Sign of the apocalypse

[Time2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NW-Bound That's an increase of 2.9X. The Dow was at 10,900 in Jan 2000. It is now 34,600, for an increase of 3.2X. Hey, the market index simply matches the chocolate bar index! Is that not something?

Oh, Oh, are chocolate bars a leading index, did you find how to time the market?

[Time2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GalaxyBoy The WaPo article I mentioned above said that certain soap manufacturers have made their bars more concave as a way to decrease the size but make the change less noticeable to the consumer. The manufacturer refused to comment. One day things will disappear and cost infinitely more.

(grumble) No concern here, my wife stocks up on items when they are on sale. I noticed a few days ago plenty of Caress bar soap, I counted 156 bars of soap, I don't know how many years soap that is for the two of us, but too many. We still have loads of TP and paper towel from will before Covid. I still have deodorant from over 5 years ago. They must have had a good sale because she bought plenty and I think I still have at least another 5 years worth.

I know her habits contributed a lot to our retirement, but there are many times she just goes to far. I love her anyway!


PS, did I mention she has over 100 pairs of slacks in the closet, I doubt any of them were bought new, usually Salvation Army or some second hand store. Oh, and shoes...



PPS, I'm perfect!

[ShokWaveRider]

OP should simply switch Bog Roll Brands. We are spoilt anyway. Reminds me of an old ditty from my youth...

"In days of old when knights were bold and Bog Paper wasn't invented ..........."

[sengsational]

We, here on this board, should be thankful for the package size shuffling because it turns out to be less expensive for us.

What? Yes! Here's how it works: we are smart and attractive (but the smart part is what matters in this discussion), and we have time and inclination to work around their deception with changes in purchasing behavior. The person with two jobs, 2 hours in traffic every day, two kids doesn't have a spare cycle to apply to it, so enriches the manufacturer ever so slightly. So because the manufacturer has a high profit margin customer base, they're able to offer better deals to those who have time to pay attention. It's like the credit card thing...no way I'd be able to get $500 sign-up bonus if the company didn't have high profit margin customers.

[ExFlyBoy5]

Quote:

Originally Posted by daylatedollarshort ...Manufacturers purposely make it impossible to price shop in store with all the mega roll and double roll marketing speak...

What?!? You can't figure out that a double maxi twice by fourths 2,124 sheets pack is 1/22nds more valuable than the triple doubled then tripled again mega maxi super sheets package? Geez...I thought that was pretty easy.

I wonder how AMZN prices it (where they will show cost per ounce on some items). Sheets? Square feet? Butt area covered?

Sorta on the subject...DW went to Costco yesterday for our normal replenishment of stuff. While we don't buy exactly the same things each time, there is most certainly a theme. What was different this time around was the final cost...it was over twice the amount we spent a few months ago. I did a double check on the receipt to see if there was anything that was askew, but nope. It did appear that meat is the main culprit, though. That is the first time in many years that I really "noticed" the cost of groceries.

[braumeister]

I was in Costco the other day picking up some paper towels and noticed that both PT and TP had the price per square foot shown. That seems like a pretty good way to do it.

[Badger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MRG +1 The only thing they haven't shrunk is a 12oz beer.

Not exactly. I was shopping for a stout and all I could find at the liquor store were selections of Guinness that said 11.2 ounces and others in 14.9 ounces. The alcohol content varies too depending on can or bottle and whether in a 4, 6, 8, 12 pack.


Cheers!

[ShokWaveRider]

Tuna Fish Can size changes were the most brazen. They went from 6oz to 4oz with no price reduction. Now that is inflation. The only place you can get 6oz is Costco, but the prices went up. again not measured against the CPI, but real nevertheless.Talking bout Costco, we are not finding costs advantageous anymore. Prices have risen in some cases beyond grocery stores. Aldi is our current Go To food store.

[Sunset]

Quote:

Originally Posted by braumeister I was in Costco the other day picking up some paper towels and noticed that both PT and TP had the price per square foot shown. That seems like a pretty good way to do it.

That is how I compare TP, can't use the sheet sizes as they are all different.
Of course it has to be 2-ply, as I like "luxury"

[Amethyst]

We also buy mostly the same things each time. It's been a long time since we figured out what we do and don't like, will and won't use up...Our last trip to BJs, with little meat, was about 15% higher than the previous time several months ago. Checking older receipts, it appeared nearly every item had gone up $1.00; some, more. The main culprits seemed to be produce and meat - anything requiring refrigeration and careful handling.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ExFlyBoy5 Sorta on the subject...DW went to Costco yesterday for our normal replenishment of stuff. While we don't buy exactly the same things each time, there is most certainly a theme. What was different this time around was the final cost...it was over twice the amount we spent a few months ago. I did a double check on the receipt to see if there was anything that was askew, but nope. It did appear that meat is the main culprit, though. That is the first time in many years that I really "noticed" the cost of groceries.

[Sojourner]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ExFlyBoy5 What?!? You can't figure out that a double maxi twice by fourths 2,124 sheets pack is 1/22nds more valuable than the triple doubled then tripled again mega maxi super sheets package? Geez...I thought that was pretty easy.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ExFlyBoy5 Sorta on the subject...DW went to Costco yesterday for our normal replenishment of stuff. While we don't buy exactly the same things each time, there is most certainly a theme. What was different this time around was the final cost...it was over twice the amount we spent a few months ago. I did a double check on the receipt to see if there was anything that was askew, but nope. It did appear that meat is the main culprit, though.

