Here's what you could get with your paycheck a century ago

93Regina · Post by **93Regina** » 18 Mar 2020, 11:51

Here's what you could get with your paycheck a century ago

A sewing machine

Clothes were expensive a century ago, before the days of cheap fast fashion. People still made a lot of their own clothes by hand. A fine mahogany sewing machine cost $78.95—well over $1,000 in today’s dollars. But if you could save on expensive clothing, it was surely worth it.

Post by **RickHaleParker** » 18 Mar 2020, 13:22

93Regina wrote: ↑18 Mar 2020, 11:51
A sewing machine

But if you could save on expensive clothing, it was surely worth it.

Worth it for sure. Them old Singers lasted forever. Seen one just two weeks ago still in working condition. When was the last time your paycheck lasted a century?

bronco · Post by **bronco** » 05 Apr 2020, 19:16

I used to have a few Sears catalogs from the 20,s 30's and 40's I found them fascinating! Leather dress shoes for $1.79 Shotguns for $12 you could even buy a house from sears for short money

Post by **RickHaleParker** » 05 Apr 2020, 19:29

bronco wrote: ↑05 Apr 2020, 19:16 I used to have a few Sears catalogs from the 20,s 30's and 40's I found them fascinating! Leather dress shoes for $1.79 Shotguns for $12 you could even buy a house from sears for short money

It is not the price that matters. It how much of your time and labor it takes to get it. A weeks worth of labor would get you a lot more in the past. I can recall when a weeks worth of groceries was 3 - 4 hours of pay. Now it is more like a hour per plastic bag. There is some merit in Whole Foods mean Whole paycheck.

bronco · Post by **bronco** » 05 Apr 2020, 19:35

RickHaleParker wrote: ↑05 Apr 2020, 19:29
bronco wrote: ↑05 Apr 2020, 19:16 I used to have a few Sears catalogs from the 20,s 30's and 40's I found them fascinating! Leather dress shoes for $1.79 Shotguns for $12 you could even buy a house from sears for short money
It is not the price that matters. It how much of your time and labor it takes to get it. A weeks worth of labor would get you a lot more in the past. I can recall when a weeks worth of groceries was 3 - 4 hours of pay. Now it is more like a hour per plastic bag. There is some merit in Whole Foods mean Whole paycheck.

speaking of Whole foods , have you noticed the fancy food stores are having more trouble keeping it together during the corona thing we have going on? If you are low on food and can only go out once don't bother with whole foods or trader joes unless you enjoy being frustrated or annoyed