Coping with the Grocery Shrink Rayby Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger 14 Aug 2008 12:50 PM
Many packages are shrinking just in time for back to school. These include items, such as peanut butter, frozen waffles, etc. Harried parents need to pick up these items quickly to prepare for the hectic mornings to come, and the manufacturers want to take advantage of that fact. This means that the change is recent. When you are shopping, dig to the back of the shelf or to the right and left. Depending on how they stock, you may find older packages containing more for the same price. Look to the generics. I have found very few generics and value brands that have suffered from the shrink ray. In fact, generics are becoming an even bigger bargain in some cases than the store brands. Keep an eye on upcoming products due for shrinkage. Usually you only find out when it happens, but check back here at this blog or in the forums. Sometimes shrinkage occurs first in one state before another. You may be able to find out before the shrink ray gets to you. Also, two good websites that have featured posts about grocery shrinkage are incredibleshrinkinggroceries.com and babycheapskate.com. If you do have a shrunken package, you may be able to adjust your recipes by adding less of other ingredients, or substituting. The other morning, we were left with only 1 cup of pancake mix while the directions called for 1-1/2 cups of mix per egg. Some ways to cope would have been to use an egg substitute, to add flour, baking soda and baking powder (or even just flour), or to enjoy thinner pancakes. Here is a handy little converter that will help you size recipes up or down as needed http://www.fruitfromwashington.com/Recipes/scale/recipeconversions.php For products such as shampoos and laundry detergents, try diluting them. This can often stretch out the product with no decrease in effectiveness. Meat can often be stretched with bread crumbs or stuffing mix, soup with vegetables or pasta, etc. Do you have any suggestions for beating the shrink ray? Click here for more articles by Mary Ann Romans. Related Articles The Astronomical Price of Strawberries Is Your Food Bill Too High? Three Quick Tests The Change in Generic Food May Help You Save New Grocery Shopping Techniques New Grocery Shopping Techniques (2) Learn more about Mary Ann Romans  Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat. Relevantfrugal tags User Comments Tashi (1013) 15 Aug 2008 04:58 PMI've been diluting shampoo for years. You don't need much in the first place, and any bottle can last and last, especially when you shampoo only a couple times a week. I have shampoo that is expensive and shampoo that's inexpensive. Diluting works with both. Community Tags frugal, grocery shrinkage, grocery shopping, shrink ray Discuss this article
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