One of the biggest components of my five step savings plan is stockpiling--stocking up on items while they're on sale, so that I never have to pay full price again. But even more, stockpiling helps insulate my family against the tide of rising prices.  For the past two years we have witnessed a two-pronged attack on prices at the grocery. Prices have risen steadily, with a more than 20% rise since mid-2008. But what you may not have noticed is that package sizes have been shrinking at the same time. Frozen bags of Tyson chicken used to be 4 lbs, now they're 2.5 lbs. Kraft cheese blocks used to be 8 oz, now they're 7 oz. Next time you pick up a jar of peanut butter, turn it over and you'll find a deep indentation in the jar--allowing them to quietly reduce the package contents without consumers noticing.  Have you noticed lately that you seem to be going through a lot more food than before? You may have thought it was because your family was eating more, but it is just as likely that shrinking packages are to blame. You're spending more for less food.  And this cycle is continuing, driven by higher fuel prices and higher commodity prices in producing their products. The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation released new figures showing a 37% rise in the global food price index since May 2010. Recently several manufacturers have announced price hikes and smaller packages. Here's a list of some of the products: 

• Kellogg's cereals reduced their packages by 15% or 2.4 ounces. In February the company also announced that it will also raise the price of its cereals 3% to 4%. 
• Snickers reduced their King Size bars by 11% and hid it by splitting the larger bar into two "shareable" bars. 
• Tropicana reduced their orange juice packaging by 8%, or 5 ounces per bottle. It also raised prices by as much as 8%.
• Ice Cream--a half gallon is no longer a half gallon. It is now 1.5 quarts. A pint is no longer 16 ounces--they are now 14 ounces.
• Angel Soft toilet paper used to have 352 sheets per roll but now has 300 sheets, a 15% decrease.
• Pepperidge Farm reduced the size of some of it's breads by 6 ounces and increased the price by almost .30 a package.
• Ivory dish detergent shrank by 20%. It was 30 ounces and now is 24 ounces.
• Kraft American cheese: used to be 24 slices, now is 22 slices.
• Nabisco's Saltines and Honey Maid graham crackers now have 15% fewer crackers than old packages.
• Pasta boxes used to be one pound, or 16 ounces. They're now 13.25 ounces.
• Sugar is now in four pound bags, not five pound bags.
• Baby wipes used to be 80 ct; they're now 72 ct. 
• Canned vegetables are also shrinking: industry standard used to be 16 ounces, now it varies from 11 ounces to 14.5 ounces.
• Doritos, Fritos and Tostitos bags have 20% fewer chips than in 2009. 
• General Mills has increased prices by 3% to 4% across the board, and recently announced the company expects to rise prices another 4% to 5% over the summer on their cereal products.

 On the surface these reductions don't always seem so big--but when you use these products regularly the smaller package sizes add up quickly. For example, the average glass of orange juice is eight ounces, meaning one and a half fewer glasses per container of orange juice. The average American eats 6 ounces of chicken in one meal--the new package sizes mean one full meal less per package for the average American family. Those things add up fast to equal a much higher grocery bill. Marketers often cleverly hide the shrinking packages by touting new "refrigerator door" designs, or by being more environmentally friendly. As couponers, we'll often find great sales and coupons as manufacturers switch out the older larger sizes for the newly 'redesigned' packages.  But how does stockpiling help insulate me against these trends? Because the cereal I bought late last year cost less and had more in the box than the cereal I buy today. It's important not to overstock food as you'll end up throwing away much of it. But stockpiling a three to six month supply of your favorite food products now while they're on sale is the quickest way to save money long-term, whether or not you ever use a coupon.  We're discussing this over in our message board--join us as we share the items we've noticed either a price rise or a smaller package.