23 Apr
1999
23 Apr
'99
7:39 a.m.
of the "average" American. First of all, it
was over a month's pay for the
average American, it was equivalent to six months' groceries for a family of
four, and you could get a refrigerator or a washer, neither of which were
routine discretionary expenditures for the "average" American of that time.
That was during and immediately after the Korean war, when a 4-bedroom house
on a 1/4-acre lot cost $4600. That same house, now, in California would
cost you $4600 a month to rent. People's attitudes about what's important
enough to spend your money on have changed considerably.
The nubers you quote are not universal or reflected everywhere in the
US.
On LI NY, 1960:
My father made roughly 100$ take home.
My mother made 54$ as nurses aid.
My parent house cost $18,000 in 1957 (1/3 acre)
Neither car was never than three years old.
A washer was 110$
A dryer (electric) was 122$
Bazooka gum was 1 cent a piece
Weeks food from the A&P for 5 was ~33$
The PDP-1 was considered groundbreaking for it's low
price of $120,000.
By 1964
a 19 inch portable black and white TV was 120$ and still used
tubes.
In 1971
A new chevy pickup was 2700$
A used 8i system could be had for 2-3000 with peripherals(disks)
A new Cincinatti Milichron CM2000 basic machine was $2000.
in short use real numbers.
Allison