Sign of the apocalypse

[CardsFan]

It's already happened:

https://www.newsweek.com/italian-artist-sells-invisible-sculpture-more-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]

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]

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

 

[Parfumeur]

This reminds me when I visited Yugoslavia back in the mid '70's. Every newer hotel, 'official Intourist, and restaurants had the toilet paper on the floor. Why??!

This was a communist country, and meeting quotas was the ultimate goal. The paper maker obviously never talked to the holder maker, and the paper was about 0.75mm too wide ... hence they did not fit. HOWEVER, in older toilets they fit well and often too loose as these were artisanal. Are they placing nail brushes in the washrooms now??

 

[Montclairbobbyb]

Well I sure turned the tables on those folks at Charmin... I installed a Smart Bidet on my terlet, and have dramatically reduced my use of TP.

 

[nubill]

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

My part time job from age 55 to 62 was working for the Bureau of Labor Statistics on the Consumer Price Index. The only instance where I noticed a product size increase while I was pricing was around 2010 (Great Recession). Frito Lay temporarily increased their family size by two ounces.
Most of the time when I noticed a packaging change either color or graphics, I would look at size or quantity to compare it with the previous month and usually resulted in shrinkage. The manufacturer did not mention the size or quantity change. It usually uses words like improved. Yes, the CPI measures shrinkage.

 

[iRent2u]

It all started in the early 70’s when they started shrinking the size of a 5 cent Reese’s cup. I’m still bitter about that.

 

[EastWest Gal]

Yes, a can of tuna is my inflation bellweather. After the 2008 Wall Street fraud debacle, 6 ounce canned tuna went to 5 ounce, with a slight price bump also, I think. I haven't seen any 4 ounce cans of tuna yet. Who would buy a 4 ounce can of tuna? Come on, 5 ounces is small enough, lol.

Look at your 5 oz can of tuna. 4 oz of tuna, one oz water.

 

[Surewhitey]

Part of the issue may be that 10 multinationals control much of what the average U.S. consumer buys at the grocery store, which limits price competition. We tend to shop more at discount, outlet and ethnic stores these days when we can and try to buy store brands. The prices, at least in our area, are significantly cheaper.

[FONT=&quot] These 10 companies control everything you buy | The Independent | The Independent.[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]

Exactly... I used to be in the packaging biz and the breakfast bars for Trader Joe's and Whole Foods (& other brands) are all made by the same manufacturer (possible differences in recipe). Exactly the same package with different prints.

Same with car parts. Most air/oil filters are made by the same company... Everything is mass produced with different logos these days.

 

[mystang52]

A number of years ago there was a thread, here, called "Stealth Inflation." I saw evidence of this "phenomenon" for the first tine during the wicked late-70's inflation. My can of tuna went down a fraction of an ounce in size - too long ago to remember the specifics. I told DW that this was sneaky inflation.
Just an hour ago, I bought one of my favorite chocolate cupcake treats at the supermarket. "New packaging, same great taste!" I don't have an old box to compare, but I told DW that I bet the cupcakes are now smaller .

 

[Amethyst]

The Tuna Indicator: My mom loved tuna salad sandwiches, so I was raised on them (I am fond of them myself). When I was old enough to read, I naturally read all the food can labels. A can of solid white tuna, at that time, was 8 ounces. This was enough for a generous sandwich for Mom, the same for me, and a bit left over for the cat. (We thought tuna was OK for cats back then, and the cat heartily agreed).

Today it takes 3, 5-ounce cans to make tuna salad sandwiches for 3 people, plus a bit left over. Which suggests, as EastWestGal mentioned, that there's more water and less actual tuna in today's cans.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

The Tuna Indicator: My mom loved tuna salad sandwiches, so I was raised on them (I am fond of them myself). When I was old enough to read, I naturally read all the food can labels. A can of solid white tuna, at that time, was 8 ounces. This was enough for a generous sandwich for Mom, the same for me, and a bit left over for the cat. (We thought tuna was OK for cats back then, and the cat heartily agreed).

Today it takes 3, 5-ounce cans to make tuna salad sandwiches for 3 people, plus a bit left over. Which suggests, as EastWestGal mentioned, that there's more water and less actual tuna in today's cans.

That's a good point. I was making tuna sandwiches for DW and me yesterday and the one can barely had enough to cover the bread for two sandwiches. Doesn't seem too long ago that there was plenty for 3 nicely portioned sandwiches.

 

[SpinDoctorTX]

This:

That's pretty shitty of Charmin.

 

[Car-Guy]

Well at least McDonald's doesn't seem to be cutting back on their serving sizes INSTEAD they just charge more....The DW and I will stop by for a burger there about once a month.

When we stopped by yesterday, I noticed two things that were different when we pulled up to order....

(1) The menu has expanded with several new items. Lot's of options.

