Back in the ol days

[misfish]

Back in the day

 

Im in one of those moods and just need to ask and type,bare with me. Call it cabin fever if you like.LOL

 

 

With all the talk about the rising costs of gas and hydro, food and what ever,this year 2010,I would like to hear from the ones that are from back in the years. 50,s,60,s or even earllier,even those that were a youngn back then. Back in the day. What was it like for you?

 

What was it like? Same as today? Rising balloon pricing. I know back in the day, times were tough,but are we in tougher times in your opinion?

 

I remember as a kid going to the grocery store with grandma,probly was 7-8 yrs old then, and she would say ,32 cents for a can of tuna? Heck with that,we,ll get balona 15 cents a pound.I loved balona sandwiches with ketchup,still do. Back in the day at my grandmas, I remember seeing this book and her pealing/licking stamps to fill it. FOODSTAMPS

,,,,,,PAUSING, REFLECTING.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Back then, being young and not knowing what was what,Im sure like many at that age, we had no idea what was going on in that era. Kids will be kids.

 

Now that we have grown older,oh and so much wiser we find ourselves battling pretty much the same thing, this day and age.

 

No food stamps,but we have coupons to save us money (I do use them). Can a tuna we can find on sale at best,55 cents a can. See grandma,it wasnt that bad of a price . Balona,well it,s up to $1.55 lb, if you buy the good stuff.LOL

 

So,are we any different back then, to now?

Edited November 24, 2010 by BrianB

[mercman]

WAAAAAAYYYYYYYY back when i was a few years younger, i remember we ate alot of macaroni and tomatoes.On pay days my mom and dad did the groceries and we would have enough money to buy bologna, and they would put some in the mac and we would all get dressed in our sunday best for sunday diner.We never missed much, but i remember hearing them trying to make ends meet with the bills after the kids were in bed.My grandfather used to send money and food for us and that embaressed my folks.Mom and dad went without alot, but we kids had everything we needed or wanted.

I also remember the fear in everyones eyes during the Cuba crisis.We were in Gagetown NB at the military base, and we had to learn how to protect ourselves from possible nuclear attack.We all had gas masks and my brother and eye would scare the crap outta my sister.There was way too much fear back then.We would all line up in school for the polio shots, the small pox vaccine, the TB vacine and films showing nuclear distruction and how to hide under our desks for protection from fallout. And the cold war and communist invasion, agent orange(which took my dads life BTW) DDT, Thalidimide.I sound like Billy Joel but i lived it and its a wonder that anyone in my age bracket are as stable as we are.

[ccmtcanada]

When I started driving back in 1987, I remember complaining when gas got expensive!!! When it broke through the 39 cent mark to 40 it just about bankrupted me!!!

[John]

When I started driving back in 1987, I remember complaining when gas got expensive!!! When it broke through the 39 cent mark to 40 it just about bankrupted me!!!

 

Cliff, I assume you are talking about cents per litre? When I came to Canada in 1974 we were paying in the mid 40 cents per GALLON......

[Guest Johnny Bass]

I remember bags of chips that were 10cents. And now they are almost two bucks and its all air, no chips. Probably the same amount of chips but bigger bags. It must be that great potato shortage we are having. Sure, pay was less, but you got more bang for your buck.

 

I remember spending my cigarette money on 2 giant round pizza pizza slices and a pop for $2.19!!! And I'm telling you...to give up my smoke money it was delicious. Now that Pizza Pizza made its name and substituted all kinds of crap to make it more profitable? The Pizza sucks......

 

I remember buying a pair of shoes and it would last 10 years(now lucky if they last a year) and that goes for everything else. Things used to be made to last. Made in Canada and Made in America meant something. Now they are made to break after a few years.

 

I remember buying hundreds of balloons for a penny each and filling them with water and having massive water balloon fights.

 

I too remember complaining about gas when it was at 46 cents, not too long ago!!!

[Gregoire]

This is a great topic. I am pretty young, but I remember penny candy costing a penny, and being able to fill a bag of it for much less than a buck. I remember vending machine candy being 75 cents, now it's 1.25. I remember toys made of metal not plastic.

