For over a year and a half now, the grocery shrink ray has been wreaking havoc across America. The Consumerist coined the term and has been vigilant in alerting its readership to new victims of the shrink ray. Dozens and dozens of products are shrinking, seemingly monthly. Sadly, it isn't limited to food—lots of other things including garbage bags and dish soap have been hit as well.
Even though commodity prices have fallen since last year, the shrink ray continues to tear through our cupboards, freezers and closets. The last new sighting reported at the Consumerist was on September 11, with the discovery of shrunken Banquet mac & cheese (which added insult to injury by raising the price by 50¢).
We don't know when things will turn around. Back in March, food manufacturers were still claiming price increases were due to high prices they had paid on futures contracts for ingredients (L.A. Times)
The question becomes, what are we doing to cope with this harsh reality?
As for me, I've long been avoiding the majority of convenience foods and most major brands. (I have yet to learn the art of coupons. I use them, but not to great effect.) These days, I head straight to fresh produce and raw ingredients, much to the dismay of my husband who prefers something he can toss into the nuker with as little hassle as possible!
What are your strategies for keeping food costs low? And what products have you noticed that have been hit by the shrink ray?
edit: A Consumerist reader sent in photos of the Incredibly Shrinking Toilet Paper this morning. Northern Exposures
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Message edited by: fuzzymello on 2009-10-15 11:19:13 CDT
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fuzzymello said:These days, I head straight to fresh produce and raw ingredientsAnd that keeps costs low? I find that fresh fruits/vegetables are among the most expensive items in the supermarket.
The food I feed my dogs, Avoderm went from $39.99 for 35# to $44.99 for #30 last month.
I actually emailed them about this and they said it was due to the rising costs of quality ingredients. They sent me a book of $3.00 off coupons.
I can understand the rising cost of ingredients and the need for price increases - but don't insult my intelligence be decreasing the contents and hoping I won't notice. It especially bugs me when they leave the packaging the same size but decrease the weight of the contents, too. Sneaky.
Here's another one that really peeves me: Chips go from 14 ounces in a bag to 12 ounces. Same price. Next week you look and the bag says "Now more FREE". They've given you back what you had in the first place and now call it a bonus. Do they think we are dumb? Are we, in general?
Anyone have pics to share or more instances of the sneaky shrink ray in action?
BrianGa said:fuzzymello said:These days, I head straight to fresh produce and raw ingredientsAnd that keeps costs low? I find that fresh fruits/vegetables are among the most expensive items in the supermarket.
It depends on what you get from the produce section, and how much you need. The fruits and veggies are about the biggest portion of my cart, but the meat department is what really hurts my wallet (unless I happen to upon a really, really good sale). Also, frozen fruits/veggies are pricier than the fresh most of the time. If you look for fresh, in-season, local produce, you'll do much better price-wise. The organics, though, are way more expensive. If I'm looking for organics, I'll try the farmer's markets and farm co-ops.
Speaking of such, Farmer's markets will often yield great local produce at equal or lower prices than the grocery store. My parents bought into a farm co-op this year and have saved a lot of money that way; they get fresh,in-season, local produce every week, often so much they have to share!
This brings up something else I've been wondering about. Half my shopping is for two (the staple s are shared amongst the housemates). I usually spend around $80/week. What are Fatwalleters' average food bills, how many do you shop for? And do you get convenience foods or things you have to make from scratch?
my wife and I tend to eat only seasonal fresh foods that are on sale. Chicken breast is on sale for 1.99 a pound? we buy 15 pounds and freeze a bunch. We wait until fruits or veggies hit the magic $.99 a pound or under mark and then we buy them, it is not to hard to find a decent amount of fresh fruits or veggies under that price range.
Guys...the economic geniuses that run the show are going to inflate their way out of this 'recession'...the shrink ray is just to mask some of the inflationary effects of this policy. It's going to get worse, this is just the beginning...
For me as a single guy, it's actually cheaper to eat out.
Message edited by: rdnzl on 2009-10-15 14:24:36 CDT
rdnzl said:Guys...the economic geniuses that run the show are going to inflate their way out of this 'recession'...the shrink ray is just to mask some of the inflationary effects of this policy. It's going to get worse, this is just the beginning...
For me as a single guy, it's actually cheaper to eat out.
Family of six here. When we get the resturant deals from FW, resturant.com, and local media marketing websites(TV & Radio stations) for local resturants, it is acutally cheaper for us to eat out also. Example: One recent deal we got was two (2) $25 gift certs for A&W resturant for only $12.50. That is two meals for only about $5 total cash. I can't cook an on sale chuck roast with sides and drinks for one meal for $15.
I know, rdnz, for one guy, $25 can be a hard level to get to, but I just wanted to second your point!
I think we may have discovered one more reason for the shrink ray. Kellogg's could begin laser etching their corn flakes. Laser Food?!
From Consumerist: "... we called Kellogg's to ask if this was a joke, and they said it's not happening... yet: "Kellogg's UK has no immediate plans to roll out this initiative — although exploration of the capability was underway. In the US, we have no plans to roll out this initiative."
Even if they're not planning on this for the US market, I still have to say... Really?! I hope they're kidding!
Message edited by: fuzzymello on 2009-10-16 08:07:51 CDT
fuzzymello said:I think we may have discovered one more reason for the shrink ray. Kellogg's could begin laser etching their corn flakes. Laser Food?!
From Consumerist: "... we called Kellogg's to ask if this was a joke, and they said it's not happening... yet: "Kellogg's UK has no immediate plans to roll out this initiative — although exploration of the capability was underway. In the US, we have no plans to roll out this initiative."
