My stuff is shrinking. Anything I buy in the supermarket seems to be in smaller containers but yet the prices rise. Recently I had to get bigger pockets to hold my iPad but seemingly I don’t need larger bags for my groceries. Many household brands have been downsizing their package containers but don’t make the prices lower. I get less food for the same price. Who is going to stop these guys? Now they’re hitting me in the gut!

Consumer Reports recently conducted a study and reported that many brands from Kraft foods to Ivory soap have downsized their products by 20% over the past few years but have not reduced the prices on these smaller size packages. Haagen-Dazs Ice Cream used to be a 16 ounce tub, the new size is a 14 ounce tub. That is a negative amount of 12.5% . That is at least 4 spoonfuls I’m not getting!!! Tropicana Orange Juice used to be a 64 ounce container. Now it has been reduced to a new size of 59 ounces. A negative difference of 7.8%. That represents the time I spend at the fridge sneaking substantial gulps right from the container when no one sees me disgustingly not pouring into a glass.

Scott Toilet Paper used to be 115.2 square feet. Now the new size is only 104.8 square feet a negative difference of 9%. Don’t cheat me out of toilet paper. That’s just not civilized. I only bought that brand because I thought it was the biggest roll and I didn’t have to buy a lot of rolls because I didn’t want people to see me buy the stuff and think I had to spend a lot of time using it.

Haagen-Dazs spokeswoman Dori Bailey’s response to this problem is that “Over the past few years, the cost of dairy, fresh eggs and all-natural ingredients like fresh raspberries and Madagascar vanilla have increased an average of 25%.” Tropicana’s excuse for reducing the size of its produce is due to winter freezes during the growing season which yielded one of the smallest crops in 20 years. So, if you have a good season will you give me back my 64 ounces? I doubt it. Chili has some of the best and most reasonably priced produce in the world even after they survived a devastating earthquake.

Tod Marks, the senior editor of Consumer Reports said, “You are paying the same for less. If manufacturers are skimping when costs go up, why aren’t they more generous when costs hold steady or fall?” Unfortunately we hardly see a product offering more for the same price. Sometimes they even whip air into their ice-cream to stretch the ingredients. Experts also have noticed that consumers would revolt more to a price increase than to a downsized product. I revolt either way. If our containers are being reduced than why aren’t we loosing weight? Hey! There is a buy one get one free special this week Lets eat TWO containers. Yum Yum! Burp. Oh, I’m soo fat.