(2) No prices were listed on the menu. I guess if you have to ask, you can't afford it.... Or maybe they are afraid of sticker shock. Or maybe the prices change so fast they can't keep up. In any case, no prices are listed on the new menus around here.

Oh, and two burgers, fries and drinks was $21.52. (tax included)

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Well at least McDonald's doesn't seem to be cutting back on their serving sizes INSTEAD they just charge more....The DW and I will stop by for a burger there about once a month.

When we stopped by yesterday, I noticed two things that were different when we pulled up to order....

(1) The menu has expanded with several new items. Lot's of options.

(2) No prices were listed. I guess if you have to ask, you can't afford it.... Or maybe they are afraid of sticker shock. Or maybe the prices change so fast they can't keep up. In any case, no prices are listed on the new menus around here.

Oh, and two burgers, fires and drinks was $21.52.

Well, to be fair to McDs....pretty much EVERYONE is charging more. Plus the cost of labor has gotten to be very high for some in this industry. I saw that the local McDs has a sign offering $17 an hour and "paid daily!!!" and I live in one of the lowest COL areas in the country. Not only to mention, a lot of the McD's franchisees are getting screwed over by corporate in regards to store refreshes.

 

[Car-Guy]

Well, to be fair to McDs....pretty much EVERYONE is charging more. Plus the cost of labor has gotten to be very high for some of this industry. I saw that the local McDs has a sign offering $17 an hour and "paid daily!!!" and I live in one of the lowest COL areas in the country.

Absolutely agree... Labor cost are driving the prices up fast... The wife and I said the same thing when we paid yesterday... We expected that but no prices on the menu... That's new to me.

 

[Walt34]

Oh, and two burgers, fires and drinks was $21.52. (tax included)

I remember the radio ads for "47 cents for a three-course meal" meaning a burger, fries and milkshake. Wow.

According to the inflation calculator at bls.gov, $.47 in 1968 is now equal to $3.67. So there's more than inflation going on.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Absolutely agree... Labor cost are driving the prices up fast... The wife and I said the same thing when we paid yesterday... We expected that but no prices on the menu?

That does seem a bit odd. I would initially think that maybe they have "surge" pricing or something, but I think almost all of the menus are digital so could change as needed with a couple clicks of a mouse.

Or maybe the government mandated calories disclosure has taken that space on the board.

 

[Car-Guy]

That does seem a bit odd. I would initially think that maybe they have "surge" pricing or something, but I think almost all of the menus are digital so could change as needed with a couple clicks of a mouse.

Or maybe the government mandated calories disclosure has taken that space on the board.

That's funny.... There are no digital (electronic) menus around here... This is rural Texas.... And if you tell someone around here they have a mouse at McDonald's, they won't eat there anymore.

 

[CardsFan]

There's no digital menus around here... This is rural Texas....

Just wait. They are coming.

High wage laws and/or pressure to pay more makes the investment reasonable, and reduces staff. WOW, who would have thunk that?

 

[Nick12]

Well at least McDonald's doesn't seem to be cutting back on their serving sizes INSTEAD they just charge more....The DW and I will stop by for a burger there about once a month.

When we stopped by yesterday, I noticed two things that were different when we pulled up to order....

(1) The menu has expanded with several new items. Lot's of options.

(2) No prices were listed on the menu. I guess if you have to ask, you can't afford it.... Or maybe they are afraid of sticker shock. Or maybe the prices change so fast they can't keep up. In any case, no prices are listed on the new menus around here.

Oh, and two burgers, fries and drinks was $21.52. (tax included)

In Kingsland GA, and Palm.Coast FL there are KFC locations all u can eat for lunch, chicken fried and grilled, cole slaw, green beans, biscuits, apple pie, salad, a few other items. One can eat more than the $10 per person price tag with a big appetite , that was a few years ago. McDonalds would not go that route all u can eat. They would run out of food.

 

[Amethyst]

"MacDonalds can put good food in your family and change back in your pocket." They meant change from a dollar bill!

I remember the radio ads for "47 cents for a three-course meal" meaning a burger, fries and milkshake. Wow.

According to the inflation calculator at bls.gov, $.47 in 1968 is now equal to $3.67. So there's more than inflation going on.

 

[ncbill]

I remember the radio ads for "47 cents for a three-course meal" meaning a burger, fries and milkshake. Wow.

According to the inflation calculator at bls.gov, $.47 in 1968 is now equal to $3.67. So there's more than inflation going on.

References I found were from the early 1960s, not 1968.

https://www.grayflannelsuit.net/blog/vintage-1960s-mcdonalds-advertisements

Two (90% silver) quarters from back then would be worth over $10 today...more than enough to buy a Big Mac combo meal (even upsized) with an apple pie for dessert (https://www.coinflation.com)