The value of a buck: then & now

[The_War_Wagon]

Prepare to cry... or go postal - one of the two!

[sethman15210]

is this gonna turn into one of those "when i was you're age" rants......ok gramps back to the nursing home

[The_War_Wagon]

is this gonna turn into one of those "when i was you're age" rants......ok gramps back to the nursing home

Actually, it's more like one of those "banksters-are-robbing-us-blind" rants, and everybody is too enthralled with "American Idle" to care...

[Azzy]

Its now costing me $20 to fill up the bike. The BIKE. That used to be my car. Before bailouts of everything but me and you.

[joshs1ofakindxj]

Ya, $20 to fill up my motorcycle as well. It costs $100 or so to fill up my truck so it just gets driven on the weekends and I risk life and limb all week on Rt 70 for the sake of saving money on fuel.

[sethman15210]

one solution would be, become hippies and walk or ride a bike and start eating only what you can grow. that'll show them damn polaticans who's boss. I'm gonna sell my jeep and buy a huffy, anyone wanna join me????? lol

[Super Scout]

Ill be devils advocate, I make a lot more money than people in 1955. Hell I am 30 and make more than my parents did when they retired, so there are two sides to this inflation nonsense.

The 1950s it was rare for a family to own 2 cars, I own a ton, 5 currently insured. So what a buck can buy is meaningless.

[Sycotik Skier]

I think the buying power of a dollar is down more now than the fifties. I think an easy way to demonstrate this would be to compare the average salary then to now beside common products then and now

[The_War_Wagon]

I remember filling up my '79 Bronco, for $25... from 1987 - 1991!

[DMG]

Inflation has outpaced the cost of living but we also spend money on stuff now that we didn't in the past. A family was lucky to have one telephone, car and TV in the 50s. Houses were smaller. About 50% smaller. So they cost less to build, buy and heat. Cell phones/iPods/etc didn't exist.
And taxes have been increasing pretty consistently.

[The_War_Wagon]

People lived comfortably (if not extravagantly - on over-extended credit... ) on ONE income, with kids, before the 1980's. It can be hard to make it on two incomes, without kids these days...

[Super Scout]

I once again call BS.
A family today could live the same quality of life they lived pre 1980 on one salary. Cell phones, cable, internet, brand freaking new cars.
I remember growing up we had no cable, no internet, and my dad would buy used ass cars for 1,000 dollars. People are so trained to be in debt, and have everything that they are convinced they need to work.
I know people who live comfortably, own 2 cars, a house, and have one income of less than 30,000 dollars a year. So if your so sure it can't be done maybe you should look how the other half lives. His salary is 28,000 a year and she is a stay at home mom.
They take no .gov assist.

I know personally that I have so much more shit than my parents or grand parents, its just a different mind set all together.

[ridgerunner97]

^ Here here, preach on. I couldn't agree more.

[Sycotik Skier]

Thats a good point about the added expenses ie cell phone and what not. If i didn't have car payments, my wife son and I could easily live off just my income easily, however i really enjoy my toys and nice vehicles so i am a slave to my job

[Azzy]

I once again call BS.
A family today could live the same quality of life they lived pre 1980 on one salary. Cell phones, cable, internet, brand freaking new cars.
I remember growing up we had no cable, no internet, and my dad would buy used ass cars for 1,000 dollars. People are so trained to be in debt, and have everything that they are convinced they need to work.
I know people who live comfortably, own 2 cars, a house, and have one income of less than 30,000 dollars a year. So if your so sure it can't be done maybe you should look how the other half lives. His salary is 28,000 a year and she is a stay at home mom.
They take no .gov assist.

I know personally that I have so much more shit than my parents or grand parents, its just a different mind set all together.

Ive got internet (necessity for work), paid for cars, pay as you go cheap cell phone, no cable, and a small house. With my mandated health insurance, there is no way i could survive with a family of 3 without any form of assistance on 30K. It isnt possible. As it is, I skimp by right now, and take no assistance. None.

30K and a family on NO assistance? not sure how the hell that works in our brave new world. Maybe with a paid for home and making money on the side.

[DMG]

A friend of mine bought a small farm in Ohio for 100k+, has three kids and his wife stays home.

He was making 42k a year when he did this. They were frugal as hell and now that he is going up the pay scale (he is a teacher) they can actually spend a little.

Now that I think about it, he did construction work during the summer but didn't make a ton doing that.

[joshs1ofakindxj]

Part of me really wants to sell my Avalanche and get something older so I can have $400 a month for other bills. The rest of me likes driving a decent looking truck and being comfy on long road trips and the versatility of the avalanche.

[justin'sbig7]

7 year car loans help... Used to be 3 year, a 3 year loan on a car now is as much as a mortgage. My dad used to pull 40k ish a year and we lived comfortably. Mortgage was 600 on his house and he bought a 2 year old truck and would run it till it was about 8yrs old. I remember us (6 of us) being able to eat out at the north park clubhouse lounge and dad complaining about the bill being $60 (we ate middle of the menu at that time too) I make considerably more than that as well as having a wife that works. House isn't extravigant and wasn't expensive. Going to a similar restaurant and getting similar meals with my family (4 of us total) routinely costs close to $100. The price of everything has gone up, the way we pay and the acceptability of going out on credit has gone up.

Steve, when I was single I didn't notice prices as much, and tended to have a bit of float... have a couple of tricycle motors and see how comfy it is.

[Azzy]

Not only has the price of everything gone up, the amount you get has gone down. My wife pays close attention to grocery sales and such, and tells me all the time. You know a normal pack of sugar isnt 5lbs anymore? But still the same price, and relatively similar shape. Just about everything food wise has gone up in price and down in quantity.

[Krod]

We try to make the most of what we earn, buy on sale or larger qty if it makes sense, and avoid the bigger grocery store prices. Drive cars that are a few years older and paid off. Etc...

Im a believer in most of Dave Ramsey's methods and am working on eliminating unnecessary debts. Pay as much as you can on the highest interest loans you have and get them to zero ASAP. We also put 90% or more of our monthly spend on a high reward cash-back credit card, pay that off in full and take the cash back and put it into any remaining loan or the mortgage.

I'm only old enough to remember gas at $.85 but remember how nice it was to fill the tank for less than $20...