ShrinkFlation And How It Affects You!

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C

Croatian Man

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This new term has entered the mainstream of our world. Like it or Not, I see it as Real, widespread in everything. Even Biden has admitted to it talking about Snickers Candy Bars (as if that's all WE have to worry about). Due to the horrid wave of Inflation - the most in over 40 years ( I was there and remember that "disease" very well) - in order to deal with the Wave, most companies have "Shrunk" their product sizes to limit the impact of the rising Prices. I could cite many but I'll list a few: Cans of Tuna Fish, Beer [it's not 16 ounces anymore!], bags of Potato Chips, all Candy Bars like Snickers ( I don't eat them), Bacon, and on & on... each with less product in the bag / package with an increased price only controlled to lessen the blow by shrinking the product content. If you were truly match "apples to apples" of the product size before ShrinkFlation (circa 3.5 years ago) like a 6 pack of beer the increased price would be worse than the already increased price.

Additionally, other products of all kinds have "cheapened" to a great extent regardless of the Country where it is made - but China is the most obvious culprit. To cite one simple example which really "got to me" (at 72 I am supposed to be more Calm, but I'm not!) was the purchase of a new Scotts Lawn Spreader. I had to rub my eyes in astoundment shopping first, On Line at Home Depot, Walmarts, and Lowes....then going to Walmarts (who had the "Best" price of $47.97) to see it! I couldn't beleive what a piece of cheap crap it is. My older Craftsman after 25 years or so, failed whereby the closing lever would not hold the product in the Bowl. I had to get a new one. To the best of my recollection that Craftsman spreader cost about $19.99 at Sears, it was sturdier, much better made, and lasted for decades. I'm still fuming over this incredible cheap POS for $50!

Sorry for being a Grumpy Old Man. But being on a Fixed Income makes inflation a serious Disease - making us (the Wife and I in retirement) go backwards in a Hurry.
 
True in some areas. I noticed a bag of potato chips at the check out line the other day that was smaller than my hand!
However, I was parked next to an SUV at the grocery store that looked almost the size of a railway locomotive.

I know George Carlin had a lot to say about these things.
 
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We've got that wage growth under control, with the interest rate hikes. Didn't do a bit of good for inflation like they said, but at least those kids aren't making any money. This thread is going to be locked soon, but good job on that one.
 
Croatian Man said:
This new term has entered the mainstream of our world. Like it or Not, I see it as Real, widespread in everything. Even Biden has admitted to it talking about Snickers Candy Bars (as if that's all WE have to worry about). Due to the horrid wave of Inflation - the most in over 40 years ( I was there and remember that "disease" very well) - in order to deal with the Wave, most companies have "Shrunk" their product sizes to limit the impact of the rising Prices. I could cite many but I'll list a few: Cans of Tuna Fish, Beer [it's not 16 ounces anymore!], bags of Potato Chips, all Candy Bars like Snickers ( I don't eat them), Bacon, and on & on... each with less product in the bag / package with an increased price only controlled to lessen the blow by shrinking the product content. If you were truly match "apples to apples" of the product size before ShrinkFlation (circa 3.5 years ago) like a 6 pack of beer the increased price would be worse than the already increased price.

Additionally, other products of all kinds have "cheapened" to a great extent regardless of the Country where it is made - but China is the most obvious culprit. To cite one simple example which really "got to me" (at 72 I am supposed to be more Calm, but I'm not!) was the purchase of a new Scotts Lawn Spreader. I had to rub my eyes in astoundment shopping first, On Line at Home Depot, Walmarts, and Lowes....then going to Walmarts (who had the "Best" price of $47.97) to see it! I couldn't beleive what a piece of cheap crap it is. My older Craftsman after 25 years or so, failed whereby the closing lever would not hold the product in the Bowl. I had to get a new one. To the best of my recollection that Craftsman spreader cost about $19.99 at Sears, it was sturdier, much better made, and lasted for decades. I'm still fuming over this incredible cheap POS for $50!

Sorry for being a Grumpy Old Man. But being on a Fixed Income makes inflation a serious Disease - making us (the Wife and I in retirement) go backwards in a Hurry.
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Hey C Man good relevant post to the real world 👍. Grumpy old man? No. Smart old man. Yes.

It's funny I was walking into Lowe's over the weekend and spotted a riding lawnmower out front. $2200. I bought the exact same machine 2 years ago for $1100. That's crazy. But not as crazy as the government spending going on which is causing it all. There is only one way out of the absolutely astronomical debt the US is in and that's hyperinflation. It's here and going to get worse IMO. I read last week a group of very lofty economists said our actual inflation was at about 18% then receded some but is now escalating back up.

