Have you ever wondered how much money your ancestors really made, or how much they actually paid for their land? We’ve all heard the phrase:
Back in those days, we worked for just pennies an hour
In fact, a story of my great-grandfather mentions that "although the rate of pay was not enviable, sometimes as low as 15 cents an hour, he worked hard. . . ." This was in the early 1900s.
Fifteen cents an hour sure doesn’t seem like much in today’s terms. In fact, according to the Inflation Calculator, it is only about $3.32 an hour.
Back in 1822, land sure seemed cheap — William McCall purchased 250 acres of land for just $200. Using the Inflation Calculator, it appears that William got a good deal. In 2005, with inflation, this $200 equals about $2,771.
When writing a family history, explaining yesterday’s prices in today’s terms makes for an interesting insight.
Use the inflation calculator at http://www.westegg.com/inflation/
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