How to make chips last longer

The feeling of sitting down with a bag of chips, only to find three whole chips in the bag is one that disappoints trillions around the globe. So while chip bags are only getting more expensive and having less chips, we as normal everyday people must make the most of what's given to us.

Making chips last longer really comes down to two factors: how easy it is to get another chip, and how long you eat the chip for. To illustrate this, I have prepared a handy reference diagram for your information.

Obtaining

This gives us, as chip scientists, exactly two things to make take longer. Starting with obtaining, instead of having your chip bag on your table, place it:

• On a different table you would need to walk to get to
• In a different room
• Down/upstairs if you have them

Eating

But let's say, hypothetically, you're doing something that for whatever reason requires you to be sat down, and can't keep getting up to grab chips. That's where we introduce deoptimising the second segment: eating. Unlike obtaining, which is something you set up for yourself before you eat a chip, prolonging eating involves constant action (not the explosion kind of action). The first obvious thing to deoptimise is the gap between putting the chip in your mouth, and chewing. Instead, let the chip sit there for a second. Enjoy the flavour. Once you've appreciated the chip, then, start chewing it.

The next best thing to deoptimise, or best thing depending on how you see things, is the time between swallowing one chip and getting the next chip. This, I find, comes easier if reaching into the bag of chips becomes a conscious effort. Even without moving the bag far away, you can still us this by placing the bag on a table behind you, or on a shelf next to you, or something where you need to think about the chip before eating it.

Psychology?

This, at least I believe, comes from the human nature to follow the path of least resistance. For example, if you're stuck watching short form content on a phone, there's nothing inherently wrong with you. The act of putting the phone down, getting up, and doing something productive, is hard. Well, harder than staying on your phone, at least. But now imagine if you had to do a pushup for every video. You'd probably think "ugh, this is so tiring and boring, and I'd rather go write my chip website." And that's because we're essentially artificially adding resistance to the path, to create a new path of least resisitance.

Good, back to chips

Back to the chips, by moving the bag away from where you sit, the act of swivelling your chair around, or getting up, or even turning your head, is resistance. And now, you have to think before you get a chip, slowing you down in the process. This does work better if you have a workstation of sorts to return to after getting the chip, or else you might find yourself standing at the bag, defeating the purpose of moving it. Also, you get bonus points if you place the dip in a different location to the bag of chips, and where you're working, so you have to go on a mini quest.

Ending

Hopefully this guide can help reverse the effects of chip packets having less chips in them, help you make chips last longer, and maybe even teach you something about human psychology you didn't know before.