I dont have any figures or evidence for this, but if we focus on the so called "baby boomers" in terms of the relative cost of living - owning houses and a car, education, etc and salaries, was it harder for them than for us now? Or do we have it easier?
It's a pretty big subject I know, so this could bomb, but I would be interested in comments.
I guess being born in 1953, I am classed as a baby boomer. I have noticed a load of siht being uttered when talking about this group, how we had it so easy blah, blah, blah.
Was it harder ..... yes, most definitely.
The country was still recovering from the war, food rationing was partly still in force when I was born. Emergency housing was thrown up so the quality was very poor. I remember as a child, in one of the new houses, during the winter, icicles formed on the inside of the windows. My parents were glad to get this house as the rooms they were forced to rent beforehand had no running water. Heating was coal and when it was really windy the smoke was pushed back down into the room.
Cost of food ....... You have to remember this was before factory farming which led to lower costs of food, so food was expensive compared to wages. Wages were poor .... post war...this continues until the late 60's really. Unless you lived in a large town you usually had one source of food supply and you had to pay whatever price they charged. Food variety was very poor. Early on, you could not get the stuff taken for granted today and later
when it did arrive you could not afford it. Fish and chips was a pricey item. It gives you some idea. Diseases from poor nutrition existed.
Owning homes was a lifetime ambition, literally, it took you all your working life. The way mortgages were calculated was the old method, done once a year, they worked out your yearly interest on the loan then took off all your payments from that interest. I think it was the 80's before they started to change it to monthly calculation and when computers became more widespread they use today's method. Most people could not afford to even consider owning a home. Furniture, before a lot of manmade fabrics (80's) was expensive. Ditto clothes. Wearing hand downs was common. No washing machines or fridges.
Owning a car? When I grew up the only people I knew who had a car were salesmen. Well newish cars anyway. Others were falling apart and held together by various means. Transport was almost universally by bus ... cold rattley, smelly and noisy. Holidays before mass cheap air transport was, in my case by bus ... day outings to the countryside or by bus to the local coast.
Education ...... A lot of rote learning. Exams were graded .. only a certain percentage got 'A', 'B' or 'C' grades so if you had an exam that year you could do well but end up with a 'C'. Universities were elitist and with the grade limitations getting on a course was hard if you did not come from the feeder grammer schools. If you were not from at least the middle class the system worked against you. I managed to get an offer in 1971, the first from my whole family to do so but the expectation was to go into a factory or learn a trade. I went to University, got a full grant due to a very supportive person at the University writing to the official Board. You could not live off a full grant anyway due to the high cost of books but it helped a great deal. I got my degree and started a better life. Promotion was usually dead men's shoes. Lots of areas were closed shops(I don't mean industrial but professional careers)
Entertainment was the pub, the cinema or the local dance hall. We actually had a television when I was young. It was still a rarity, the picture was ghostly and signals in our area were poor.
The people from my generation built this country up from the post war scarcity and helped the country to get back on it's feet so when we are now approaching or retired you can maybe, if you are honest, see why we say we deserve a decent pension.
Today's generation do have it easier. Daily living is not such a grind to exist. The cheaper cost and variety of food today means you are healthier or should be. A lot of older people being fat is often due to over_indulging in things they has no chance to get when younger. Chances to go to University and give yourself a chance in life are easy. Lots of things to entertain you. Cheap Japanese or now far Eastern electrics have transformed your life. As for being in some kind of power .. for most some leisure after the dailly grind was all you wanted.
Hope this helps
, i might be some time with this decision mommy, given the fact i only have one option.