I'd say the best way for anyone to protect themselves as best they can against the economic crisis is to not take on any and dump as much personal debt as possible as soon as possible. Beyond that one is going to have to make cuts in their spending. In other words we as persons have to do the exact opposite of what the government is doing to cause this economic disaster. I tell young people remember a cut in your monthly spending is better than a pay raise. A cut is after tax dollars where a raise is taxed. As an example I mention I had a $5 a day coffee habit. I stopped drinking coffee and put $1200 a year in my pocket. That's a lot of gasoline. If one is a cigarette smoker it's a no brainer...and a small/healthy fortune.
 
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joedrum said:
I stopped drinking coffee and put $1200 a year in my pocket. That's a lot of gasoline. If one is a cigarette smoker it's a no brainer...and a small/healthy fortune.
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I buy green coffee then roast and grind it myself, I found my espresso machine on the curb all I had to do was clean the pump. It used to be like $3 a pound green, now it is $5 a pound. I go to coffee shops on the weekends and buy black coffee used to be a buck a cup, now it's 3.50 and they don't even let you put cream or sugar in. Yeah, I know it adds up, but it is the cheapest place to go and meet people though, except maybe the library. Maybe not every day, but way cheaper than a bar.
 
SmoothOperator said:
I buy green coffee then roast and grind it myself, I found my espresso machine on the curb all I had to do was clean the pump. It used to be like $3 a pound green, now it is $5 a pound. I go to coffee shops on the weekends and buy black coffee used to be a buck a cup, now it's 3.50 and they don't even let you put cream or sugar in. Yeah, I know it adds up, but it is the cheapest place to go and meet people though, except maybe the library. Maybe not every day, but way cheaper than a bar.
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Yes, I take your point. Actually the numbers I gave at $5 a day are probably a lot more now.

I once compound out for my son and his friends when they were kids a $10 a day smoking habit. Let's say you start at 20 and go to 65... basically a working career. But instead of smoking you put the money into a low cost indexed mutual fund. It came out to just over $600k at 5% interest. I said that's a pension plan but don't worry if you smoke you won't need a pension plan.😉

BTW he doesn't smoke.
 
joedrum said:
Yes, I take your point. Actually the numbers I gave at $5 a day are probably a lot more now.

I once compound out for my son and his friends when they were kids a $10 a day smoking habit. Let's say you start at 20 and go to 65... basically a working career. But instead of smoking you put the money into a low cost indexed mutual fund. It came out to just over $600k at 5% interest. I said that's a pension plan but don't worry if you smoke you won't need a pension plan.😉

BTW he doesn't smoke.
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What about passing off bad financial advice on the internet. Just think about how much money you could save, if you didn't need a laptop and an internet connection.
 
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Jeremy Bender said:
True in some areas. I noticed a bag of chips at the check out line the other day that was smaller than my hand!
However, I was parked next to an SUV at the grocery store that looked almost the size of a railway locomotive.

I know George Carlin had a lot to say about these things.
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Carlin was the man when it came to observational humor.

"Ever notice when you've had a hat on for a long time all of a sudden it feels like it's not there. Then you take it off and it feels like it is there."

That's classic!
 
SmoothOperator said:
I buy green coffee then roast and grind it myself, I found my espresso machine on the curb all I had to do was clean the pump. It used to be like $3 a pound green, now it is $5 a pound. I go to coffee shops on the weekends and buy black coffee used to be a buck a cup, now it's 3.50 and they don't even let you put cream or sugar in. Yeah, I know it adds up, but it is the cheapest place to go and meet people though, except maybe the library. Maybe not every day, but way cheaper than a bar.
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That's another thing! Why can't we put our own cream and sugar in anymore?!
 
so I drink Bai, and before COVID, the bottles were 16.5oz and roughly $1.98...now, they are 12.9oz and $2.29...

it is real....
 
a fact of life now, as many companies love the idea that a one time shortage of some component or ingredient drove prices up….and kept them up even when supply recovered.
i don’t know, will we see a new “20 inch ride” cymbal actually start being 19.5 inches?
 
I expect this thread will be locked by the time I wake up tomorrow.

I always say, look at the numbers, look at the facts. Google “corporate profits 2023”. That’s all you gotta do to understand why things are where they are.
 
At least ahrinkflation hasn’t hit drums just inflated prices for everything percussion. I’m not a business savvy guy or economist but I note, no matter political affiliation, that so many economist are old and still hold to same tenets as they did 40 years ago. Classical model or Keynesian so is there a new model to try?
 
SmoothOperator said:
I buy green coffee then roast and grind it myself, I found my espresso machine on the curb all I had to do was clean the pump. It used to be like $3 a pound green, now it is $5 a pound. I go to coffee shops on the weekends and buy black coffee used to be a buck a cup, now it's 3.50 and they don't even let you put cream or sugar in. Yeah, I know it adds up, but it is the cheapest place to go and meet people though, except maybe the library. Maybe not every day, but way cheaper than a bar.
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Citation needed on the $1 coffee shops that weren’t fast food places.
 
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