Making Money or Gouging Consumers?

I know I am not the only one who notices that the amount of the contents of everything keeps dropping, the air amount in everything keeps adding up and the prices of everything keep sky-rocking. I guess the problem that I have is not explaining properly what I am saying when I discuss the cost of living when you live on a budget.

What my money conscious mind is trying to say is look at that one can of soup, that one bag of chips, the one box of cereal, and a loaf of bread.

(I know if you live on a budget you shouldn’t own pets, they are expensive. However, if you look at statistics, someone who has a mental disease is more likely to have more better days with a pet then not and my dog, Jewels, meant the world to me, my new dog, Scooter, means the world to me as well, I will budget accordingly)

Wal-Mart has reduced the amount of their cheapest Ol’Roy dog food from 22kg to 18kg over the last 5 years and the price has gone up…the red bag; the higher and better quality Ol’Roy dog food has not only dropped in the amount to 16kg, for smaller bags 8kg to 7.2kg, but gone up in price several times. This is just their brand, I won’t get into the Pet Store/Veterinary brands that people pay $50-$100/bag.

People are becoming “Gluten” conscious. Many people are gluten intolerant or have Celiac Disease which makes it hard to cope with gluten in their diet. 

A bag of Gluten free flour is 1.2kg and is the same price as an 8kg bag of regular flour. Another example, four gluten free buns cost more than I spend on 4 liters of milk. On a limited income, gluten free is not an option, you go without eating the same meal as the rest of your family or you deal with pain.

A can of soup used to be 340g, now they are 284g. Bags of chips were 200-250g but now half that but double the price. A box of cereal was 750g; Shreddies package them in 540g boxes now. (Yes, I am Canadian and grew up with metric but I still bake with cups and teaspoons)

I like simple, but I would like to be able to eat healthy without worrying what the cost of meat is going to be from week to week or wonder why a one liter container of 100% juice is more expensive then 2 liters of pop.

I find it unacceptable of companies like Knorr who charge more for their “noodles and sauce” then the generic versions but there is less content. Yes you are a brand name; does that mean you get to rip off the little guy to make money? I guess so…good for you, give yourself a pat on the back.

I do not complain about the cost of living increases because I live on the poor side of the scale, I get that people are allowed to make a living wage or more for the work they do. I understand the cost of living increase that happens.

What I do not understand is gouging that companies like Wal-Mart, Campbell’s and Knorr are allowed to do. These are just a few companies.

These are the same companies that get tax breaks from the governments, they are ALLOWED to rip off the people by lowering the content we get from the products they make/put on shelves.

Who cares what happens to the masses as long as the VERY WEALTHY, STAY VERY WEALTHY.

They will keep cutting the amount they put in the container, they will keep bumping up the price and they will keep adding more air and who will notice?

The only people who will are the poor, the people who have to budget to buy those things in the first place, they do not matter; no one actually listens to them unless they demonstrate, which no one does anymore. They have no say. (There are many examples of why no one demonstrates anymore that I will not get into here)

There is a middle class society still, they are the people who can walk into a grocery store with their bank or credit card and don’t blink when the cashier gives them the total. They don’t notice (or feel) the cans of soup/beans/jam/peanut butter have dropped in the content amount or that extra dollar is added. They just notice there is only one till open and a long line.

Here is a thought, if these companies were not allowed to pull this crap, do you realize how much more money you would have to spend on whatever it is you like to spend your money on?

Do you realize you could take more trips, pay off that house faster or buy a better vehicle? These companies are not just ripping off the poor; we are just the ones who feel it the most.

People wealthier than me, claim I am jealous, I am envious of what they are capable of doing. I am whining I deserve more money from the taxpayers so I can do the things they are able to do.

I do not want to travel; camping is about the only travelling I like to do. It isn't that I like to go out partying. I cannot drink on my medications and I got my fill when I was younger. Vehicles, cloths, manicures, massages and acupuncture are not priorities and some are luxuries that others may like but unnecessary for me.

What is important to me? Being able to cope with the rising cost without being ripped off by big businesses who don’t care how it affects anyone…only how to put money in their pockets. When their shareholders are making hundreds of thousands of dollars a year on the backs of the poor that is wrong.

That is what I am saying when I talk about the poor not getting a fair shake in this world. 

Keep your money, spend your money on what you want and invest if you want, but don’t use it to walk all over the people who cannot afford the things you can. 

Make money, just don’t make money on the backs of others.

It Is Called Humility.