You may have heard by now of the growing trend by manufacturers to charge the same price but offer smaller quantities.
It has gained a name: "shrinkflation." And the problem is getting worse this year.
Linda Knox can't believe how few chips she gets in a bag these days.
"I used to get a lot more chips in there, absolutely," she told us while loading her car.
But snack foods are just the start when it comes to shrinkflation in 2022, according to shopper Denise Brummet.
"Household goods, paper towels, paper plates are all getting smaller," she said.
Consumer World finds the newest cases of shrinkage
One of the biggest items we use every day has just shrunk again: toilet paper, according to Ed Dworsky of ConsumerWorld.org.
"Cottonelle just downsized, and you are losing a roll or two in those big packages," he said.
Dworsky says this year could set records for shrinking products. "Shrinkflation goes in waves. And when you have high inflation, you see more instances of products getting smaller."
Other products he recently spotted include Charmin.
"Charmin Mega Rolls went from 264 to 244, so you lost 20 sheets on a roll," he said.
He also noticed a change with Dove Body Wash. "The 24 ounce bottle went to 22, and we've seen some soap get smaller too. It doesn't seem to know any limits."
Food products are not immune. Even the Keebler elves are getting in on the action, Dworsky says.
"Those devilish little elves have been downsizing the products," he said, pointing to Keebler's Chips Deluxe with M&M's, where he says the family size cookies went from 17.2 to 14.6 ounces.
He says that's fine if your family is shrinking, but otherwise the kids could end up hungry.
Dworsky's suggestion: If a package looks a bit smaller, check other brands -- especially store brands -- that may not have slimmed down.
And that way you don’t waste your money.
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