There was an ABC TV broadcast earlier this year that raised our attention to some subtle changes that we should watch out for at the grocery store.
They reported that the average prices at the grocery store would only rise about 3% this year. That sounded like good news until you heard the rest of the story. Manufacturers are manipulating the size of packages. For example, they reported that one brand of toilet paper has a “new” package where the price is the same as the old package, the number of sheets of toilet paper are the same, but the square feet contained in the package is down 9% (105 sq. ft. from 115 sq. ft.).
Kraft now has packages of sliced cheese that have 2 fewer slices per package. Tropicana orange juice has their large container now holding 59 ounces, versus 64 ounces. The next time you buy Skippy peanut butter, take a look at the hollowed out bottom of the container. Prices may stay the same, or only increase 3%, but you are getting a lot less product for the price.
I recently became more aware that the same situation exists beyond the grocery store. In 2008, the NY Times reported that TV cable prices had risen 77% from 1996 to 2008 and prices have risen since then. That is bad enough until you consider that you are getting less programming for the money you are spending.
I like to watch the TV while I workout on my exercise bike. My son had given me the Hawaii Five-O series on DVD for Christmas. Each episode of the series ran for 50 minutes, commercial free. The original series was produced in the 1970s. I was comfortable with that length for my workouts and got used to the 50 minutes.
I finished the series and started viewing a new series that my daughter gave me for Father’s Day. It was a newer drama series called “24.” Each episode in the series is supposed to represent one hour in real time as the characters move through a continuum of “cliff hangers.” Throughout each “one-hour” episode, there appears a digital clock on the screen that shows you the “time” of the day they are portraying. At the end of the episode, you see the digital clock tick to the end of the hour. The script writers and producers have you convinced that you just watched 60 minutes of programming. Nay! Nay! You only watched 41 minutes of programming–-the rest was advertising.
Yes, 19 minutes of the hour on TV now is composed of advertising. Your TV programming has shrunk from 50 minutes an hour to 41 minutes. No wonder I am having problems controlling my weight. I lost 63 minutes a week in exercise!
I double-checked online to see if it was my imagination. Do you know that in England, the length of advertising per hour is limited to 12 minutes? When they show American programming in England, they have a problem filling up the other 7 minutes per hour because of the shorter programming. I guess I will have to put British TV series on my Christmas list this year so I get back my exercise time.
UPDATE: Thanks to Albert Belanger, Sun City Resident, for alerting me to the fact that the Direct Marketing Association has changed its contact information for opting out of unwanted mail. For DMA’s Mail Preference Service, go to www.dmachoice.org, or mail your request with a $1 processing fee to: DMAchoice, Direct Marketing Association, P.O. Box 643, Carmel, NY 10512.
Keep those letters coming, folks. Send your ideas to: The Frugal Forum, P.O. Box 693, Huntley, IL 60142 or by email to: thefrugalforum@gmail.com.
