In the years since the election of President Biden you may have noticed that not only have trips to the grocery store and the gas station grown outrageously more expensive, but the size of grocery staples…just like the size of fast food and restaurant portions…have gotten noticeably smaller. In the 1980’s, the nations’ news outlets started carrying stories about a relatively new phenomenon labeled as companies ‘downsizing’; lately, some relatively obscure news outlets have carried stories about ‘shrinkflation’ which we think may be more accurately labeled as ‘Bidensizing.’ Consider this recent statement in the computer related news outlet, CNET:
- If you’ve heard about shrinkflation a lot lately, you’re not alone. As more and more Americans continue to face rising prices, inflation and its cousin shrinkflation have been getting increasing attention from pundits, politicians and even puppets (or rather, Muppets)1.
So…not only has inflation risen 19.32% since 2020 and President Biden’s election, but during the same period, the products that we purchase that cost us almost 20% more than before Biden, during his presidency, have also greatly decreased in size.2 In the CNET article, several examples are given including some common grocery items such as food and hygiene products. Much more comprehensive lists exposing the extent of ‘Bidensizing’ can be found at the mouseprint.org website which also includes stories about fraudulent advertising.3
Under the headline “Biden calls out ‘shrinkflation’ as part of a broader strategy to reframe how voters view the economy”, the Associated Press describes how President Biden called out companies which have reduced portion size to continue profitability when inflated prices have greatly raised their costs of production. President Biden is quoted as saying in his State of the Union address, “You get charged the same amount and you got about, I don’t know, 10% fewer Snickers in it.”1 In other words, Biden is blaming the companies which produce the products we buy for their strategies to continue making money, when it is Biden’s policies themselves that have caused the ‘shrinkflation’….or better…Bidensizing.
Bidensizing has resulted in less filling in our cookies, less cereal in our corn flakes and it is Bidensizing that, when considering price inflation in fuel costs, means we get about half a gallon of gas now for the same amount of money that bought a whole gallon before President Biden. His policies have quickly turned our dollars into about 75-80 cents WHILE shrinking the products we buy. Voila! This is the disastrous miracle of ‘Bidensizing.’ For Americans on fixed incomes such as Social Security or pensions, ‘Bidensizing’ means that not only do your dollars buy fewer products but the products you buy are smaller and do not last as long. Like termites on steroids can consume a substantial building, ‘Bidensizing’ eats away significant amounts of value from your savings and investments every day!
We here at I Vote My Vote want you to be able to recognize how these economic disasters happen. They usually happen because of the irresponsible and destructive policies of government. If your bank account is feeling the pain of higher prices and smaller products, that’s Bidensizing. We want you to clearly see who it is to blame and so, to act to solve these problems by exercising civic responsibility. Vote these irresponsible politicians out and replace them with candidates that will restore fiscal sanity to ease the economic pain for the country.
- Butler, P. & Combs, M. (2024). What is Shrinkflation? Everything to Know About This Sneaky Cost Increase. CNET. Retrieved from https://www.cnet.com/personal-finance/what-is-shrinkflation-everything-to-know-about-this-sneaky-cost-increase/
- Lam-Balfour, T. & Durana, A. (2023). The Current Inflation Rate is 3.4%. Here’s Why It Matters. Nerdwallet.com. Retrieved from https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/investing/inflation
- Dworsky, E. (2024). Here We Shrink Again – Spring 2024 – Part 1. Mouseprint.org. Retrieved from https://www.mouseprint.org/2024/04/15/here-we-shrink-again-spring-2024/
- Boak, J. (2024). Biden calls out ‘shrinkflation’ as part of a broader strategy to reframe how voters view the economy. The Associated Press. Retrieved from https://apnews.com/article/biden-state-of-union-shrinkflation-7bb0d90a7736431fa44505643009b05d
1. Q: What is Bidensizing?
Ans: Bidensizing refers to the phenomenon where products decrease in size while maintaining the same price or experiencing price increases, particularly observed during the presidency of Joe Biden. It is often associated with inflation and shrinkflation.
2. Q: How does Bidensizing differ from shrinkflation?
Ans: While shrinkflation refers to the reduction in product size while keeping prices constant, Bidensizing specifically attributes this phenomenon to economic policies or conditions during the Biden administration.
3. Q: What are some examples of Bidensizing?
Ans: Examples of Bidensizing include reductions in the quantity or size of grocery items, such as food and hygiene products, as well as smaller portions in fast food and restaurant servings. Gasoline prices increasing while the quantity purchased with the same amount of money decreases is also cited as an example
4. Q: What causes Bidensizing?
Ans: Bidensizing is attributed to factors such as inflation, rising production costs, and economic policies implemented during President Biden’s tenure, which may have contributed to companies adjusting product sizes to maintain profitability.