Toilet paper downsizing rant

[Annie G]

I don't even know when this downsizing happened. We stocked up on household supplies in December and I just recently started running low on toilet paper so I bought a package- same exact kind I always buy. Cottonelle.  This is a photo of the way it's been downsized. Just charge me more, people. I don't want tiny rolls of TP.    Ok, rant over. 

 

 

 

[TammyinTN]

I've noticed this as well...kinda ticked me off! 

 

[Rachel]

I've been ranting on this awhile, my husband is probably tired of it.

 

The same thing happened to the baby wipes that we use. The last downsize made them so that they don't cover my hand., which I learned the hard way. I called and complained, the girl manning the phone giggled at my complaint. I did have to switch brands though.

[Annie G]

I've been ranting on this awhile, my husband is probably tired of it.

 

The same thing happened to the baby wipes that we use. The last downsize made them so that they don't cover my hand., which I learned the hard way. I called and complained, the girl manning the phone giggled at my complaint. I did have to switch brands though.

 

 

Oh the baby wipes being downsized would really bug me. I would have blown a gasket if the phone rep giggled at my complaint. You have much more self control than I have. 

[EKS]

I'd rather they just charge more.

[TammyinTN]

Oh the baby wipes being downsized would really bug me. I would have blown a gasket if the phone rep giggled at my complaint. You have much more self control than I have. 

Me too...she would have been toast!

[Guest]

I know! Irks me to pieces! Other things, too. Crackers are tiny, no longer round, and so thin they crumble when you attempt to spread anything on them. Peppermint patties have shrunk in circumference, too. Same with tubs of cream cheese.

[Robin M]

We've gone through the rants and the hubby measuring, etc.  Check the store brand and look for ones that are still 4.27 wide rather than 3.97 which really does make a big different. Bel air and Target brands haven't shrunk entirely yet. 

[Woodhaven]

It has been happening for several years now.  Packages and items are shrinking and prices rising at the same time.  I am sick of it.  Do they really think we'll be fooled??? They must. 

 

I try to find and purchase only larger packages of food and items we use since we go through a lot of stuff.  Partly, when it comes to food, I think families tend to be smaller and want things they can just pop into the microwave.  So those items are small, single servings much of the time.  It can be difficult to find family sized items for a family larger than 4. Even bags of frozen veggies have shrunk! 

[Halftime Hope]

Yep, I noticed it, too.  The rolls of Charmin (someone :glare: in my house likes it) are freakin' narrower.  It makes me so stinkin' ticked. 

 

I buy for the rest of the family at Costco, and I sent Costco a note telling them not to mess with the stinkin' toilet paper. roll. width. 

 

I have no idea why this makes me so angry, but it really does.  It is completely irrational.

[Halftime Hope]

Does anyone know how to do one of those online crowd petition thingies?  I would sure sign it.

[kiwik]

We have shrinking things here too but not toilet paper width - it wouldn't fit the toilet roll holders.

[Slartibartfast]

We have shrinking things here too but not toilet paper width - it wouldn't fit the toilet roll holders.

 

Exactly! There are huge gaps! 

[Cinder]

We've gone through the rants and the hubby measuring, etc.  Check the store brand and look for ones that are still 4.27 wide rather than 3.97 which really does make a big different. Bel air and Target brands haven't shrunk entirely yet. 

 

I was surprised to find the Aldi brand was wider than the White Cloud we'd been getting which I know has been shrinking over the last few years. Kroger's is almost as wide as Aldi's.

[Lolly]

wow. just wow.

[idnib]

Wow. I also buy Cottonelle but in bulk so I haven't bought any in a long time. Guess I know what to expect. :thumbdown:

[MomtoCandJ]

Angel Soft is shorter too, I wondered why it looked different but didn't think to look at the width

[redsquirrel]

They will charge you more. First they shrink the size or amount, then they charge you more, then they shrink the size again... soon we will be paying gobs of money for nothing.

[fdrinca]

my first double post :)

[fdrinca]

http://consumerist.com/category/grocery-shrink-ray/

 

Equal parts fascinating and enraging.

[texasmama]

Pretty soon you will only get a package of cardboard rolls

[shukriyya]

Pretty soon you will only get a package of cardboard rolls

 

:smilielol5:

[happi duck]

http://consumerist.com/category/grocery-shrink-ray/

 

Equal parts fascinating and enraging.

I didn't realize how common this was becoming. The link features shredded cheese reduced to 7 instead of 8 ounces...bummer if you want 8 ounces for a recipe!

 

It just feels so deceitful.

[Tammi K]

Toilet paper rolls get small and all the while the American backside get larger...irony!

