The Good Old Days vs These Trying Times

My grandfather in 1889

“THE GOOD OLD DAYS” WERE ONCE KNOWN AS “THESE TRYING TIMES”

I often hear people talk about how expensive things are today, how hard they are. A lot of times this is followed with something like “I remember when…”

Recently, I came across a couple of books written in 1878 (a couple of years after my great-grandparents married) and 1888 (the year before my grandfather was born) by a woman named Juliet Corson. She listed some of the foods in the stores and their prices. Following are some of the things listed:

From the 1878 book—

Rice, 1 pound                          10 cents

Flour, 1 pound                          4 cents

Molasses, 1 gill                         2 cents

Macaroni, 1 pound                  15 cents

Cheese, 1 pound                      16 cents

Peas, dried, 1 pint                     5 cents

Onion, 2                                    1 cent

Bacon, 1 pound                       16 cents

Oatmeal, 1 pound                     8 cents

Salt Pork, 1 pound                   16 cents

Beans, dried, 1 pint                   6 cents

Lentils, 1 pound                      10 cents

Indian Meal, 1 pound                4 cents

Cabbage, 1 head                        3 cents

Bread, 2 pounds                        6 cents

Suet, 1 pound                            8 cents

Milk, pint                                  4 cents

Sugar, 1 pound                        16 cents

Currents, 4 ounces                    4 cents

Turkey, 1                                 20 cents

Butter, 1 pound                       32 cents

And from the 1888 book—

Beets, one bunch                      4 cents

Cauliflower, 1 small               15 cents

Potatoes, ½ peck                      4 cents

Lettuce, 1-2 small heads           5 cents

Butter, 1 pound                       24 cents

Cheese, 1 pound                      12 cents

Apples, 1 peck                         40 cents

Nuts, pound                             10 cents

Bread, 1 loaf                             5 cents

Milk, quart                                8 cents

Sugar, 1 pound                          8 cents

Chuck roast, pound                 10 cents

Lamb, breast                           10 cents

Now while we might wish for prices that low again, here is the rest of the picture of the day. And again this is from the 1888 book by Juliet Corson. The title of the book is "Family Living on $500 A Year." This amount refers to the money spent on food for the family.

“If the first thought is that the limit fixed here is too low, let the second be that thousands of active workers live upon one half the amount in every American city, and do not consider themselves deprived of the comforts of life. It is not within present purpose to define such living, but to outline that which is habitual among those prosperous young professional people who have just secured a foothold in life, and who have reasonable hopes of eventual success.

If we take the average income of the prosperous American household of the medium range of intelligence and culture, we shall find it to be from $1500 to $2000 a year. Young professional men and young merchants and financial men who have married and see families growing up about them do not usually exceed these amounts in the years when they are laying the foundations of future fortunes.”  p. 1

“When the ordinary expenses of living are considered, the table should not consume more than one third of the entire amount. Suppose this to be $1500. An average rent would be $25 per month; while in some cities it would be more, in many localities it would be considerably less, especially in young and spreading communities and their suburbs, and upon the line of metropolitan railways; in perfectly respectable city neighborhoods a floor or a part of a small house can be rented for from $25 to $30 a month. Fuel for a cooking-stove and two other fires, and lights, would cost about $8 per month, providing coke were used in cities, and the cinders of coal utilized, and if some of the lighting were done by kerosene. Upon this point it may be well to say here that actual tests have shown possible the entire lighting of a four-story city house with kerosene at an average cost of $3 per month, not including the cost of lamps. The average single servant's hire is about $12 per month. Then would come household wear and tear and medical attendance, that would probably be covered by $100 a year, the fact being remembered that the doctor's visits can be largely affected by the mother's own care of her family, and chiefly by keeping them properly nourished. Church dues, literature, and amusements would require at least $60 a year. And this estimate would leave $300 for clothing.” p. 2-3

Are you sure you really want the “Good Old Days?” As for me, I want to stay in “These Trying Times.”