Even if they're not planning on this for the US market, I still have to say... Really?! I hope they're kidding!
Added cost to the food. Not for me, but I bet that some of the american consumer fools out there would pay about a buck per flake if each flake was etched with "Kellogs, Eddie Bauer Edition"...
Message edited by: NotaPROavJUNKIE on 2009-10-16 10:37:55 CDT
NotaPROavJUNKIE said:rdnzl said:Guys...the economic geniuses that run the show are going to inflate their way out of this 'recession'...the shrink ray is just to mask some of the inflationary effects of this policy. It's going to get worse, this is just the beginning...
For me as a single guy, it's actually cheaper to eat out.
Family of six here. When we get the resturant deals from FW, resturant.com, and local media marketing websites(TV & Radio stations) for local resturants, it is acutally cheaper for us to eat out also. Example: One recent deal we got was two (2) $25 gift certs for A&W resturant for only $12.50. That is two meals for only about $5 total cash. I can't cook an on sale chuck roast with sides and drinks for one meal for $15.
I know, rdnz, for one guy, $25 can be a hard level to get to, but I just wanted to second your point!
problem with eating out is that its not as healthy as cooking for yourself (although I admit to eating out often). usually more salt and oil used than in home cooking. and in fast food places, the quality of the ingredients (esp hamburger) may not be so good.
frugalpete said: problem with eating out is that its not as healthy as cooking for yourself (although I admit to eating out often). usually more salt and oil used than in home cooking. and in fast food places, the quality of the ingredients (esp hamburger) may not be so good.
Fast food vs the prepared/packageded food the shrink ray is affecting, is probably about the same. Made to order resturants salt & oil vs my home flair oil & salt cooking, again, about the same.
I would say it depends on how you live, cook & order. I think that most people think that since going out is already a "Treat", why not make it a good treat and order something all buttery, fried, covered in gravy, spinkled with salt & topped with whip cream, cherries & jimmies; That is where it the problems compounds with my lazy, lost my job in the recession, packing on the pounds, fat a**, but at least I quit smoking to save money also...
LoLz, true that, NotaPROavJUNKIE, it definitely depends on one's home cooking habits. With my DH's grandmother, it's probably healthier to eat out, since she tends to pile on the salt, fat, etc. (I can't count how many times she's had gout). On the other hand, his "health food gramma" is exactly the opposite.
frugalpete has a point on fast food hamburger. The cheap stuff is loaded with tasty grease, and that seems to be what you get in burger joints. At least if you cook at home, you have the option of which grade meat to buy.
NotaPROavJUNKIE said:rdnzl said:Guys...the economic geniuses that run the show are going to inflate their way out of this 'recession'...the shrink ray is just to mask some of the inflationary effects of this policy. It's going to get worse, this is just the beginning...
For me as a single guy, it's actually cheaper to eat out.
Family of six here. When we get the resturant deals from FW, resturant.com, and local media marketing websites(TV & Radio stations) for local resturants, it is acutally cheaper for us to eat out also. Example: One recent deal we got was two (2) $25 gift certs for A&W resturant for only $12.50. That is two meals for only about $5 total cash. I can't cook an on sale chuck roast with sides and drinks for one meal for $15.
I know, rdnz, for one guy, $25 can be a hard level to get to, but I just wanted to second your point!
In my case, it's more a matter of wasted food....it's really hard to cook for one without having lots of leftovers, or having to purchase a greater quantity of raw ingredients than I need, and some of it goes bad before I have a chance to use it. I really hate throwing food away.
rdnzl said: In my case, it's more a matter of wasted food....it's really hard to cook for one without having lots of leftovers, or having to purchase a greater quantity of raw ingredients than I need, and some of it goes bad before I have a chance to use it. I really hate throwing food away.
I hate throwing food out too. Thankfully, DH is better at eating leftovers than I am! Have you tried freezing some of the tastier leftovers? If you can get the air out, freezing works pretty good for keeping things a long time. Some of the raw materials freeze well, too (onions, green peppers, etc.) I once had a turkey in the freezer for about.. oh... 3 years or so before I cooked it. It was so well packaged there wasn't a spot of freezer burn on it!
Sometimes the grocery store will have pre-packed fresh produce specifically for one recipe of soup/stew. I just saw this yesterday at my grocer for $1.69 a pack. It had potatoes, onion, carrot, celery, some other things I don't know the name of... looked pretty good without having to buy a lot. And remember, just because onions are 99¢/lb, you don't have to buy a whole pound!
BradMajors said:Since Americans keep getting fatter and fatter perhaps the grocery stories are making a suggestion. I'd buy that if we didn't eat greasy fast food more than we cook at home!
An interesting view of one locality. Not a big change, but a look at a few basic items and what's going on with them. Do you have something similar from your area? I'm curious to see if any papers are taking a look at the grocery trends.
Someways I have found that help keep the cost of food down is to make and can my own jars of spaghetti sauce and chili. I also buy my nuts bulk out of the bins (when they are on sale). I make my youngest son almond butter as he is allergic to peanuts. We eat A LOT of veggies grains and beans, very little meat. For cereal I buy my 4 kids the big bags cereal and we eat a lot of oatmeal. I don't buy the instant single serving bags, I buy the big containers of quick oats and they use it the same way it turns out pretty much the same with less sugar. I also stay away from preprepared foods. Not only is it cheaper but much healthier.
I too have noticed that I am paying more for what seems less and less every couple of months. I do a good amount of shopping at a Super WalMart and they will jack price up then in a few weeks give me a "roll back value" and I still end up paying more for it.
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