I really find merman's post interesting. He pointed out that his generation grew up in constant fear of the unknown. I do not think kids these days have that fear. Whether that is a good thing or a bad thing I do not know.

He also mentioned that his parents went without to make sure that he kids got what they needed. I do not think that this attitude is nearly as common, and I think that kids are worse off for it.

Keep the post coming

[ketchenany]

This is a great topic. I am pretty young, but I remember penny candy costing a penny, and being able to fill a bag of it for much less than a buck. I remember vending machine candy being 75 cents, now it's 1.25. I remember toys made of metal not plastic.

I really find merman's post interesting. He pointed out that his generation grew up in constant fear of the unknown. I do not think kids these days have that fear. Whether that is a good thing or a bad thing I do not know.

He also mentioned that his parents went without to make sure that he kids got what they needed. I do not think that this attitude is nearly as common, and I think that kids are worse off for it.

Keep the post coming

[ketchenany]

I hit the wrong button . . Getting old

 

When I was a kid I delivered the Globe 80 papers by 7 am in midtown Toronto. We were paid 2 cents per paper, as the bag got lighter I would collect pop bottles and cash them in also at 2 cents to supplement my income!

[misfish]

Yes thats one thing I can say while growing up,we were never left hungry. There was a time when times were tough,but my parents knew how to make a lame chicken, into a 2 gallon pot of soup with LOTS of duffs. That was the filler. Another thing about back then,you didnt waste. If there was leftovers,which at our house,was not very often,it was part of the next days meal. Remember the 10cent DQ cone,the 5 cent popcicle (no matter the flavor)Now you pay more for the chacolate ones.HAHA

 

Thanks Merc for sharing that.

[bigugli]

Last time I replied OFC blew up

 

When I first started working, a pack of smokes was $.85, a cup of coffee .20, a mickey was $2.15/ $2.55 premium. Minimum wage was $2.25 an hr., bumped to 2.55 3 months later. I did not drive, but rode the 'Red Rocket' on a .20 fare. When you broke the $10G barrier per year, you were making good coin. Today you cannot buy a mickey on 1 hour's minimum wage, but just barely buy a good pack of smokes.

You could buy a good breakfast at the local greasy spoon for .99. A cheap one egger goes for 2.99 today.

As for 'newfie steak' Brian, my Gram would buy the whole log for a whopping $2. We loved fried newfie steak sandwiches.

As a kid we did not have a lot, but Gram scrimped and saved to make sure we had good things, like my $30 Mitchell 300A that now hangs on the wall. 40+ years later, I still have the clearest cherished memories of the Christmas presents we got. Twice our best presents came from the Xmas party held by the firefighters at the Junction firehall. Did not know anything about 'brand name' clothes til I started working.

As for junk food. Chocolate bars were a nickel. Pop was the same price plus a penny deposit and came from a big red Coke water cooler. Old man Bye had a foot stool for us to stand on so we could see what we were looking for. A big box of fries was $.30

My step father was on the Gardens waiting list for 10 years!!!! We finally got seasons tickets for 1967. Centre ice seats on the very top row at the Gardens. We were actually looking down on Foster Hewitt in the broadcast booth. Would you believe the tickets were $10 a pair!! I wouldn't pay that much to see them play today

Truth is we were better off back then. our world was one of promise and potential. We were not so obsessed with posessing everything as we were with the things we could do and the places to discover.

[muddler]

We knew the prices of just about everything at the local grocery store. We used to look for pop bottles and returned them for a refund (2 cents for the little ones and 5 for the big ones). Bought mt Mitchelle 300 (7.95) that way when I was 10. Saturday matinee was 10 cents.

 

Allowance was for the rich families. We found out that shovelling driveways in the winter and cutting lawns (push mower) in the summer was the way to make money. Selling scrap copper to the scrap yard also produced some cash. Most of the cash went into the family jar(that's where my parents kept the family spending money) but I usually keep 25 cents or so for myself if things were going well in our family for my fishing stuff.