 

[Vida Winter]

Shocked to realize that cake mixes were also downsized. The problem is that they lie about it on the package, pretending it still makes the same amount. It alters baking times.

[kitten18]

I didn't realize how common this was becoming. The link features shredded cheese reduced to 7 instead of 8 ounces...bummer if you want 8 ounces for a recipe!

 

It just feels so deceitful.

THAT is what makes me really angry!!!  When the shrinking of packages screws up recipes and I either have to adjust the recipe or buy 2 of some items.  GRRRRR

[VaKim]

I agree with those who say just raise the stupid price - they're gonna do it anyway. And just how stupid do they think people are? Do they actually think they are fooling anybody? Or just realize that we have no choice in the matter?  I think about the old half gallon of ice cream, which isn't anymore. And the shrunken cans of tuna. 

 

I just wonder with all the "go green" talk, why doesn't anybody take on this "shrinking product" thing, since in many cases it causes way more trash due to packaging.

[Mommyfaithe]

Pretty soon you will only get a package of cardboard rolls

Nope!!! They started removing the cardboard core!!!!! Blasphemy!!!! Their reason: it's greener! Ummmmmmm..... Do these people not understand the million uses of a cardboard tube???

[kewb]

I have been ranting about tp sliding around like an abacus bead for a long time now. Come to think of it, I have been ranting about the shrinking sizes of everything for a long time now.

I miss half gallons of ice cream. Real ice cream, not this frozen dairy dessert stuff. I miss cans of tuna that fed a family of four.

With each passing year I make more and more from scratch because I like knowing what is in my food and how much of it I am getting but sometimes you just want convenience.

[Night Elf]

Nope!!! They started removing the cardboard core!!!!! Blasphemy!!!! Their reason: it's greener! Ummmmmmm..... Do these people not understand the million uses of a cardboard tube???

 

What is at the core then? I use Quilted Northern and it has a cardboard tube. I feel guilty as I throw then away. I used to save them when the kids were young, especially for my kid Sunday School class or homeschool classes.

 

[Tranquility7]

Nope!!! They started removing the cardboard core!!!!! Blasphemy!!!! Their reason: it's greener! Ummmmmmm..... Do these people not understand the million uses of a cardboard tube???

What? I've never heard of this! That sounds crazy. What brand does that??

[flyingiguana]

The tubes can be recycled, if that's an option where you live.

[flyingiguana]

I hate buying toilet paper.  How does one figure out how much is in a package?  It's impossible to comparison shop by unit price because all the units are so vastly different.

 

They need to sell it by weight.

 

 

[JaneEyre]

I noticed the family size Campbell soup cans have gotten much smaller than they were even a month ago.

I also hadn't had a Reese's Cup in forever, so I bought one the other day and I KNOW they used to be much bigger.

[Cinder]

I noticed the family size Campbell soup cans have gotten much smaller than they were even a month ago.

I also hadn't had a Reese's Cup in forever, so I bought one the other day and I KNOW they used to be much bigger.

 

Ds just said the same thing about Goldfish crackers. "Mom, did you buy the minis? Because these are smaller." Sure enough, they *did* look smaller. Not as small as the minis but they did look a smidge smaller than before. Hmmmmm. I should have checked the package weight.

[Garga]

I noticed the family size Campbell soup cans have gotten much smaller than they were even a month ago.

I also hadn't had a Reese's Cup in forever, so I bought one the other day and I KNOW they used to be much bigger.

 

 

They have about 4 different sizes for Reese's Cups.  You have to be careful to know which size you're buying.

[Serenade]

Even bags of frozen veggies have shrunk!

This one just kills me. One bag of frozen veggies is often 3.5 servings. We are 4. So of course, we end up eating less veggies rather than making another package and having quite a bit of leftovers.

[Lady Marmalade]

What is at the core then? I use Quilted Northern and it has a cardboard tube. I feel guilty as I throw then away. I used to save them when the kids were young, especially for my kid Sunday School class or homeschool classes.

 

 

There's nothing at the core.

 

Kimberly-Clark toilet papers are being made without cores.   Their brands include Scott, Cottonelle and Kleenex.  I know the cheaper Scott papers have been available without the core for a while now.  And I swear I saw something in the newspaper this summer about them expanding it recently.  (KC is a local company for me.)    Something about how they wind up the toilet paper has been changed, making the tube-less TP rolls a possibility.  They've also promised that every piece is useable- no glue on the end piece. 

