Inflation snapshots: December 2009

[mliu_01]

Re: Inflation snapshots: December 2009

Yup - vinegar in the rinse cycle. It helps dissolve any soap remaining, it's cheap, it's non-toxic. Cheaper, better, healthier -- what's not to like.

I bought a rubber ball with spikes all over it. It works just as good as any softeners . I loved it. never use Fabric softeners again.

[Jay]

Re: Who could have known?

OLD NEW

So these three packs are 12 ounces instead of the old 13.5 ounces, but still priced the same.

From: Dial Soap: The Incredible Shrinking Bar

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Yeah, but now it is GRIPPABLE! That counts as a hedonic adjustment.

[WildspitzE]

Re: Who could have known?

hahahaha gotta love the "grip bar" shape on the new one... i wonder where did they shave the oz off? hmm...

[ThePythonicCow]

Re: Inflation snapshots: December 2009

I bought a rubber ball with spikes all over it. It works just as good as any softeners .

The vinegar (being acidic) has the advantage that it helps dissolve any remaining soap (being basic) residue. What is the mechanism by which the rubber ball provides benefit?

[LargoWinch]

Re: Who could have known?

Passport fee in the US are now up 35% as of this month:

Starting next Tuesday, adults applying for their first passport book will have to pay $135 -- a 35 percent increase from the current $100 fee.

Article here.

[jk]

Re: Who could have known?

from a reader at askfleck:

I bought some Jif peanut butter last night (creamy). The jar read 'We're still 18 oz.' We're in an interesting place economically if maintaining container size can be considered an advertising point.

[photoncounter]

Re: Who could have known?

Tuition fee of a State University I went to has gone up by ~60% since 2002 (increase every 2 years), other miscellaneous fee has almost doubled, funding opportunities for graduate students as graduate assistants, teaching assistants etc., has gone down significantly and there have been some layoffs too.

[cjppjc]

Re: Who could have known?

Funny I just bought Jif when I saw that. No other was close to 18oz. I will say the store brand although smaller, was actually cheaper per ounce.

[GRG55]

Re: Who could have known?

Just got the vehicle insurance renewal notice for my well worn Ford pick-up. My last traffic violation was a parking ticket in 1993.

The premium for the exact same coverage as last year is up exactly 6%.

[WildspitzE]

Re: Who could have known?

from a reader at askfleck:

I bought some Jif peanut butter last night (creamy). The jar read 'We're still 18 oz.' We're in an interesting place economically if maintaining container size can be considered an advertising point.

My fiancee has a Keurig machine for the morning coffee (running out the door). It uses "K-cups" that have a fixed container size (to fit in the machine). Also, the amount of coffee in it can't vary too much because of the amount of water is measured (based on the setting) amount of coffee, etc.

Anyway, over the last few months as I've been seeing coffee prices go up, I was wondering when we would see an increase in price in these K-cups (because they can't adjust the packaging)....

well.. here it is! 15% increase in Oct.

"And single-serve K-cups - sold as Tully's Coffee, Timothy's Coffee, Newman's Own Organics, Caribou Coffee and other Green Mountain Coffee brands - will see prices rise 10% to 15%, starting Oct. 11. Sales of the brewing system and K-cups make up about 86% of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc. (GMCR)'s business."

http://money.cnn.com/2010/09/10/mark...ices/index.htm

[thriftyandboringinohio]

Re: Who could have known?

I notice that 2 national fast food chains for chicken ( KFC and PopEyes) have replaced packets of actual honey with packets of "honey sauce" - High Fructose Corn Syrup, Sugar, Honey, Corn Syrup, Natural Flavor, Caramel Color.

[mikedev10]

Re: Who could have known?

i subscribe to a pretty good short analyst's newsletter (agora) and he's shorting these guys.

[LargoWinch]

Re: Inflation snapshots: December 2009

Why your toilet paper is shrinking
When times are tough, companies don't want to raise prices. Instead the things we take for granted get a little smaller.

By Beth Kowitt, writer-reporter / Graphic by L-Dopa

Everything shrinks in a recession: GDP, investment portfolios, even the products on store shelves. Consumer goods companies know that customers won't go for price increases during a downturn. Instead they often use a different tactic to offset things such as new competition or the rising cost of raw materials: cutting quantity while maintaining price. Yet it may not be obvious that your ice cream or OJ containers have shrunk. Manufacturers must note new specs on packaging, but the changes don't have to be advertised (ever seen a now smaller! label?). Here's a look at one of the most recent examples.




Link here.

[jk]

Re: Inflation snapshots: December 2009

Why your toilet paper is shrinking
When times are tough, companies don't want to raise prices. Instead the things we take for granted get a little smaller.

By Beth Kowitt, writer-reporter / Graphic by L-Dopa

Everything shrinks in a recession: GDP, investment portfolios, even the products on store shelves. Consumer goods companies know that customers won't go for price increases during a downturn. Instead they often use a different tactic to offset things such as new competition or the rising cost of raw materials: cutting quantity while maintaining price. Yet it may not be obvious that your ice cream or OJ containers have shrunk. Manufacturers must note new specs on packaging, but the changes don't have to be advertised (ever seen a now smaller! label?). Here's a look at one of the most recent examples.




Link here.

it's even worse given the growth of the american ass.

[flintlock]

Re: Inflation snapshots: December 2009

Rimshot!