 

As a teenager, school was our social network. Neighbourhood friends were your summer group. We walked everywhere until we could get a bike. Got my first bike when I was 16. Same year I got my drivers license. Drove a tractor in the fall on weekend working with a local farmer from the age of 12 until I was 18. Got paid in produce, meat and sometimes even a little cash. I never asked how much I was going to get , I was happy to have a job. You got paid what the farmer could afford.

 

If I tuned up dad's truck and paid for all the gas I could use it all summer. Did the tune ups myself and it cost $5 or less to fill her up every 2 weeks. I did a lot of fishhing with that old red truck.

 

Field and Stream, Outdoor Life and Sports Afield were the pipline to new fishing techniques. We used to read all the adds at the back of the magazines and we'd sent out a pile of requests . Herter's was the only one that sent a catalogue. I couldn't wait to get my shipment of 8lb test mono (25 lb was the lightest we could get here, then) and the package of No 6 Aberdeen hooks. I still Have my spool of K-58(that was the brand name) 8lb test and the hook box from the aberdeen hooks. The metal reel seat and handle grips and extra guide. I was going to rebuild the 3 piece 8 1/2 ft fly rod into a spinning rod, much to the contrary opion of all my friends. I just read Al Linders article in a magazine called "Fishing Facts" on how to fish for pickerel(walley) using this ultra light gear. Chaged my fishing ever since. Learned about about structure fishing and rod building the hard way. Been building ever since. I only buy a rod as a loner ... it has to be real cheap and on sale.

 

We knew the price of every lure and box of hooks, good deals didn't last too long and we waited for sales in the off seasons.

 

The local library was our information highway. Hunting and fishing books were reserved and you couldn't take them out. Had to read them in the library. we used to hang out at the local tackle store to listen to the "old" guys and pick up pointers. "Secrets" were very hard to pick up. None of this , "What gear can I get for $500 so I can go fishing for XXXXX this weekend. Oh, yeah, where do I go and how do I do it.". Skills were honed after years of practise . We got skunked a lot back then. Red Fisher Show was the only fishing show available. I got my first limit of fish ever when I was 17 after 10 years of fishing every weekend and every day in the summer.

 

Rods were wrapped in a towel and in the back seat so that they didn't rattle. They lasted longer that way. I still have that first rod I built ove 40 years ago. You took care of your stuff back then. No warranties. Never let a reel touch the ground, the sand would wreck the gears. They cost too much anyway. I mean 3.95 for a reel? 7.95 for a Mitchelle...wow.

 

Worms were 25 cents a dozen. Way too expensive. Picked my own after ever rain fall, still do after 40+ years. Minnows...caught my own. Never bought minnows yet.

 

Took years to get it all right. These were secrets shared only with the closest of friends.

 

Bought my 12ft tinny when I was 16 for $100 (my life savings), I got lucky and landed a job at the local A&P and bought a 4hp Merc at 17 for $120 and The local Sears was closing down and I got a rusted trailer for $50 the next year. I still have the same fishing outfit and use it every summer.

 

Life was good. Always put a little away for fishing no matter what. Still do.

 

muddler

[Guest ThisPlaceSucks]

same old story from what i've heard...

costs rise faster than wages... rich get richer, poor get poorer..

.

now that i've hit my 30's i understand more and more of the lessons in life the elders in my family had to learn the hard way when times were ACTUALLY tough. immigration, the depression, and a few major wars are difficulties that make me appreciate the life i lead now, as difficult and expensive as it seems some times... i realize that we have it pretty good these days!

[TJQ]

Here's two things that Ive noticed since high school.. so 30 +/- years ago.

 

I worked at a gas station, I made $3.85 an hour, and gas was .40 cents a liter. min wage is now above $10 per hour, so gas is pretty much the same in comparison to min wage. ($1.08) in Sturgeon this morning.

 

Also, I remember going to Zellers for jeans and them always being $20 a pair for the ones I liked which were not the expensive ones.. Now I still get the jeans I wear for around $20 a pair, so they are way cheaper in comparison now then they were then.

[Nemo]

Real Estate is the one that is really up.

