Shrinkflation Is Robbing You Blind | Episode 590

Good morning. This is James from SurvivalPunk.com.

It’s 46 degrees. I’m cold. I don’t like being cold. But that’s not what we’re talking about today.

Today we’re talking about something that affects every single one of us every single week.

Shrinkflation.

And how companies are quietly screwing you over while pretending nothing changed.

Listen now.

What Shrinkflation Actually Is

Shrinkflation is simple.

The bag looks the same.
The box looks the same.
The price looks the same.

But you’re getting less.

Your “pound” bag of chips? Not a pound anymore.
16 ounces becomes 14.5 ounces.
Same packaging. Same shelf space. Same mental price anchor.

They don’t raise the price because people notice price increases.

They shrink the product because most people never check the weight.

That’s the game.

Why It Works on Your Brain

Everyone has internal price anchors.

You know what Coke “should” cost.
You know what ground beef “should” cost.
You know what eggs “should” cost.

When the price jumps too far past that mental number, you hesitate. You buy less. You switch brands.

So instead of raising prices aggressively, companies keep the sticker steady and shave ounces off the back end.

That’s less likely to trigger your brain.

And it works.

The Worst Offenders Right Now

Chips.
Soda.
Single-serve snacks.

The further you get from bulk, the worse the value gets.

A 12-pack of Coke creeping toward $9.97? That’s insane. Run the unit math.

If