If there is one thing we can all depend on at this late stage of life, it’s downsizing. It started rather timidly. The size of ice cream cartons is what I noticed first. How did that 2 quart carton suddenly become 1.75, and now 1.5 quarts for the SAME PRICE? Did you notice that too? They try to pretend you are paying the same price for the same amount, but NO. You are quietly being ripped off.
Now let’s look at cans of vegetables. They used to all be in 15 or 15.5 oz. cans, right? I just bought a can of green beans that happens to be just 14.5 ounces. It’s the Boomer creep again. Let’s see if we can give them less of a product for the same price. What a great idea! Then check out Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies with a mere 10 ounces in their cans!
The other day I saw a new take on this crafty rip-off scheme. I was trying to choose between two different versions of “Family Size Wheat Thins.” I wanted to buy the “reduced calorie” box, but then I looked closer. The regular Wheat Thins has a full pound in the box. Perhaps the “reduced calorie” has less calories because it has less crackers in the box! That’s one way to cut calories…
I’m sure you have all seen lots of examples of these quiet little rip-offs. I see more and more as we age. Perhaps they think they can take advantage of us better as our eyesight fails us. But there is one downsizing scheme that none of us can escape, whether we like it or not. I wonder what the year will be when the last Boomer leaves this earth.
A fun Boomer statistical fact. It must be all that package downsizing:
“In 1900, 75 percent of the people in the United States died before they reached age 65. This has almost reversed in our lifetimes! Today 70 percent of people die after age 65. Since 1900, life expectancy has increased by more than 50 percent, from a little less than fifty years to about seventy-five years.“
Adventures of the NEW Old Farts 
Wow. I’m ashamed to admit I hadn’t even taken it in!
I will be watching now.
Thank you for the heads up, Laura!
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Hi Diane. I’m big on noticing the price of things and when they go up, but this is a different kind of ploy to rip us off. Does it happen in Canada too?
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I started noticing it when I was following a recipe and it would call for a certain size can of something as an ingredient. That size was no longer available in the supermarket. I don’t think the downsizing is targeting boomers, just companies increasing their bottom line and hoping the public won’t notice.
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I notice and I just wanted to point it out! GRRRRRRRR…
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It’s been happening for years, yes. The 16 oz can of ground coffee, the 7 oz can of tuna, shrinking rolls of toilet paper and it just keeps happening, like you say. It’s a general rip off of all consumers in this country. I do wonder if it is happening elsewhere and I’ll be curious when Diane reports back.
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Yes Alana you just reminded me that we used to buy coffee by the pound, but now it’s a 12 oz. can…where does it all end?
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I hadn’t thought of downsizing in terms of food, but you’re right. We’ve definitely downsized on that.
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I have not noticed canned food yet but will look now! The biggest head shake for me is Bakers Chocolate squares. I first noticed the price was less and thought I was getting a deal but the squares are now half the size of what used to be sold. Recipes that call for 4 squares of chocolate need 8 and that happens to be not half the bar but the whole thing! Grrrrr
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No deals here Haralee! Just fancy rip-offs trying to fool us all…
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