[capt bruce]

Brian its funny you should bring this up , as I get older I have been looking back and sometimes I'm getting "the not what it used to be blues".I was talking to a group of new guys at work the other day and I told them when I started the job (long long ago lol) I was makeing 3.10 an hour (the new guys are makeing 15X that), had two children ,my wife did not work (I mean for pay ,she worked her but off takeing care of children and our home)I (we) had a car (not new but it got us around) a home (we sold it after 40 years for 450,000 K we paid 37,000 k , it was in the beaches area of T.O. )and we got out into the country every chance we could .We didnt have much but we always ate well and spent time together now I see my children stressed out all the time , both parents have to work and its "we need this we need that can you help me out dad " and their children (i love my grandkids BUT!!) I want this and I want it yesterday!!! . I know there is lots that has improved but for this old guy "BRING BACK THE GOOD OLD DAYS , WHEN I DIDNT NEED A LOCK ON MY DOOR , AND MY NEIGHBORS WERE MY FRIENDS . I so much miss when we would sit down to a meal with family and friends and the talk and followship we shared , now its grab a slice of pizza on the run and stress stress stress , bring back the old times maybe we didnt have as much as now , BUT WHAT WE HAD MENT SOMETHING . a tear in my eye , YOU DONT KNOW WHAT YOU GOT TILL ITS GONE . B

[mercman]

Brian its funny you should bring this up , as I get older I have been looking back and sometimes I'm getting "the not what it used to be blues".I was talking to a group of new guys at work the other day and I told them when I started the job (long long ago lol) I was makeing 3.10 an hour (the new guys are makeing 15X that), had two children ,my wife did not work (I mean for pay ,she worked her but off takeing care of children and our home)I (we) had a car (not new but it got us around) a home (we sold it after 40 years for 450,000 K we paid 37,000 k , it was in the beaches area of T.O. )and we got out into the country every chance we could .We didnt have much but we always ate well and spent time together now I see my children stressed out all the time , both parents have to work and its "we need this we need that can you help me out dad " and their children (i love my grandkids BUT!!) I want this and I want it yesterday!!! . I know there is lots that has improved but for this old guy "BRING BACK THE GOOD OLD DAYS , WHEN I DIDNT NEED A LOCK ON MY DOOR , AND MY NEIGHBORS WERE MY FRIENDS . I so much miss when we would sit down to a meal with family and friends and the talk and followship we shared , now its grab a slice of pizza on the run and stress stress stress , bring back the old times maybe we didnt have as much as now , BUT WHAT WE HAD MENT SOMETHING . a tear in my eye , YOU DONT KNOW WHAT YOU GOT TILL ITS GONE . B

 

 

HERE HERE MY BROTHER !!!!!

[Headhunter]

I remember as a young boy, I had to have been 5 or 6 years old. My school was having a movie night and myself, my brother and my sister attended. The cost was 5 cents to get in. I recall my sister giving myself and my brother 10 cents each to get a treat. They had many different candies available, but I had my eye on a Mars bar. It was and still is to this day, my favorite candy bar. Sure, they had other candy bars available, but they were 5 cents, the Mars bar was ten. I remember standing there agonizing over the price of the Mars bar... until I finally broke down and bought it... I have never tasted a candy bar that tasted so good!

The movie, by the way, was Disney's Jungle Book.

I just recently, disposed of my first ever fishing rod, bought and paid with my own money. I remember buying it at Consumers Distibuting, it was a spin caster! I still have the reel I bought for it, paid for with my paper route money... Johnson Century.

When I was young, almost everything you bought was either made in Canada or the USA. We used to make fun of things made in Hong Kong or Japan... now everything is made there.

My kids will never know the life I had when I was a kid and I don't expect them to.

I won't even touch on the subject of the price of beer!

HH

[bigugli]

Capt B, you hit it right on. Life was simpler, and simple was good. Our kids and grankids will never enjoy the lives we had as the world has become too complicated and costly.

Although, now that I've been downsizing,,,,,, life is simpler and getting better.

[misfish]

HERE HERE MY BROTHER !!!!!

 

 

X2

 

Those century reels could cast a mile HH.

 

become too complicated and costly.

