I hope I sure don’t do this when I get older mention what wages where from long ago.
Last night we were watching a documentary on Grant which wasn’t a bad flick but what got me thinking and asking questions is about past wages of people.
In this film on grant they mention his wages right out of West Point in year of 1843 as a 2nd lieutenant, $750 a year.
It broken down it would be $62.50 a month, $15.52 a week, $3.12 a day, and 8 hour work day he would of made .39¢ and hour.
Then once he made general of the union army he was making a $12,000 a year.
Plus I remember my mom saying the year (1960) I was born that my dad was only making five dollars and hour. Then when he retired in the 70’s he was making right around $20.00 an hour.
But the never mention how much father a dollar would go then. They act like price of things haven’t changed and with today big wages we ought to be doing just doing splendid.
Ground Beef is at $2.90 something a pound but in reality ground beef was .67¢ a pound, you could feel up a big ole V-8 cars for under $10 bucks and I drive a little Mazda it cost me right around $40 to fill it up.
My Aunt Penny made $5.00 in late 40 or early 50 laundering my mom waitress uniform at $5.00 month.
They said it bought a groceries sack of food. Now for those five bucks we can buy a 2-gallon pack of milk.
Murphy or I have never made the wages that my dad has.
What I real like to do ask them how far a dollar would go next time they mention how low there wages are way back when
You're right, many people talk about the wages way back then and how much everything cost.....we make more money now but then everything is more expensive too so it pretty well comes out to the same thing. I do remember though when ground beef was one of the cheapest meats to buy...now it's getting quite expensive!
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