Was life that cheap back in the days ? (60s, economic, country)

[Sand&Salt]

I always look at the fact that the wife did not HAVE to work back then. Now almost all do.


Workers had more reasonable hours and lots of benefits that few get now. That's the facts. All that translates into real money.


A trip to the ER did not bankrupt a person. Even WITH insurance, people bankrupt for medical today.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by Roberta70

Hello, I'm Roberta from Florida
and I was reminiscing with a friend the other day… and we talked about how life used to be when we were younger and how everything was so much cheaper.
I got so excited that I did a bit of research and the differences between then and now are really astounding(even though they exaggerate a bit or my memory is playing tricks on me).
Anyway I found this page and I thought you might find it useful as well.
https://thedetailedhistory.com/20-ex...ck-in-the-60s/

OP, people made a lot less money back then, too. If you go back to the Depression era, things used to sell for pennies. But masses of people were out of work, too. Also, don't forget that in the 60's, doctors and lawyers paid around 65% of their income to taxes, give or take. In actuality, some things have gotten a lot cheaper, now, in view of the percentage of earning power people have, compared to before. Electronics, for one thing. Quality in some cases has gone downhill, though; more plastics, less metal or wood products. So it's a mixed bag, as usual; the picture is more complex than focusing on one little aspect would have us believe.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by Sand&Salt

I always look at the fact that the wife did not HAVE to work back then. Now almost all do.


Workers had more reasonable hours and lots of benefits that few get now. That's the facts. All that translates into real money.


A trip to the ER did not bankrupt a person. Even WITH insurance, people bankrupt for medical today.

And this, too. Housing cost much less, relative to the takehome pay back then, as well. We now have grossly inflated rents & RE prices in some parts of the country, to the point that public servants have to live in subsidized housing and special projects for public servants, including teachers.

[jaminhealth]

Originally Posted by aliasfinn

I would rather have a brand new car from 1968 then one of these turds they build today.

Reminds me of my new Yellow Mustang in 1968 for $2800..loved that horsie.

[jaminhealth]

All these modern day "toys" cost a lot of money and MOST seem to be able to buy them regardless, with the green stuff or the plastic.

[aliasfinn]

Originally Posted by jaminhealth

Reminds me of my new Yellow Mustang in 1968 for $2800..loved that horsie.

I had a 68 Roadrunner, even though it was already 10 years old when I got it, it was a mean machine.

[JONOV]

I always think its interesting...What's gone way up, what's gone way down. A TV in 1960 may have gone $180...Today you get a 40 inch flat screen smart TV for the same money.

The cost of healthcare has gone way up...But people live a lot longer. Diseases like Diabetes are better managed...and you will pay for it for a long time. It used to be, you went to the hospital, they put you back together again or they didn't...Rehab wasn't as long or well understood, you didn't do as well but it didn't cost much either.

Cars? A 63 Buick Riviera was $4,300, which is about $34K todays money, which is about what you spend on a Buick today as well...

Real Estate is what seems to have gone up beyond anything else, driving COL...

[oldgardener]

I remember being paid $1.25/hour, and gas costing 25 cents per gallon. It's all relative though.

Actually, maybe not. Our first house cost $24,000 as newlyweds, and these days most young people can't seem to manage to buy a house.

[Hulsker 1856]

In 1965 the median family income was less than $7000.

Any more questions?

Originally Posted by JONOV

Cars? A 63 Buick Riviera was $4,300, which is about $34K todays money, which is about what you spend on a Buick today as well...

But that modern car will last for many more miles than its 1960s ancestor. It also has far greater creature comforts, and is much safer. So you're getting a lot more bang for you inflation-adjusted buck these days.

[txfriend]

Originally Posted by Coldjensens

I remember gas at 67 cents a gallon and cars for $3,000. Houses were $20,000 - $40,000. However, my dad made $55,000 a year and the made us one of the better off families in town.

Wow, even today that would be a high salary and would be over $400K. In 68, I was earning $1.95 per hour or $78 per week gross. I was 28 years old and just got out of the military after a 9 year stint.