That's not the issue.

Average annual household income in the US in 1980 was $20,020- 42% of a house (average cost of a house in the US in 1980 was actually $47K).

https://www.census.gov/library/publications/1982/demo/p60-132.html

Average annual household income in the US in 2022 was $74,580- or 18% of a $412K house.

https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2023/demo/p60-279.html

Income. Everything else can be proportional, but if income isn't, we're fucked.

I agree the inflation would not be a huge deal but only if incomes had kept up. Couples are struggling to exist today doing two jobs (or more) each of which could have supported a small family just decades ago.

Furthermore:

• $25.00 in 1970 is worth $202.03 today
• $25,000 would be $202,030
• Home prices vary wildy depending on location and size of the home. It does not seem unreasonable that someone could spend $200 a week on groceries and live in a $200K home.

They also did it on a single income back then.

The ratio of interest isn't groceries:housing, it's income:CoL

The first ratio may have stayed rather consistent, but the second has not.

Inflation vs income

Income hasn't kept up with inflation, so you have a widening gap

The prices may be proportional, but the average "purchasing power" has decreased. Most family units have more than a single income now, but they still struggle.

Inflation goes up (which devalues our income), but our wages have gone up much slower... so we have a widening gap of "purchasing power" that people's budget can feel

The "prices" may be proportional, but the ability to afford them is certainly not

So now please do the comparison to income, based on what you think these people bring home.

It never said it was a week's worth of groceries.

Therenwas a time in the mid century where these things would be seen as great innovations. All the nutricional (i.e. Calories) without the hassle. Vitamins were discovered during the first half of the 20th century and it would take a while for science to conclude that all this processed food was total junk.

The fresh vegetable section is the first aisle in most grocery stores that I can think of. Any fresh fruit or vegetables she got would be at the bottom.

It wasn't so popular back then, people ate processed food without fear, organic thing became popular more than 20 years later

Looks to be all grains. I see so much pasta.

And her countless hours of unpaid labor!

Which oof sure, being a housespouse is often way harder and more responsibility than people would think (even the ones who benefit from it) .. but damn being a housewife in the 50s? You know how much harder it was to cook back then?! Do laundry or vacuum or probably literally any household chore is so much easier and faster than today. Hell, even taking out the trash is easier not having to drag Oscar's heavy ass house to the curb.

At least $3.10 per hour, thank you very much! That's the same as $12.49 now.

What the hell are you eating? Gold flaked wagyu beef or something?