[Lady Marmalade]

A couple of years ago I discovered Quilted Northern Ultra in triple rolls in a very large package at Wal-Mart.  I bought a package, and I swear, I did not need to buy toilet paper again for four months.   I could not believe that one package lasted us so long, so I bought another, and sure enough, four more months went buy before I had to buy again.  But then the most horrible thing happened.  I went to Wal-Mart to the exact same spot, and found the exact same packaging, but it didn't look quite right.

 

Sure enough, those triple rolls are not what they used to be.  My time between packages of TP was literally cut in half.  Now I need to go every two months for the same package.    Which is still decent, but I really fondly remember those old triple rolls and get wistful every time I have to buy more TP.  

[mamaraby]

Lol, I hadn't noticed so I had to go check. We buy the cheap stuff at the grocery store. I think it's Panda brand? It is literally the only brand I like so I'd be irritated of the shrunk it.

[Desert Strawberry]

I've started ordering industrial TP in bulk, because the rolls are so loose, the paper just falls right off. The industrial is still packed tightly. 

 

[Tiramisu]

I've started ordering industrial TP in bulk, because the rolls are so loose, the paper just falls right off. The industrial is still packed tightly. 

 

 

 

I wouldn't mind some more info or a link to order this. :)

[Desert Strawberry]

I wouldn't mind some more info or a link to order this. :)

 

 

I ordered this one, but it wasn't really what I wanted. It's better than the stuff in the stores, but I wanted the really strong, tightly rolled stuff they use in public toilets. 

 

http://www.amazon.com/Marcal-Small-Steps-Recycled-Embossed/dp/B006VFM8EY/ref=sr_1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1412021806&sr=1-1&keywords=marcal

 

I asked at Mardel what brand they use, because it's exactly what I'm looking for. Large, standard-sized rolls, smooth, heavy. You have to really turn the roll. Even with the Marcal, so much comes off when my 3 year old pulls. This is what they use. 

 

http://www.amazon.com/GEP1984101-Bathroom-Tissue-2-Ply-Sheets/dp/B001AQVSCM/ref=sr_1_5?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1412022113&sr=1-5&keywords=envision+toilet+paper

 

This will be my next order. 

[Χά�ων]

I need TP. Thanks for the link

[RootAnn]

I used to work for a Major Manufacturing Company. This is frequently the best "cost saving measure" they come up with. Cut the cost temporarily, shrink the box/bag/amount in the bag, resume back-to-normal cost. If anyone notices the amount reduction, they just say that it is cheaper now. By the time they go back to the previous price, people have adjusted to the new size.

 

I suggest you call & complain & have all your friends do the same. If there is a mass influx of negative pub (Facebook, Twitter, phone calls, newspaper articles), there is the possibility they will go back. However, be prepared for them to say that EVERYONE ELSE is doing it... (This excuse doesn't work when my kids give it to me, but they think it'll work when they say it.)

 

I had some old diapers - size 3 from child #1. I compared them with the Size 3s from child #4. They weren't even in the same range. The old size 3s were bigger than the new size 4s in two directions. I got the "everyone else is doing it" argument, and the "we put more diapers in each box" argument, and the "we cut the price" argument -- depending on which time I called. Yeah, I called more than once. I was surprised they didn't say they made them smaller because our babies now-a-days are smaller than they used to be. Oh yeah, that's because they are BIGGER.  :sad:  :banghead:  :rant:

[Seasider]

And while they are downsizing the squares, they're upsizing the diameter of the tube at the center of the roll. Less tp any way you measure it.

[happi duck]

We all may need to resort to using old Rainbow Resource catalogs...

 

:)

[Cinder]

We all may need to resort to using old Rainbow Resource catalogs...

 

:)

 

I just found one of those monstrosities hiding in a corner of a bookcase and was wondering what to do with it . . .

 

They're probably not safe for septic systems though.  :smilielol5:

[Donna A.]

We all may need to resort to using old Rainbow Resource catalogs...

 

:)

 

Then we'll have the advantage over non-homeschoolers who don't know about Rainbow Resource.... :D  

[Donna A.]

I asked at Mardel what brand they use, because it's exactly what I'm looking for. Large, standard-sized rolls, smooth, heavy. You have to really turn the roll. Even with the Marcal, so much comes off when my 3 year old pulls. This is what they use. 

 

http://www.amazon.com/GEP1984101-Bathroom-Tissue-2-Ply-Sheets/dp/B001AQVSCM/ref=sr_1_5?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1412022113&sr=1-5&keywords=envision+toilet+paper

 

This will be my next order. 

 

Shared this with my dd who works at Mardel... just in case a customer asks.  'Cause you never know.  It's the ultimate educational supply store, right?  :lol: