Political Discussion

My mom (early 80s) tells me that a movie (double feature) was 5 cents and popcorn was 10 cents when she was a kid.

My dad has a story like that too... he liked to spend his 15 cents allowance on a coke (5c), fries (7c) and a mustard bun (3c) because he couldn't afford the hot dog for it. That would have been during the mid 60's.
 
I was watching The Andy Griffin Show a while back and someone was having a tough time paying their like $8k mortgage and it was tough for me to wrap my head around that idea. But then when you think that the person who was having issues was probably supporting their entire family off of less than $100 a month.... yeah, Inflation is wild.
The pizzas in Home Alone were $122.50 which in today's money is $244, so pizzas have doubled in price since 1990.

Consumer electronics in general are often the same ish price as they were 10 and maybe even 20 years ago and inflation means that’s a lot less money.
Yep, we started producing things with more automation, threw some jobs over at the third world to get prices down, and have been skimping on materials and production so although the electric can opener is close to the same $30 bucks it was in the 1970's, my mom's old can opener from the 1970's ended up dying on me after 35+ years of dutiful service, the newest electric can openers will likely crap out on you in six months. (this was a great point of consternation on mom boards. Whatever you do, don't bring up electric can openers with a group of moms unless you want a lengthy discussion.)
 
The pizzas in Home Alone were $122.50 which in today's money is $244, so pizzas have doubled in price since 1990.


Yep, we started producing things with more automation, threw some jobs over at the third world to get prices down, and have been skimping on materials and production so although the electric can opener is close to the same $30 bucks it was in the 1970's, my mom's old can opener from the 1970's ended up dying on me after 35+ years of dutiful service, the newest electric can openers will likely crap out on you in six months. (this was a great point of consternation on mom boards. Whatever you do, don't bring up electric can openers with a group of moms unless you want a lengthy discussion.)

Also I was thinking of this the other day. My dad bought the house we grew up in in 1987 for £30k. Around the same time he bought a nice, but by no means hi end, hifi for £500. He was able to replace that with a much higher end unit last year for £600, the inflation price of the £500 would have been roughly £1200. Let’s just say that the house has long long passed the equivalent £68k. I’d happily pay tonnes more for my consumer bullshit, and have less of it, if I could even close to afford a decent sized house on my pretty good salary! As it we’re all doomed so I might as well go down with a pile of shit that I mostly don’t need or use...
 
I’m as realistic (cynical) as most, but listening to these high minded speeches does make me choke back a little tear every once in a while.
Sadly, even the illusion of hope is better than what we've been dealing with for the past 4 years. "We'll try" almost feels like enough... almost.
 
My mom spent the majority of today shit-posting Trump propaganda on FB, and it was only through the sheer joy and hope surrounding the entire day that I was able to resist commenting on any one of her easily debunked 'theories'.

Behbeh steps.
 
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