Buck thirty five an hour

[CG]

My sister in law was going through her journal today and was sending us texts. In 1970 she got a job at the town library for 1.35 an hour with the promise of a raise to 1.50 if she stayed for a year. I think it was her first real job as a kid instead of picking berries.

I looked it up and it has the same purchasing power of about $11.00 an hour in 2024.

So what can you get say fast food wise with 11 bucks today and what could you get for 1.35 in 1970? Is it a huge difference?

[Richard]

Went to McDonalds here a few weeks ago. Used gift cards given to me. 3 double mini burgers and two fries and no drinks, almost $25. Have $15 left on the cards. When that is used up I will never buy anything from them again. Surprisingly, at In & Out a double double, fries and a drink can still be had for that $11.

[CG]

At first I was thinking what the heck can you do with $1.35 even back then. I looked at some old menus thinking that $1.35 would be similar to the adjusted for inflation $11.00, but it’s not even close. You got more for the $1.35 and not just at McDonalds. Course todays minimum wage is closer to $20.00, but in the end it looks like overall cost of goods has really outpaced inflation.

[yuccales]

I remember once minimum wage was $ 1.90 - $ 1.95 an hour. My boss was paying me $ 2.10 an hour, I thought I was RICH!

[Boog]

In 1970 I could drive my dune buggy 3 or 4 days on $1.35 worth of gas.

[Ironhorse]

I remember my first job after coming home from Vietnam in April of '70 was $1.65 an hour. Gas was $0.26 - $0.30 a gallon for regular or premium. Wife and I married in June '71 and our first rental house was unfurnished, two BR, hardwood floors, we paid the utilities.....$50 a month!

As Bob Dylan once sang.... "Oh, the times they are a'changing"

[mongocanfly]

My 1st paying job as a farmhand in the late 70s was $1/hr, and a 70hr work week...
man I thought I was rich

[Palf70Step]

i REMEMBER, (OLD FOLKS STUFF) in late 60's when I was working at gas station and minimum wage went to over $1 an hour. I also remember in 72 refusing to pay 28 cents a gallon at the Sunoco where I worked and went down road to the cheapie mart to get gas at 26. Starting to sound old there.

[GOPAPA]

Good Post Mark,,,That made me go back and see just what I made in 1963 @ $3.00 a thousand board feet cut of lumber cants and the guy I was off bearing in his two man circle saw sawmill cut approx. 3000 board feet a day ,, I got $9

$9 in 1963 is equivalent in purchasing power to about $92.40 today, an increase of $83.40 over 61 years. The dollar had an average inflation rate of 3.89%

[Tom]

Originally Posted by CG

I looked it up and it has the same purchasing power of about $11.00 an hour in 2024.

So what can you get say fast food wise with 11 bucks today and what could you get for 1.35 in 1970? Is it a huge difference?

That ain't right.
Just look at home prices.

[71CHEVYSHORTBED402]

Originally Posted by CG

My sister in law was going through her journal today and was sending us texts. In 1970 she got a job at the town library for 1.35 an hour with the promise of a raise to 1.50 if she stayed for a year. I think it was her first real job as a kid instead of picking berries.

I looked it up and it has the same purchasing power of about $11.00 an hour in 2024.

So what can you get say fast food wise with 11 bucks today and what could you get for 1.35 in 1970? Is it a huge difference?

I seem to recall my first hourly job paid minimum wage at $2.30 an hour, in 1976. Washed dishes, free meals, and the waitresses were hot.

Well, I can only compare McDonalds from memory. Until I don't know, 1980s you could get a cheese burger, fries and coke for a buck. I don't recall the size of the coke and fries, it was before the US produced the cows we've become today, but I'll say small fries and drink.

Cheeseburger: $3.49

Small Fries: $1.39

Small Coke: $2.29 (wowza) for $7.17

Minimum wage in 1978 was $2.65. So 2.65x the cost of a burger, fries and coke.

$11 an hour is 1.53x the cost of a burger fries and coke today.

Then again, if you want a Big Mac meal, that starts at $11.89 before tax, so, yikes.