The Definition of “Greedflation”

 Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart

I was just a boy growing up in West Los Angeles in the mid 1950’s. Although our mother took us to a small area near a miniature golf course several times which was occupied by small food establishments offering a vriety of “culinary delights,” including hamburgers, Chinese food, hot dogs, pizza, and other inexpensive and tasty varieties of what became known as “fast food,” none of them were well-known by anyone other than the people who lived nearby.

Almost by magic, a new restaurant opened in the area. It was brightly decorated in yellow with a red roof. This one was different: you could eat inside the establishment or take food to go. A hamburger cost 15 cents, and a milkshake 20 cents. It was called McDonalds.

The rest is history.

THE BIG MAC AND AN OBSESSION

In 1967 McDonalds introduced the “Big Mac.” It contained two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce cheese, and pickles on a sesame bun. It cost 45 cents. I cannot estimate the number of those particular hamburgers I consumed in my lifetime.

This brings me to my story, and what Greedflation means to me.

MORE PROOF THAT ALL CORPORATIONS ARE EVIL AND THE ENEMY OF THE WORKING CLASS

Yesterday, March 22, 2026, my wife was grocery shopping. When she was ready to return home, she called me.

“There’s a McDonalds in the parking area. Would you like a Big Mac?”

We almost never eat anything not prepared in our home. We are on a very tight fixed income and there is no room for “extras.”

I said “sure.” It was lunchtime, and I was hungry.

When she arrived home, she gave me her receipts, as usual, so I could record them in our debit card register. The receipt from McDonalds was for $19.97. Our hamburgers cost seven dollars each, and a small container of French Fries was five dollars.

That’s not the end of the story.

I had not had a Big Mac for more than three years. The last time I purchased one, it was under four dollars.

However, the one I was eating cost twice as much, but there’s more. It was 25-35 percent smaller, and the sauce was not the same. It could have been called a “slider,” not a hamburger.

I was curious and found the cost of a Burger King’s “Whopper.” It is no an average size hamburger and cost more than nine dollars each.

YOU KNOW THE END OF THIS STORY

I will never eat anything my wife and I have not prepared in our home, with the exception of some pre-prepared food from Costco, for as long as I live. I will not give my money to another greedy corporation.

This has become SOP for all corporations in the food industry.

A few years ago, a “half gallon of ice cream” became not 64 ounces but 48 ounces for the same or greater price. A packaged “pound of bacon” received the same price and quantity change. This policy applies to most of our pre-packaged food today: reduced quantity and lesser quality for a higher price.

It must not be fun to be a kid today. I am very happy that I grew up in America. The “old days” were far, far better than they are today.

When in high school, my girlfriend and I went to the movies every Friday evening. The tickets cost about $1.50 each with our discount cards. The average price of a “bad” movie today is $16.08 each today.

Op-ed by James Turnage

Follow my blog and be informed

My 10 novels are available on Amazon’s Kindle

 

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart

I was just a boy growing up in West Los Angeles in the mid 1950’s. Although our mother took us to a small area near a miniature golf course several times which was occupied by small food establishments offering a vriety of “culinary delights,” including hamburgers, Chinese food, hot dogs, pizza, and other inexpensive and tasty varieties of what became known as “fast food,” none of them were well-known by anyone other than the people who lived nearby.

Almost by magic, a new restaurant opened in the area. It was brightly decorated in yellow with a red roof. This one was different: you could eat inside the establishment or take food to go. A hamburger cost 15 cents, and a milkshake 20 cents. It was called McDonalds.

The rest is history.

THE BIG MAC AND AN OBSESSION

In 1967 McDonalds introduced the “Big Mac.” It contained two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce cheese, and pickles on a sesame bun. It cost 45 cents. I cannot estimate the number of those particular hamburgers I consumed in my lifetime.

This brings me to my story, and what Greedflation means to me.

MORE PROOF THAT ALL CORPORATIONS ARE EVIL AND THE ENEMY OF THE WORKING CLASS

Yesterday, March 22, 2026, my wife was grocery shopping. When she was ready to return home, she called me.

“There’s a McDonalds in the parking area. Would you like a Big Mac?”

We almost never eat anything not prepared in our home. We are on a very tight fixed income and there is no room for “extras.”

I said “sure.” It was lunchtime, and I was hungry.

When she arrived home, she gave me her receipts, as usual, so I could record them in our debit card register. The receipt from McDonalds was for $19.97. Our hamburgers cost seven dollars each, and a small container of French Fries was five dollars.

That’s not the end of the story.

I had not had a Big Mac for more than three years. The last time I purchased one, it was under four dollars.

However, the one I was eating cost twice as much, but there’s more. It was 25-35 percent smaller, and the sauce was not the same. It could have been called a “slider,” not a hamburger.

I was curious and found the cost of a Burger King’s “Whopper.” It is no an average size hamburger and cost more than nine dollars each.

YOU KNOW THE END OF THIS STORY

I will never eat anything my wife and I have not prepared in our home, with the exception of some pre-prepared food from Costco, for as long as I live. I will not give my money to another greedy corporation.

This has become SOP for all corporations in the food industry.

A few years ago, a “half gallon of ice cream” became not 64 ounces but 48 ounces for the same or greater price. A packaged “pound of bacon” received the same price and quantity change. This policy applies to most of our pre-packaged food today: reduced quantity and lesser quality for a higher price.

It must not be fun to be a kid today. I am very happy that I grew up in America. The “old days” were far, far better than they are today.

When in high school, my girlfriend and I went to the movies every Friday evening. The tickets cost about $1.50 each with our discount cards. The average price of a “bad” movie today is $16.08 each today.

Op-ed by James Turnage

Follow my blog and be informed

My 10 novels are available on Amazon’s Kindle