Propane Cheat!

[Rustic23]

I titled this Propane Cheat, because this is exactly what I think it is.

Propane exchange bottles at Lowes and Home Depot are 20 lbs calendars filled with 18 lbs of propane. (to allow for expansion in heat). Seems last year when propane was gong through the roof, they started putting 15 lbs in them so they would not have to charge more. Now that propane has dropped in price they still put 15 lbs in them. I'll bet few people know this. Home Depot said 'We have had no complaints'. I don't remember seeing a big sign saying "Same price 3 lbs less!". They don't weight it, and you can't see inside. NO wonder no one complains. I wonder how many people went to Blue Rino and exchanged cylinders rather than 'payed more' for a fill up at a local station.

 

[NW-Bound]

Someone, call the FTC! Put our tax money to work!

 

[Payin-the-Toll]

H-mmmm....makes me wonder if I should start weighing my charcoal bags when I get them home!

 

[ziggy29]

Sort of like those [-]32[/-] [-]30[/-] [-]28[/-] 26-ounce jars of spaghetti sauce at the supermarket and those [-]2 quart[/-] [-]1.75 quart[/-] 1.5 quart ice cream containers. Oh, but they remained the same price, so there's no inflation...

 

[FUEGO]

or 11.5 oz "pounds" of coffee.

I almost flipped out when I thought I saw "2 liter" sodas that said 1.8 liters. Luckily I just misread the label when I glanced at it.

 

[freebird5825]

Don't even get me going on yogurt container sizes.
8 oz, downsized to 6 oz, now there is even a 4 oz version. And of course the kid's size for lunch snacks is even tinier.
And the prices they want for any of them blows my mind.
Luckily, a yogurt company came out with flavored yogurt in larger containers, about the same size as the medium size cottage cheese.
I found peach, strawberry banana and strawberry. All I need is a larger size lemon and lime flavors and I'm all set.
I eat yogurt everyday for...ahem...a young lady's recommended calcium intake.

 

[NW-Bound]

Here's a silver lining. The higher food price may result in the US being a lean-and-mean country. Wouldn't that help keep healthcare costs down?

 

[Rambler]

I always just takem down to the station. Its usually cheaper, and I always have one on hand so I run one dry before re-filling. I hate being half-way thru Q'ing a steak and have my gas run out. Before I had two (now three) tanks I sometimes did the exchange before they were completely empty so I wouldn't run out. Wonder how much propane/$$$ I was losing that way.

R

 

[FUEGO]

Don't even get me going on yogurt container sizes.
8 oz, downsized to 6 oz, now there is even a 4 oz version. And of course the kid's size for lunch snacks is even tinier.
And the prices they want for any of them blows my mind.

I kind of like the 6 oz size. 8 oz was just a little too much, and 6 oz is just right. Plus my kids eat a lot of yogurt, and the 6 oz seems to do the trick whereas 8 oz resulted in waste. I never have bought the 4 oz size for kids, in spite of it being covered in the cartoon character du jour and the kids begging me.

 

[ziggy29]

I kind of like the 6 oz size. 8 oz was just a little too much, and 6 oz is just right.

Which would be fine if they cut the price by nearly 25% to reflect the fact that it contains 25% less than the previous 8-ouncers...

 

[FUEGO]

Which would be fine if they cut the price by nearly 25% to reflect the fact that it contains 25% less than the previous 8-ouncers...

They cut the price by 14% from $.58 to $.50 per container where I shop. So basically an 11% price increase per unit volume. I actually switched brands when they did this from Breyer's to Yoplait. The 8 oz breyers used to be a better value but after the size reduction, it was the same size and price as yoplait, which I prefer slightly.

 

[Westernskies]

this whole conspiracy started hundreds of years ago when we moved away from the Imperial Gallon and the Metric Tonne...

 

[freebird5825]

I kind of like the 6 oz size. 8 oz was just a little too much, and 6 oz is just right. Plus my kids eat a lot of yogurt, and the 6 oz seems to do the trick whereas 8 oz resulted in waste. I never have bought the 4 oz size for kids, in spite of it being covered in the cartoon character du jour and the kids begging me.

I eat a lot more, shooting for the calcium RDA. The 2lb peach flavor lasted me just a week. I slice up a whole banana, cover it with yogurt, sometimes add some light whipped cream out of a can, and I am stuffed for quite a while. Mmmmmmmm....

 

[Sue J]

I just took my propane tank to a refill place and the guy checked out the date stamp before refilling it. It was expired (5 years after the date stamp, I think) so he could not refill it. Home Depot was just around the corner so I did an exchange there. I have no idea if it was filled with 15 lbs or 18 lbs, I know it was heavy.

How did you know it was only 15 lbs? I don't remember seeing a sign.

 

[FUEGO]

I eat a lot more, shooting for the calcium RDA. The 2lb peach flavor lasted me just a week. I slice up a whole banana, cover it with yogurt, sometimes add some light whipped cream out of a can, and I am stuffed for quite a while. Mmmmmmmm....

I do the banana+yogurt thing too. Often sprinkle cereal on top. Other fruit works well too. First picked up this "recipe" in Mexico as that was breakfast every day at the homestay family's house (except we had papaya, mango and melon every day for the fruit).

 

[Rustic23]

The article stating this was the current practice and 'no complaints' was in the Houston Chronicle. Here is an online article How Much Is In Your Propane Tank?|abc27 News

The problem I had was the 'no complaints'. Propane is one of the few products that you just don't really know for sure what is in the bottle. Seldom does anyone take it home and weigh it, and you can not open it and see if the bottle is full. I thought it was ridiculous of Home Depot to make the statement. How about 'We reduced the amount of product we sell you and you can't tell the difference, you have not complained, so it must be OK'

 

[Sue J]

Never mind, I answered my own question by taking a look at the Amerigas tank that I just bought at Home Depot. It says right on it that it's a 15 lb tank.

 

[REWahoo]

MODERATOR NOTE: The Taco Bell discussion has been moved to its own thread here.

 

[Rustward]

What would Hank Hill do?