And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
Interesting to use McDonald's pricing in relation to the minimum wage. My first job was 1978, minimum wage was $2.65, and I made a dime more. The McDonald's across the street had a 1/4 pounder, fries and a coke for $1.25. The diner next door had a turkey dinner for about $3. We all know it, but prices 'ain't' right today
Minimum wage was 40 cents an hour. As there was income tax even then the Mc Donalds All American Meal in the ad was about one and a half hour for a minimum wage person.
Given 45 cents (round up to 50 cents) in silver dimes is 11.15 cents
No wonder economists use the Mc Donalds Burger price for measuring inflation across the world.
Federal minimum wage 40 cents an hour. Work an hour and get 2.66 hamburgs. Federal minimum wage 2025 is $7.25/hour and a regular hamburg at Micky D's is $2.99. Work an hour and get 2.42 hamburgers. Not much difference. Minimum wage in my sate is $15.00 so that's 5 burgers an hour. Taxes not figured in the equation.
Nope. That would have post-1955, and probably closer to post-1961. The brothers only had one restaurant in 1948. There were no other McDonald's anywhere, let alone the Des Moines in this ad, until after 1955, at the earliest. It didn't become "America's favorite hamburger" until after Ray Kroc pried the chain loose from the original owners, which didn't happen until 1961. And their burgers then were still 15¢. (Hence the ad copy). When minimum wage was $1.15. Work an hour and get 7.6 hamburgers. Nowadays, that ratio will vary depending on your state's prices and minimum wage. I'm spitballing, but I'm pretty sure no one's minimum wage buys 7 hamburgers now.
Then again, your current dollar is only worth 1.2¢ in real terms and constant dollars from anytime between 1948 and 1961, compared to now. Which should put the burger price at $12. Which they aren't (locally they run about $3.50), which also explains why the item they sell as a burger now is a tiny grilled puck, compared to the serious restaurant-size hamburger it was 60 years ago.
You can get 7 of those for something close to minimum wage, but nobody's making enough now to buy 7 original-sized burgers unless they're making well north of $160K/yr.
Interesting to use McDonald's pricing in relation to the minimum wage. My first job was 1978, minimum wage was $2.65, and I made a dime more. The McDonald's across the street had a 1/4 pounder, fries and a coke for $1.25. The diner next door had a turkey dinner for about $3. We all know it, but prices 'ain't' right today
ReplyDeleteAt age 15 in 1970 I worked at McDonald's and earned $1.25 and hour and enjoyed every minute of it.
DeleteWhere else could a 15 yo old kid earn that kind of money?
Previously I had been mowing lawns in the blazing Florida sun for $3 each.
I was glad to climb a rung on the ladder.
Now a days I see 40 yo's working there, now THAT is pathetic.
15 cents in 1948.
ReplyDeleteMinimum wage was 40 cents an hour. As there was income tax even then the Mc Donalds All American Meal in the ad was about one and a half hour for a minimum wage person.
Given 45 cents (round up to 50 cents) in silver dimes is 11.15 cents
No wonder economists use the Mc Donalds Burger price for measuring inflation across the world.
Federal minimum wage 40 cents an hour. Work an hour and get 2.66 hamburgs. Federal minimum wage 2025 is $7.25/hour and a regular hamburg at Micky D's is $2.99. Work an hour and get 2.42 hamburgers. Not much difference. Minimum wage in my sate is $15.00 so that's 5 burgers an hour. Taxes not figured in the equation.
DeleteNope.
DeleteThat would have post-1955, and probably closer to post-1961.
The brothers only had one restaurant in 1948.
There were no other McDonald's anywhere, let alone the Des Moines in this ad, until after 1955, at the earliest. It didn't become "America's favorite hamburger" until after Ray Kroc pried the chain loose from the original owners, which didn't happen until 1961.
And their burgers then were still 15¢. (Hence the ad copy).
When minimum wage was $1.15.
Work an hour and get 7.6 hamburgers.
Nowadays, that ratio will vary depending on your state's prices and minimum wage.
I'm spitballing, but I'm pretty sure no one's minimum wage buys 7 hamburgers now.
Then again, your current dollar is only worth 1.2¢ in real terms and constant dollars from anytime between 1948 and 1961, compared to now.
Which should put the burger price at $12.
Which they aren't (locally they run about $3.50), which also explains why the item they sell as a burger now is a tiny grilled puck, compared to the serious restaurant-size hamburger it was 60 years ago.
You can get 7 of those for something close to minimum wage, but nobody's making enough now to buy 7 original-sized burgers unless they're making well north of $160K/yr.
Shrinkflation in a nutshell.
those were the best tasting hamburgers and fries, not like today. i feel sorry for people born after 1970 who never had the chance to eat one.
ReplyDeleteLooks like Des Moines…
ReplyDeleteThe slogan on the radio (~'65), if you were taking your girl to the submarine races was, "Change back from your dollar"
ReplyDelete6 filet-o-fish the other day were $31 including tax. Insane.
ReplyDelete