Rethinking the Cost of Living with Mark Perry’s “Chart of the Century”
Always compare prices to hourly wages to understand the true change in living standards.
Gale L. Pooley
Blog Post | Cost of Material Goods
The Steep Climb of Bicycle Abundance
Entry-level workers can get 20.9 bicycles today for the time it took to earn one in 1910.
It’s Time to Shelf the Myths About Food Prices
Measure the time needed to earn the money to pay for a meal. That’s what matters.
Blog Post | Cost of Material Goods
Why Your Groceries Are Cheaper than Kevin McCallister’s
Since 1990, grocery abundance has increased by 43.2 percent and pizza abundance by 285 percent for blue-collar workers. If you were upskilling, it was 186 percent for groceries and 610 percent for pizzas.
Blog Post | Cost of Material Goods
The Christmas Miracle of Toy Abundance
Get 14.5 toys today for the price of one in 1978.
The Myth of the Golden Years of Housing
Housing amenity abundance has increased significantly since 1956.
The Land of Ice, Fire, and Innovation
Innovation has served Iceland for 1,150 years. Why change a working recipe?
Feast More, Spend Less: The Most Affordable Thanksgiving in Four Decades
The time price of a Thanksgiving dinner for 10 people has dropped 45.3 percent, from 3.22 hours in 1986 to 1.76 hours today.