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Today's Price
An online calculator to compare prices through time | |
I was having a discussion with a friend about what it must be like to be a student today, in Tony Blair's Britain.
...'rich daddies' ... etc ...'huge debts' ...etc ... 'blah' ...etc... .blah'...
then we starting wondering about the comparative prices of different items like my £4 jeans from
Primark and the £8-12 ones i would have bought in 1990. And the 386 PC I bought in 1992 for £800 and the 2nd hand one I bought this year for £100.
It would have been really helpful if there was a website where you could enter a price, date and currency; and then the site calculated the same price adjusted for inflation. Then you would know exactly how much more expensive things were years ago.
The Inflation Calculator (US, 1800-2003)
http://www.westegg.com/inflation/
[jutta, Oct 16 2004]
jeans? <yawn>
http://www.wcvt.com/~tiggr/
[po, Oct 16 2004]
How Much is That Worth Today? (UK)
http://eh.net/hmit/ppowerbp/
[jutta, Oct 16 2004]
[link]
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Thought it was probably baked. I must learn to use search engines more effectively. I tried for a fair while to find one but couldn't. Thanks. |
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If anyone's interested the PC would've cost £1018 |
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And my jeans were equivalent to £2.86 in 1990 |
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//Then you would know exactly how much more expensive things were years ago// |
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What for? is it going to change the actual price? No! Then leave the past behind you and enjoy your consumist behaviour not worrying about the "would have". |
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Hah, I had this idea just now. Great minds... ? |
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A pure comparison of the value of money between different periods doesn't really give you a meaningful comparison. For example, the 'How much is that worth' site in juttas link tells me that £100 in 1984 (when I started my first full time job) is worth £198 now, so every £100 that I earn now is worth half what it was then.
However, the starting salary for the grade that I was on then, £4200, is now £10,560. So although the value of my money has halved, my earnings would have more than doubled. So, in theory, I would be better off.
However however, there are also issues around the availability of goods and services and leisure time which also have to be taken into consideration.
So the message is, unless you want to do a thesis on the topic I wouldn't worry too much about how life was in the past. Judge 'Blair's Britain' on what the government are doing now. Are you working longer hours than you want or working at all? Are you happy with the way that the sick and the elderly are being treated? Are you happy with the way that the justice system is administered and civil liberties protected? Are you happy with the governments relationship with other powers both foreign and domestic? Are you happy with your standard of living? Are you, in fact, happy at all? |
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Do I detect a series of 'no' answers there, [DrB]? |
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