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Take a close look at your supermarket’s shelves and you might think that Americans are eating less at every meal. Breakfast cereal that used to come in 18 ounce boxes is now appearing in smaller 16 ounce packages. What looks like a quart carton of ice cream is really only four-fifths of that. A “pound” of coffee is light by four ounces.  A bottle of cough syrup will now last only four days rather than five. Moreover, they’re trimming your wallet along with your waistline; compare the new prices stickers against your old receipts and you’ll see that the new smaller containers often don’t cost any less than their previously larger versions.

What’s up?

It’s called “short-sizing” and it’s the retail industry’s way of getting you to pay more, for less. They know that you’re likely to cut back on your purchases if prices go up. So, rather than charging you more they just put less in the box, bag or carton.  Over time, you’re wallet is still thinner that it would have been. That is, unless you actually eat less. (Based on my unscientific observation of the expanding midriffs of America, that isn’t the choice we’ve been making.)

How can you fight back against progressively punier proportions?

Buying in bulk is a time-tested solution, but has problems. While unit prices generally are lower when you buy in larger quantities, it’s not always the case.  You need to check the unit price—ounce, pound, or dose—to make sure. And, many of us don’t have the storage space for a dozen boxes of corn flakes, twenty pounds of potatoes or a case of ketchup.

If you can’t buy in bulk, here are a few other budget broadening techniques you can try:

1.    House brands—Store brands typically run 15 to 25 percent less than their “name” brand counterparts. However, store brands are often manufactured by the same company in the same factory as the name brand versions.  Here are a few examples from my local store:

a.    Ketchup (12 oz): Name brand $2.49, House brand $1.79

b.    Toilet Paper (12 rolls): Name brand $3.39, House brand $2.12

c.    Allergy Medication (Dyphenhydramine, 100 capsules)
      Brand name $14.49, House brand $7.49

During informal taste-testing at my kitchen table, the house brand ketchup turned out to be the favorite of my expert eaters—ages seven and ten.  While the brand name toilet paper promised to be “softer,” my delicate derrière couldn’t tell the difference.  Lastly, the allergy medications were actually manufactured by the same company, giving a clue to how much we actually pay for the cost of advertising the name brand products.

2.    Memberships—I used to turn my nose up at those people who pulled out their supermarket membership card at the checkout counter. I mean, why would anyone want to belong to a produce department anyway?  Lower prices! That’s why.  I happen to shop at Albertsons.  Last year, I finally broke down and joined their little club. Frankly, the savings were more than impressive.  Without paying any attention to the “specials” I was routinely saving more than ten percent at the checkout stand. If I open my eyes and take advantage of the deals, I’ve sometimes saved as much as 20 percent.  Hey, that’s twenty bucks on a hundred dollar grocery bill. (A week’s worth of latte’s is nothing to sneeze at.)  In the retail version of double-dipping, you’ll often get additional savings if you follow step one above and also buy the store brands.

3.    Online ordering—If a company doesn’t have to pay for retail frontage, parking spaces and checkout clerks, they’re going to save money at their end and are often willing to pass those savings on to you.  Online ordering isn’t just for books anymore.  From underwear to umbrella’s, office supplies to oregano, you can likely find an online vendor whose prices are as good as or better than your local store… and they deliver to your door.

4.    Farmer’s market—This is my favorite, fresh food at bargain prices. What’s not to love? These days, most towns have a farmers market of some kind where local growers display their creations.  Unlike supermarkets where it might take a week from field to freezer, much of the produce at the farmer’s market was picked that very morning.  The farmers don’t have to pay for shipping or advertising, meaning that even though their costs might be higher per bushel, they can sell to you for less.  Plus, you haven’t really ever tasted a tomato until you’ve tried it fresh from the vine.