 

YEAH,lIKE WHATS WITH BUYING A BABIES WASH TUB,,,,,,WITH A SHOWER HEAD??????????? Thats all I got to say about that one.

Edited November 25, 2010 by BrianB

[Beans]

Maribeth's dad used to say to figure out how long do you have to work to buy a pound of butter...less time now?...then you are better off now than back when...

 

 

In the 1940s my mother would send me to the store with a note for a $0.25 package of Player's cigarettes and once she made me take pork chops back to the butcher's shop

because he charged us $0.45 for 3 of them and get $0.25 cents worth of ground round instead......Saturday matinees were $0.10 and they gave you a comic book,two features and a cartoon...

 

I remember some gas station out on Kingston Road (Lion?) near West Hill charged $0.29 for a gallon of gas (early 1950s)

 

In the mid '50s making $40 a week the wife and baby and I lived in a 2 room upstairs flat for $12 per week and our weekly grocery bill was about the same... Most furniture etc. was bought on the never-never plan...10% down and weekly payments.

 

 

[Harrison]

I had a chat with an older co-worker yesterday. We were talking about income vrs expenses nowadays and in the past. He agreed things may be relative in terms of wages vrs expenses ($5hr then to $30hr today), but also stated back in the day you used less of your income to cover your costs i.e. house costs, utilities etc.

 

I don't know many friends or family who now have a one income family. It is just to hard to get by with all the Luxuries we must have.

 

I do wish life was simpler now, but then again you have to deal with what you are dealt.

 

My wife actual told me a girl in my daughters school has a cell phone in SK! I'll continue to teach my girls the about the outdoors and fishing creeks with raw hot dog and bacon chunks for chubs.

[tb4me]

Awesome topic guys! I remember things like the Pop Shoppe. We used to collect empty bottles and return them for the spare cash. Taking the $ to buy tickets for the Dundas Blues Jr.C games. Nan and Pops (dads parents) were the greatest in those days. My Grandfather , who never did learn to read managed to run 3 small business in his lifetime. A landscaping company, a trucking company and a sports store downtown Dundas (R&J Sports). He was also the Trainer for the Dundas Real Mc Coys (late 50's early 60's). My mom’s mom (Nan) lived alone as my Grandfather passed when my Mom was 7. Nan raised 4 kids on her own.3 girl’s one boy. As soon as I was old enough Nan would take me fishing out on the Trent River, where she had a trailer in a local park. Just recently my family bought a trailer in the exact same park and fishes the exact same waters, I learned to fish in. Now with my 3 kids. I too am youngish (36) and can only remember that the simple things were just that. Life was good. Like many others us kids didn’t go without and mom was a stay at home Mom. We too had only one car and it was an old Volkswagen Rabbit. I didn’t notice the real change in the world until George Bush SR invaded Iraq for the first time. If I remember correctly that’s when Gas officially went over the 50 cents a liter mark. You could still get a Big Mac meal for under 5 bux. I now have 3 kids and I so badly wish I could show them how it used to be. Capt Bruce your right it does almost bring a tear to one’s eyes. That’s when times stood still for me and I will never forget those memories. Thanks for allowing me to share!

[mercman]

I just remembered something !!!!! POWDERED MILK !!!!!!!!!!!!

Pop couldnt aford the real stuff.Still makes me gag thinking about it Made by Best-O-Milk

Edited November 25, 2010 by mercman

[misfish]

I just remembered something !!!!! POWDERED MILK !!!!!!!!!!!!

Pop couldnt aford the real stuff.Still makes me gag thinking about it Made by Best-O-Milk

 

 

I was going to post that same thing.LOL My pop bought it by the bucket.Dont forget PUFF cereal. Fill up boys.

You ate and drank what was given,or starve the rest of the day.LOL

Edited November 25, 2010 by BrianB

[bigugli]

I just remembered something !!!!! POWDERED MILK !!!!!!!!!!!!

Pop couldnt aford the real stuff.Still makes me gag thinking about it Made by Best-O-Milk

To this day I cannot stand the taste of milk on it's own. No thanks for that reminder.