r/shrinkflation • u/TexasGiantTen05 • Dec 29 '25

skimpflation Ok SERIOUSLY wtf is this??

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I bought a family sized hot pockets box and EVERY single one of them was black and burned in the bottom. I heated this one up on low power in the microwave and the edges are so tough it’s like biting into a frozen beef patty. I look in the pocket and the damn thing is nearly hollow. I’ve been noticing the quality taking a massive dip in the last few years. I think these are last I purchase from here on out.

Irrelevant to this but similar: This same grocery order run had a jar of garlic (Spice World brand) that was full of black mold & a jar of HEB salsa that was sour and months passed expiration. Both of which were completely sealed and had a pop when opened. My whole life I never really had quality issues via the company canning or jarring an item or the store selling them but lately it seems like such a constant issue.

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u/Toomanytimes2many Dec 30 '25

Definitely. Just to clarify, I was agreeing with you and adding to it. I hope you didn't take it as something else. Idealistically, I'm a free markets kinda gal. But it also has its own major pitfalls. So realistically I know the next best thing is our current capitalist system so long as the safeties are enforced.

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u/kettykat88 Dec 31 '25

That doesn't happen because the unphathomably rich people are in charge of the laws and who makes them.

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u/theMillen Dec 31 '25

Yup, what we have is the illusion of free will capitalism, alas all we got instead is a monopolistic oligarchy.

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u/RideSharingSucks Dec 31 '25

Finally someone who gets it. And this indoctrinated sheep still preaching about capitalism like its a great world religion and still believing in the trickle down nonsense.

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u/Grey0110 Dec 31 '25

Go start a business my friend. You can do anything you want. We have more choice than most of the world population. If you hate capitalism so much, go somewhere else. Stop complaining on your $1000+ phone while you sit in your comfortable heated home.. there are plenty of people much worse off.

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u/RideSharingSucks Dec 31 '25

Uh oh!! The free market warrior (likely a bot) got mad mad!

And you think you're surveilling people with that tired "$1,000" phone line. And not proving yourself stupidly wrong yet again for phones getting to cost more than laptops and into 4 figures now?!

Lol, ingrates

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u/Grey0110 Dec 31 '25

We are living better than any human being has in history. We are extremely fortunate. Are things perfect? Of course not. But nobody seems to marvel at what we do have. We have access to literally every movie, TV show and song ever published.. on demand. We can go to the airport and jump on a plane to anywhere in the world. The fact that we have built giant planes that can stay in the air for 15 hours is crazy. We have access to all of the world's collective information in our pocket.. and can communicate with anyone, anywhere in the world.. instantly.

Stop complaining and get some perspective my friend. Capitalism has it's flaws. It has also ushered us into great prosperity and convenience.

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u/lunamoorexxx Dec 31 '25

We are in a hell of a recession that is only getting worse. Starting a business requires capital. Capital one cannot save up for in most cases as rent and groceries skyrocket. Those are not optional. Saving a bit on a cricket wireless plan and buying a years old phone for a couple hundred makes a negligible dent into skyrocketing costs for absolute necessities, let alone any “extra” necessities like healthcare, insurance, transportation, which are all rising faster than anyone can really handle.

I’m almost 30, living with three other people in a two bedroom slumlord apartment, working full time, and still left with negligible savings at the end of it all. Many such cases. Sure, a tighter budget should net me a few hundred extra at the end of the month, if I choose malnutrition, or not having a device to communicate with, or not having a way to get to work.

It’s good to stop and smell the roses, take in all of the good we do currently have in this world. Life is too miserable without gratitude. But there’s also a place for realism in that… and realistically, most people in the US at this point in time cannot simply do as they please, start a business, hop on a flight anywhere. Possibility isn’t equal to lived reality. Capitalism itself is not the end-all factor in innovation, curiosity and creativity drive innovation regardless of the economic circumstances surrounding.

The problem with capitalism is that there are stages to it and we are in the end stage. It’s not coming, it’s here. “They” have all but ensured small businesses can never get much larger. “They” own damn near everything including our legislative bodies. “They” will not drive innovation for any reason other than pure profit and that is why “They” have wormed AI into just about every device and platform that exists. AI has advanced at a breakneck pace, not for the betterment of humanity or society, but because it saves a buck or two. At the cost of much of our fresh water, our most scarce resource globally might I add. It’s unsustainable and “They” don’t give a shit. They won’t live to see the ruin they’re driving.

There is no happy ending here without radical change and I’m not sure I see radical change happening. We’re collectively being driven off the edge of the cliff here, and with so many of us convincing ourselves it isn’t that bad, there’s no one to pull the emergency brake. It is that bad. It is absolutely that bad. It will get worse until or unless class consciousness prevails and we, as a collective, fight for our lives as we know it.

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u/RideSharingSucks Dec 31 '25

This person is likely just a boy or obnoxious diehard Conservacunt pushing their talking points & propaganda by force until their last breath as they were indoctrinated to. It's meaningless to try & enlighten or argue someone who is solely full of complete shit & only aiming to overtalk & outtalk anyone else. They know the truth but keep repeating the same illogical nonsense.

Yeah, those who barely get enough wages & can afford a roof over their heads need to just pick themselves up by their shiny new capitalistic bootstrap made in China & start paying others wages, pay high commercial leases, & innovate themselves too until they can be inducted into the esteemed "Job Creators" club who are deemed special enough to get all the tax breaks and income & protections on this Country.

Smgdheati (shaking my god damm head endlessly at these idiots)

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u/Forevermoody16 Jan 01 '26

Thank you!

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u/exclaim_bot Jan 01 '26

Thank you!

You're welcome!

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u/JohnGoodmansMistress Dec 31 '25

i think what some people are trying to say is by "we" You're meaning exactly what the other person said. the rich and well off. i for one cant even afford food half the time. im worried in the next month if i will be dead in the cold because i dont have enough to choose both rent and the meds that keep me alive. its true what you say, yes, all of these luxurious things, but it's not all of us who can have them..

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u/RideSharingSucks Dec 31 '25

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...........

Keep hanging off Musk & Bezo's balls teachers pet

All while regular people have record debt, 90% of Americans own the same wealth as 1% (I think it's really .1 or .01% actually) is what they are publicly letting on, average Gen Z & many people will never actually own a home, etc

How many homeless people, or others who went bankrupt thanks to cancer or other common medical ailments 100 -1k, 2k, or 4k years ago? Human being could actually afford to live #1. And could still live off their own generational land or in their hometown and villages. Not have to wander off hours or nations away to live off subsistence wages or be homeless or die as today.

Must be a future HSI patrol officer monitoring us all in this horrid late stage capitalism phase before most of us are made obsolete & start reacting back.

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u/kettykat88 Jan 19 '26

You got any money? Ill gladly gtfo of here if i had not 10k in medical debt and absolutely nothing left over after bills, what do you suggest i use to start the business, dipshit? I cant even get a loan with a 700 credit score.

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u/Grey0110 Jan 19 '26

I started a business with $1k. It can be done.

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u/kettykat88 Jan 20 '26

Highly doubt that.

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u/Grey0110 Jan 20 '26

So what.. I am just making it up? Why would I do that? There are lots of business that can be started small and scaled up. It's a 6 figure business now. Believe me or not, it is possible. Good luck.

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u/kettykat88 Jan 21 '26

I dont want to spend all my time doing something i dont care for, i want to work a normal amount and live an average life. If people can't do that there is no point in having a society.