Everyone is dealing with the struggling economy, and even Girl Scouts have been forced to make some changes to their cookies because of the rising costs of ingredients and transportation. To keep from increasing the price of a box of cookies, Girl Scouts of the USA decided to make boxes of Thin Mints, Do-Si-Dos and Trefoils about one ounce lighter and boxes of Tagalongs and Samoas about half an ounce smaller, said Marianne Addy, Louisiana East Girl Scout’s vice president of communication. But this size difference means only about two cookies less per box. Also, the size of Lemon Chalet Creams was reduced rather than putting less in a box.Addy said the Girl Scouts were forced to face a tough decision this year. They either needed to raise the price per box, or they needed to put less cookies in a box.”The economy is uncertain everywhere,” Addy said. “We felt that it was better to make a few less cookies than ask people to start paying more.”Cookies are sold for $3.50 a box. The amount of cookies per box depends on the type of cookie.  Addy said the price of Girl Scout cookies hasn’t increased in 15 years, and they don’t plan on increasing in coming years.Addy said decreasing the size of the boxes won’t help them save any money because ingredient prices rose. It will just make it possible for them not to raise the price. Addy said there were several variables that forced them into this situation.”The cost of baking a cookie today is significantly higher than it was even a year ago,” Addy said.Transportation costs for shipping and delivering the cookies increased 30 to 40 percent in the past year.  The cost of flour increased 30 percent, and the cost of cocoa increased 20 to 30 percent.Addy believes even though the economy is down, Girl Scout cookie sales shouldn’t suffer in Louisiana.”After Katrina, when people were rebuilding homes and dealing with their losses, they still came out to support Girl Scouts,” Addy said. “Sales still did very well that year.”David Bennet, mass communication freshman, said he will still buy cookies, and he thinks other people will, too.”They’re still so good and I doubt anyone will really notice the few cookies missing,” Bennet said.Addy agrees. She has seen the boxes and said she couldn’t even tell any of them were any smaller.Two of Girl Scouts most popular cookies have peanut butter in them, but Addy said neither of the bakers they work with have received peanut butter from the supplier involved with the peanut butter warning.Girl Scouts start open sales of cookies March 6 and continue until March 22 with a short break for Mardi Gras. This year, Girl Scouts do not plan to sell anywhere on campus, but they will be selling cookies in front of grocery stores nearby.—-Contact Nichole Oden at [email protected]