This may have something to do with the recent cyber/ransom attack on JBS (the world's largest meat supplier). Even though the meat supply chain was only impacted for a short time, it did give retailers all the justification they needed to jack up prices... and probably keep them high for a while.

On a related note, anyone else noticing how gas prices have stayed unusually high for nearly 3 whole weeks now after Colonial Pipeline resumed full/normal operations? Corporate greed on full, shameless display.

[sengsational]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Badger Not exactly. I was shopping for a stout and all I could find at the liquor store were selections of Guinness that said 11.2 ounces and others in 14.9 ounces. The alcohol content varies too depending on can or bottle and whether in a 4, 6, 8, 12 pack. Cheers!

The standard single serving bottle in Europe (and a lot of imports) is 330ml, which is 11.2 ounces. Probably more about packaging equipment than being sneaky. It even goes the "wrong way" sometimes: the 500ml bottles are more than a pint (16.9 oz).

[ExFlyBoy5]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sojourner This may have something to do with the recent cyber/ransom attack on JBS (the world's largest meat supplier). Even though the meat supply chain was only impacted for a short time, it did give retailers all the justification they needed to jack up prices... and probably keep them high for a while.

That did occur to me. The chicken prices and ground beef were close to what we paid last time, but the pork butt shoulder was quite a bit more.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sojourner On a related note, anyone else noticing how gas prices have stayed unusually high for nearly 3 whole weeks now after Colonial Pipeline resumed full/normal operations? Corporate greed on full, shameless display.

As to the gas prices, they do seem to have trended down slightly. But of course, the price goes down slower than it goes up. Our area wasn't affected by the pipeline shutdown, but it did result in a price increase. Also, has ATL started its "summer blend" which seems to always bump up the price?

[Calico]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GalaxyBoy The WaPo article I mentioned above said that certain soap manufacturers have made their bars more concave as a way to decrease the size but make the change less noticeable to the consumer. The manufacturer refused to comment. One day things will disappear and cost infinitely more.

Yup! That's exactly what Dial soap did back then - they went concave. I unwrapped the first bar and said "where's the rest of the soap?"

Sneaky b@$tards!

[Walt34]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GalaxyBoy One day things will disappear and cost infinitely more.

It's already happened:

Quote:

Italian artist Salvatore Garau recently auctioned an invisible sculpture for 15,000 euros ($18,300). According to as.com, the sculpture's initial price was set between 6,000 and 9,000 euros; however, the price was raised after several bids were placed. Titled 'Io Sono' (Italian for "I am"), the 67-year-old artist's sculpture is "immaterial," meaning that the sculpture does not actually exist. Though he's received much critique for the sale, Garau argues that his work of art isn't "nothing," but is instead a "vacuum."

https://www.newsweek.com/italian-art...-18000-1596608

[CardsFan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Walt34 It's already happened: https://www.newsweek.com/italian-art...-18000-1596608

Are we sure that guy didn't work with Bernie Madoff

Anyone stupid enough to pay money for nothing, deserves what they get.

Of course, some times, the chicks are free

[daylatedollarshort]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sengsational What? Yes! Here's how it works: we are smart and attractive (but the smart part is what matters in this discussion), and we have time and inclination to work around their deception with changes in purchasing behavior. The person with two jobs, 2 hours in traffic every day, two kids doesn't have a spare cycle to apply to it, so enriches the manufacturer ever so slightly. So because the manufacturer has a high profit margin customer base, they're able to offer better deals to those who have time to pay attention. It's like the credit card thing...no way I'd be able to get $500 sign-up bonus if the company didn't have high profit margin customers.

We live in an area where many of the households do have 2 hour commutes and kids, at least they did before the pandemic caused more work at home jobs, and businesses price accordingly. Portobello mushrooms at the local supermarkets - $16 a pound, outlet store 10 minutes away - $4 a pound. Oyster mushrooms at ethnic market $3.49 a pound, local supermarket - $14 a pound. The price differences are insane.


We switched our car repair work to a more blue collar area, and maintenance costs went down about 70% of what they had been. We'd really been ripped off on many goods and services for years, but with both of us working and raising kids, we were too stupid and busy to realize it.

[MRG]

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Galt III Every once in a while you see the 8 ounce beers for sale, but I think no one buys them. On the good news front, apparently 16 ounce cans are all the rage now, for microbrews anyway. Been seeing a lot of them at my local beer store. Same price as the 12 ouncers! Now way! Yes way!

I used to love pony Miller 7oz. Thry were fantastic on ice only a gulp before a fresh ice cold one is needed. I drank a few in the hot Kansas summer sailing on lake Perry.

[JLoft]

With this continuous width reduction we are well on the way to eventually seeing a product sold as combination toilet paper / dental floss.

[arch57]

This has been going on for years and I bet it is NOT measured in the CPI.
They should force manufacturers to state on the label “Same price just less product!” How’s that for a marketing slogan haha