What's new

Wheelbarrows full of money

Macfrommichigan

Macfrommichigan

IME, we tend to benchmark the cost/value of things, kinda like currency conversions when you cross borders.

In my 20s a car was five grand and a house was $32,500.

Now that I am a geezer, those are silly numbers.

Savings and investments likewise. Why, as a young man, a nest egg of say, ten grand was a fortune. Today, nah.

We were watching a House Hunters episode on HGTV and these two kids were searching for a starter home...in California. Budget of 1.2 to 1.4 million dollars.

Numbers like that blow my benchmarks away. Of course, looking at the window sticker on a fancy pickup does the same.

So, I am old enough to remember "Buddy, Can You Spare a Dime?"

Thought of that the other day when a panhandler inquired if I could spare a few bucks. Not spare change. Not a dollar. A few bucks. Inflation!
 
dfoulk

dfoulk

021.jpg
 
BigD

BigD

Don't be fooled, 5 bucks is still a lot of money. Does it buy as much as it used to? No, but every penny still counts. Everyone besides you will try to convince you that you're poorer than you really are or richer than you really are in the same breath to get you to part with your money, your freedom, or your time.

When it comes to money, your mental well being, and over all life well being the word NO is the second most powerful word in the English language.
 
dfoulk

dfoulk

Only once on HGTV have I seen what I'd consider someone to have made enough money themselves to afford the house they were buying. It was a guy that started a landscaping business from absolutely nothing and built it up to where he had about 50 crews working. The rest of the time I suspect it's money from Mom and Dad as nobody makes that kind on money in their early twenties.
 
Luecke2326

Luecke2326

dfoulk said:
Only once on HGTV have I seen what I'd consider someone to have made enough money themselves to afford the house they were buying. It was a guy that started a landscaping business from absolutely nothing and built it up to where he had about 50 crews working. The rest of the time I suspect it's money from Mom and Dad as nobody makes that kind on money in their early twenties.
Click to expand...
Keeping up with the Jones'........ Forget that crap lol.
 
DC_MPA

DC_MPA

Not being braggadocios but entirely agreeing with you. The house I grew up in that my parents bought was 2 acres, a 1200 sq ft concrete floor pole barn for $22,500. It was the home of 2 kids and 2 adults and we had little complaints. It was hot in the winter, cold in the summer. I just finished building my home last year. The concrete pad I poured for the slab was $27,900....just for the concrete. Watching my parents glazed eyes as we built that house was nerve racking and hilarious at the same time. Mom and Dad then told me that when they built a second pole barn in the mid 80's it was $900. That pole barn is 6x6 posts, wood truss, 30x40, and 4 inch concrete pad. Same size and my pole barn cost me $18,500 for the same size and concrete pad.
 
emwolf

emwolf

BigD said:
Don't be fooled, 5 bucks is still a lot of money. Does it buy as much as it used to? No, but every penny still counts. Everyone besides you will try to convince you that you're poorer than you really are or richer than you really are in the same breath to get you to part with your money, your freedom, or your time.

When it comes to money, your mental well being, and over all life well being the word NO is the second most powerful word in the English language.
Click to expand...
so true!
 
DC_MPA

DC_MPA

dfoulk said:
View attachment 954444
Click to expand...

haha, this is entirely what I see anytime the misses has the remote control and goes to HGTV. These people who put their feet down firm about the long list of absolute must haves, must have 4 bedrooms and 2 offices, must have in ground pool, game room. Our two under 10 year old kids have got to have things to do!!" Those shows frustrate me that I fear we are quickly headed to another major real estate crash.
 
emwolf

emwolf

I've been at the newspaper game for about 35+ years now. It's changed quite a bit. But I never get tired of a realtor or car dealer complaining about advertising rates to me.
 
DC_MPA

DC_MPA

BigD said:
Don't be fooled, 5 bucks is still a lot of money. Does it buy as much as it used to? No, but every penny still counts. Everyone besides you will try to convince you that you're poorer than you really are or richer than you really are in the same breath to get you to part with your money, your freedom, or your time.

When it comes to money, your mental well being, and over all life well being the word NO is the second most powerful word in the English language.
Click to expand...

I was just having this talk with my parents yesterday. When I was a kid $100 was a stop, chew on it, really process it expense. Today it's like that $100 is now the new $10 and $1,000 is the way $100 was. I hear too often "well, it's only $1,000 though" umm, sorry. $100 is still a big expense to me even with things going up so much the past 30 years.
 
dfoulk

dfoulk

While the HGTV thing in something entirely different, I have noticed that with the majority of households now being two income families things seem to have escalated in price rather quickly. When people have more money to spend things seem to cost a bit more than they used to.

I'm not saying that every change is bad but I would favor things being a bit simpler at times.
 
cleanshaved

cleanshaved

I’m stumped
I saw a news artical about a real estate agent who said he was making $900 per hour.
The price of house have gone up but the model for the sales persons commision has not been adjusted.
I'm sure he's traded up from a wheelbarrow to a truck load of money.
 
Raissermesser

Raissermesser

Here's a calculator of buying power due to inflation between two dates:

US Inflation Calculator

A house that went for $35,000 in 1960 would have a price of $297,632.43 in 2019 dollars. Of course, that's not the only thing behind real estate prices. In some places it's high due to demand. In others, I wonder if it's from people owing more on their property than it's now worth trying to recoup their investment.
 
shavefan

shavefan

I’m not a fan
Raissermesser said:
Here's a calculator of buying power due to inflation between two dates:

US Inflation Calculator

A house that went for $35,000 in 1960 would have a price of $297,632.43 in 2019 dollars. Of course, that's not the only thing behind real estate prices. In some places it's high due to demand. In others, I wonder if it's from people owing more on their property than it's now worth trying to recoup their investment.
Click to expand...


Heck, you could study law at a private law school for about $500 year back then. Now it's nearly $50k a year.
 
oc_in_fw

oc_in_fw

Fridays are Fishtastic!
shavefan said:
Heck, you could study law at a private law school for about $500 year back then. Now it's nearly $50k a year.
Click to expand...
That’s a whole other kettle of fish. For years there has been an arms war between college fees and “cheap” student loans. The winner isn’t the student.
 
Buster

Buster

I live in Silicon Valley. A wheelbarrow of money is just a down payment for a two bedroom house. The three bedroom next to us rents for $3,500 a month.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom