You Know You Are Old When
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Sigarms
Super Member
Can't help but wonder how this commercial would go over today for various reasons...
Sigarms
Super Member
It's all kind of relative... Current minimum wage in NC is $7.25 an hour, that's a gross of $15,080 a year for a 40 hour work week. Minimum wage in 1969 was $1.60 which would be a gross of $3,340 a year.
I think the biggest difference is back then you could find a lot more people willing to work for minimum wage and not sure what kind of new car you could buy for today under $15,000 LOL (although I do wonder how much shipping and handling were).
If I could only go back in time, buy one and bring it home with me new today!
ultrarunner
Epic Contributor
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- Apr 6, 2004
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- Cat D3, Deere 110 TLB, Kubota BX23 and L3800 and RTV900 with restored 1948 Deere M, 1949 Farmall Cub, 1953 Ford Jubliee and 1957 Ford 740 Row Crop, Craftsman Mower, Deere 350C Dozer 50 assorted vehicles from 1905 to 2006
My property tax on my East Oakland home is double what I paid for my first East Oakland home…
The annual car registration is 1/3 what my old Ford cost new.
It’s amazing what was hundreds is now thousands.
Just priced a booster pump for a friend and about doubled in 7 years.
I remember working for 1.65 and $2 minimum in 1974.
Same job minimum wage is $20 now.
So a ten fold increase over 60 years plus certain benefits are now mandated.
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Sigarms
Super Member
California don't count
ultrarunner
Epic Contributor
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2004
- Messages
- 24,101
- Tractor
- Cat D3, Deere 110 TLB, Kubota BX23 and L3800 and RTV900 with restored 1948 Deere M, 1949 Farmall Cub, 1953 Ford Jubliee and 1957 Ford 740 Row Crop, Craftsman Mower, Deere 350C Dozer 50 assorted vehicles from 1905 to 2006
If that was only true…
Hieronymus Bosch
masseyrider
Veteran Member
I bought my first new car Fall of 1977. It was a 1978 Smokey and the Bandit Trans Am.
Well loaded. PW, PD, air, am/fm with 8 track, even a factory CB. Also the TA 400 engine, 4spd, ws6 handling package and the w72 package.
I paid for it with money from working on the family fruit farm, growing my own side hustle, Tomatoes, and working weekends for the hog grower down the street.
Just under $8200 all in.
There is no way I could buy a comparable such as a Dodge Challenger at age 16 and a half in today's world working at those jobs.
I walked into the local dealership with the money in a brown paper shopping bag.
They called my parents.
Pa said it was my money, I could do as I wanted.
$8k is a lot less money than it used to be. Try to withdraw it from the bank today without a reason and a 3 day heads up.
Sigarms
Super Member
Took out 20K in cash at my bank end of last year, no problem, same day and If I had to give them a reason, I'd close the account.
Keep in mind, 8k in 1977 is 40K given inflation in 2024.