Infuriating Photos Of Shrinkflation That Prove We're Getting Ripped Off

When comparing products for shrinkflation, a different perspective can make a huge difference. When looking at these blush sticks from the front, consumers might not notice much of a difference, but this angle proves that the most recent version is visibly smaller compared to what they used to sell.

Toilet paper rolls don't lie, and in this case, you can see exactly how the company shrunk the size of their rolls. C'mon, can't people even buy toilet paper without being ripped off? Apparently not.

Here is proof of shrinkflation at work. Now consumers can buy a smaller jug for the same price or pay about $0.20 more for the old, larger size. Seeing things like this in the grocery store feels like a slap in the face for shoppers. Do you agree?

Once again, perspective is everything. If you saw this jar of Nutella on the shelf, it would look totally normal. But, this eagle-eyed shopper realized that when you turn the jar to the side, it's clear that the company shrunk the packaging. So sneaky.

This restaurant tried to be so clever by using a sticker to cover up the fact that their buffalo chicken sandwich changed from two pieces of chicken to one. Too bad they didn't place the sticker very well, because diners noticed the change right away.

Sometimes, brands get exciting new packaging that is supposed to look more modern and sleek. This is when they hope consumers will be distracted by the shiny new design so that they won't notice that the package is actually smaller. In this case, the new shampoo bottle is 5.5 fluid ounces smaller than the old bottle.

As you can see, the container on the right is advertised as "new and improved" and includes a better handle design. However, the overall container is significantly smaller compared to what it used to be. We're sure shoppers would be happy to have a new handle, but they also want the same amount of soap for the same price.

One shopper was disappointed to learn that their favorite coffee brand was also a victim of shrinkflation. Positioned side-by-side, there's no denying it: the new coffee canister is much smaller compared to what it used to be.

Lay's has been telling us for years that they bet we "can't just have one", but the truth is, soon we might not be able to afford one. Their bag of chips shrank from 235 grams to 145 grams. Those bags are basically half-full of air to begin with, so how many chips are we getting now? A handful?

Most people would be on board with a new bottle that makes it easier to squeeze the sauce out, but why do we have to pick between a new bottle and the old size? This is why we can't have nice things in life, am I right?

These two boxes look exactly the same, except for one small change: the new box only has 270 bags compared to 280 bags. Maybe having 10 fewer bags isn't that big of a deal, but it's the principle of the matter.

It looks like Q-tips cotton swabs have decided to reduce their boxes by 100 swabs. Photos like this prove that shrinkflation doesn't just affect food – even everyday products like Q-tips are affected, so keep your eyes peeled when you're shopping.

Here's a case where the box is the same and comes with the same amount, but the actual size of the bar is smaller. This has to be a new low for a company. Those bars were already pretty small to begin with and now... they're smaller? Give us a break.

Seeing these spice bottles side-by-side is a bit alarming. The new bottle is absolutely tiny and you just know they are charging the same price or more. The only good news is that photos like this keep consumers informed so they can choose a different brand if they find a better deal.

Let this be a warning to always check the package-to-product ratio. Sometimes, deceptive packaging can make a product look much larger than it actually is. We have a feeling this snack tasted like pure disappointment.

Here's another egregious example of a package that is ripping people off. Someone went as far as sticking a ruler in there to show us that the container is half-empty. We just want to eat out chocolate eggs in peace, for crying out loud.

Besides deceptive packaging and reducing the number of products, sometimes companies actively make their products worse while charging the same price. Compare this Pop-Tart to the image on the box; there is hardly any chocolate on it. Who wants a bland, bare Pop-Tart? No one, that's who.

Once again, Pop-Tarts are seriously skimping on the toppings with their products. There is only one snack in the whole package that looks remotely close to what is advertised. Can we get their quality control person on the phone? We have a few complaints.

Frozen dinners can be very hit or miss, but this brand looked promising. That is, until the person who purchased it opened the package and saw how tiny the portion was. I think I can count 10 tortellinis there, which is hardly enough to count as a meal.

Unfortunately, frozen burritos are another product that has suffered from tiny portion sizes. I can't even see any filling or ingredients here; it looks like an empty tortilla. We're sure the person who bought this will not be a repeat customer.

This deceptive cracker package pulled a fast one on us. They put that plastic divider in the middle to reduce the number of crackers in the box. People won't realize until they open the box and pull out the tray. That is some master-level trickery.

Maybe if we squint our eyes enough, we'll be able to see the apple filling that is supposed to be in these cookies. It looks like the company put the tiniest layer of filling, while the package promises something else entirely.

Would you be a happy shopper if you bought these cookies, which promised ample chocolate chips, and opened the box to find these? This is a classic case of expectations versus reality, and it begs the question, "Why can't companies just keep their promises?"

This advertising technique has been around for ages, but consumers should be reminded about it. This box was designed to trick your brain into thinking the product is bigger than it actually is. Once the product is removed from the packaging, you get a better sense of its real size. Keep this in mind when you're shopping.

