Let's Talk about Monthly Bills: Then Vs. Now
by Wendy, Retirement Enthusiast/Coach
Today, I have no internet and no cable tv and we are waiting for Comcast repair to get here. I am writing this offline and will cut and paste to the site later…
So my husband used an antenna to get a few tv stations. Today, I have an odd station on, it says MeTV in the bottom right corner.
This morning I've watched: I Love Lucy, Beverly Hillbillies, and now Leave It To Beaver! What a blast from the past!
They are showing previews for other oldies like: The Flintstones, Andy Griffin, Heat of the Night, The Waltons, Gunsmoke, Bonanza, etc.
So I'm watching Beaver and he and three friends called Don Drysdale, a famous baseball player, in LA. Drysdale kept saying that the call was going to cost you, and the boys said they'd reimburse Beaver's father. So after the call, they all chipped in a quarter each (75-cents total) to give to Beaver's father.
Then, one of the boys said his father called the operator after he calls long-distance to ask what the call would cost. Beaver did that and found out that one call to LA would cost $9.35 plus tax.
So I giggled to myself, then thought — WOW! We paid long-distance charges years ago but can call anywhere now on cell phones! We can even text someone across the country or world! What a wonderful world we live in!
So now I am thinking, just as Perry Mason, comes on TV…
What else has changed in the way of monthly bills?
What did my grandparents pay for back in the 50s-60s (with only Social Security and very limited savings)?
OK, my grandparents would have paid:
Electric
Gas
Water
Groceries
Doctor Bills
Medications
They owned their small home. They didn't have a car as my Aunt drove them to doctor appointments and grocery shopping.
Today, We pay different monthly bills:
Mortgage
Electric
Water
Gas
Groceries
Cable TV
Internet
Cell Phones
Car Payments
Car Insurance
Health Care Insurance
Doctor Co-Pays
Our mortgages are higher than many years ago. Heck, my first mortgage in 1982, was what many pay for car loans today! AND that was 1982, not the 50s-60s.
Everything costs more, that's inflation! What did bills cost way back when?
Plus, our electricity is used more due to all the different appliances and technology we now use.
I could go on and on, but I'd love to see what you have to say about this.
What do you remember about what things cost?
Name something and an approximate date too.
Just plain curious…
Thanks!
