It appears that things ARE getting smaller (including my waistline, thankfully) and we have to pay more for it. Here is an example: The other day I was enjoying a Tootsie Roll Pop and I noticed that it was considerably smaller than what I was used to. Also there wasn’t as much Tootsie Roll inside.

Just a taste and that was all. Sticks of gum are smaller and fewer in a package; candy bars are smaller; ice cream cones are smaller. SMALLER, smaller, smaller.
This hasn’t just happened over-night. It has been slowly happening over the years. Oh well, I guess this is the coming thing. Now — don’t get me wrong — I’m not picking on only grocery items, but it seems that is the most noticeable commodity.
I don’t blame the grocery stores as they must sell what items they get — it’s the manufacturers and marketers who think that we won’t notice that things are getting shorter, smaller, not as many, and costing more. Packaging is another culprit that is trying to deceive us.
Larger or same size containers, but not as much inside like plastic jars that have an indentation on the bottom, to name one.
Here is a list of things that I noticed to be smaller and maybe you also have noticed these and other items.
• Crackers: No matter what kind of crackers you buy — they are smaller.
• Coffee: You used to be able to buy a pound (16 ounce) but now it is 11.5 ounces.
• Bar soap: Was 4.5 ounces but is now 4 ounces.
• Peanut butter: Was 18 ounces and is now 16.3 ounces.
• Toilet Paper: Rolls are shorter and not as wide. The core tube on which the paper is wound is larger, though. Woweee!
• Ice cream bars: They are smaller than they used to be.
• Cereals: Are the same price but their is less weight per box.
• Facial Tissue: A box used to have 100 sheets; now it has less.
• Pop/Soda: Comes in cases of 18, not 24, but at the same price.
• Sugar: Forever was in 5 lb bags now most are 4 lbs.
• Magazines and Newspapers: Yes, even the size of the print media is smaller.
Well, there you have it, but the more I think about that — smaller isn’t all bad. Smaller portions of food and drink, for example isn’t bad. Moderation is the key. Hey, I’m even smaller in size. I used to be 6' but now I am 5’11”
So does that make me the incredible shrinking man? I guess this is just a cranky old person that used to remember when things were larger and when you wanted a pound of coffee there was 16 ounces in the can.
They say that the “world is getting smaller” when the airplane began setting records of speed, and “good things come in small packages” was a saying years ago as was “smaller is better” (as in transistors and hearing aids and microscopic chips).
So, I guess, small is OK when you talk about those things.


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