For all we are told that inflation is very low, it seems to me (and my mother) that food costs are steadily rising.  I understand the problem is that inflation is based on a number of products including electronics, not just food and fuel. 

We're all aware that new technology comes in expensive and then drops in price and it seems to me that this skews inflation figures quite a lot.  For people like my parents, inflation is running high.  They never buy the latest faddy electronics, or most of the other things in the 'inflation' list, they do buy food and their bills have gone up and up.

I began to notice some weeks ago the little tricks that the supermarkets were getting up to, to try to make it less noticeable that food prices are rising.  For instance, my supermarket always sold their cooked meat in packets of 6 slices - 2 for £3.  Now there are only 5 slices in the identical looking pack (except for the 5) and same price.

I bought a new packet of straws.  Check this out...

they are all about an inch shorter than before!  Imagine how much money that must have saved the manufacturers - same price as before, or slightly dearer maybe.

Then I heard that there has been some research into this, I think by mySupermarket, which proves that I'm quite right!

After I wrote the above I went to photograph the straws and picked up our local newspaper.  It had a letter in it complaining that Weetabix have got smaller.  The writer was sure because some time ago they bought a special tin to keep them in.  They used to be a snug fit and now they are both shorter and narrower.

Have you noticed any 'creative' methods of hiding the truth of rising prices?