of inflation lower?

[live love laugh]

16. Yes Frito Lay did it and so did the sugar manufacturers. n/t

[Richard Steele]

15. And all the various manufacturers seem to move in lockstep on such things.

Massive collusion to keep we the people from
noticing just how bad we're being screwed.