Instead of just identifying some of the current costs... it would be interesting to see how those 1938 costs, multiplied by inflation rates for the past 76 years up to the present, compare against those current costs.
I'm more interested in seeing how the proportions compare to today, with average income as the constant. Like, a stamp in 1939 is .0017% of their income (right?).
A 49cent stamp is .0017% of a $28,824 income. As Charles states, per capita income is just below $30,000. Sooooo, stamps today take the same bite out of your wallet as they did in 1939.
Buying a house is a fun one. In 1938, the cost of a house ($3,900) was 2.253 years of average income ($1,731). Today, 2.253 years of average income ($28,051) would make the cost of a new house... $63,200.
A 49cent stamp is .0017% of a $28,824 income. As Charles states, per capita income is just below $30,000. Sooooo, stamps today take the same bite out of your wallet as they did in 1939.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/01/business…