Shame on Nerds for making us think that their Rope was going to be the same size as the package. When the candy is unwrapped, it's clear that it is about an inch shorter than what was promised. Wow, they really are playing with our minds now, aren't they?

Is this blatant gap in the package really necessary? To us, it looks like they could have easily added a few more crackers to make it feel like we really got our money's worth.

One shopper was dismayed to realize that they essentially purchased an empty box. The company didn't even attempt to hide the fact that they are ripping people off with this product. By the way, these are supposed to be lasagna noodle sheets, and I don't even think you could make a full lasagna with one box.

When the burrito is compared to the size of the wrapper, it looks minuscule. Burritos are supposed to be hearty and hefty. It should feel like you're carrying a swaddled newborn when you pick it up, so what is going on here?

Once again, poorly placed stickers reveal companies' true intentions. Here, a company tried to cover up the fact that their product shrank by 50 milliliters, but they failed. Start looking for these stickers when you go shopping from now on.

Even Little Debbie has betrayed us. Their classic zebra cakes are now practically transparent. That layer of icing is so thin, you can see the cake through it. They definitely didn't look like this when we were kids.

Apparently, some packages of Ferrero Rocher have simply removed one chocolate from the package but kept everything else the same. This photo is of a sealed box one Reddit user purchased. Would it really be that much trouble for us to have that one chocolate?

These two eyeshadow palettes are the exact same product from the same company, but you might notice that the newer one is much smaller. Even though the compacts are the same size, they secretly changed the amount of product that is included. This comparison is crazy.

Here's another example where a company kept the same packaging and simply removed some of its product. No apology, no warning, just less product for the same price. Did they think customers would be happy about this?

Even those jumbo value sizes that you can purchase at Costco aren't safe anymore. At this point, the value size is just slightly larger than the regular size, which completely defeats the purpose of this system. Is there no integrity left in the world?

Bic pens have been a dependable writing tool for decades, but even they have found a way to cut costs and increase profits. The pens now contain less ink and are made with a thicker plastic that makes them look fuller. Why can't we have nice things anymore?

Clif Bars decided to take a different approach by telling customers the new box now comes with five bars... but the old box came with six. Was there a huge demand for the box to come with five bars for the same price? Because that's how they are making it seem.

Now, did anyone ever really need a giant tub of cheese balls as part of their diet? No, but there was a certain novelty in buying these for parties or other get-togethers. Now, the tub is hardly giant, so what's even the point? Once again, shrinkflation sucks the joy out of life.

You know things are bad when people pull out the rulers. These so-called 8-inch tortillas are actually only 7 inches in diameter. Someone get the tortilla company on the phone because we need some answers as soon as possible.

Chances are that you are more familiar with these tins because they held your grandma's sewing supplies, but if you have ever purchased them for the cookies, you'll be disappointed to learn that the tins are smaller. That's right, even these cookie tins are victims of skrinkflation. Is nothing sacred anymore?

It's a subtle change but an undeniable one. Not only is the jar smaller, but this Reddit user also noticed that the first ingredient changed from tomatoes to water, so there are other ways companies are looking to save a few bucks at the expense of their customers.

Those packages spell out the situation clearly: they raised the price by one dollar and reduced the size by one gram. These seem like small changes, but over time, they do add up, and in the end, the one who pays is the consumer.

The main consumers of cheese strings are children, but these look even too small for them. That looks like what, three bites of cheese at the most? Our growing children demand more cheese than that!

Orange juice is one of those household staples that practically everyone uses. That's why it's so annoying when companies target those products for shrinkflation. They know people buy these products regularly, so they try to milk every penny out of them. Ugh.

We have never seen a cookie package like this, and we hope we never do. Consumers are 100% expecting those rows to be filled to the end, but this company just decided not to. It honestly looks like someone opened the box, took half the cookies out, and put it back on the shelf.

If you ate Lunchables as a kid, you'll remember that they used to come with a little chocolate treat. Well, it looks like they don't anymore, but the package makes it look like there is still a space for one. That is so disappointing.

While not necessarily an example of shrinkflation, it's interesting to see how these toy cars have lost a lot of their details over the years. Once again, companies are looking to save money, so that means many products don't have the same features that they used to in the past.

If we received this box of chocolates, we would be so disappointed. The box is practically all plastic packaging with a few chocolates squeezed in here and there. There should be some sort of legal minimum when it comes to packaged chocolates from now on.

Even notebooks come with less paper these days than they used to. Paper. Can you believe that? What does a sheet of paper cost? It can't be that much, but I guess the stationary companies thought otherwise. Yeesh.

Okay, we need someone to do some math here because how is it possible that the tube with 20% more Pringles is smaller than it used to be? Can we get some experts to work out the formula because something is not adding up.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, this one basically says, "Your toothpaste is ripping you off." Why did they have to go and make the package smaller? Not only that, apparently they also swapped some of the ingredients for lower-quality ones. Not cool, Tom.