Less isn’t always more; sometimes it’s just…well, less.

I’m going to vent a little bit, because I’ve been noticing a trend that seems to be getting more and more widespread. Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like even though the things we frequently purchase *look* the same on the outside, the amount that we’re actually getting for our money has dwindled.

First it was the ice cream, which used to be a half-gallon (2 quarts).  Now it’s only 1.5 quarts instead of 2. The carton looks almost exactly the same, but the brand I usually buy is cleverly shaped so that the size difference isn’t very noticeable.

A couple of months ago my 10 year old son (who is a popcorn fanatic) kept burning the popcorn in the microwave, even though he was setting it for the same amount of cook-time as always.  Turns out, the 3.5-ounce bags are now only 3 ounces.  We figured that out, shaved about 20 seconds off nuke time and lo and behold – no more burned popcorn.

The last time I put a new book of checks into my checkbook, it dawned on me that instead of the normal 25 checks in each book, the are now only 20.  What’s up with that??

And most recently I’ve noticed that the mascara that I used to use for 3 months (and yes, I actually kept up with that) is now pretty much gone after only 2 months.  That one may seem a little weird (how does anyone really remember when they started using that particular tube of mascara?).  Well, I’m embarrassed to admit that as an obsessively organized person, I write the date on the bottom of the tube when I start using it so I’ll know when it’s time to toss it.  The problem is that now I might as well toss it well before the recommended three months.

So none of these things are a big deal in the grand scheme of things.  In fact, they are pretty random.  But I think the randomness is what starting catching my attention.  I’m sure there are lots of other items that I haven’t noticed yet, but now that I’m tuned in to it, I’ll be on the lookout!