this post was submitted on 19 Jul 2024
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US Authoritarianism

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[–] kryptonianCodeMonkey 167 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (6 children)

Inflation is a thing. If she was born in 1946, she would have gone to college around 1964. Which means that her tuition would have been about 7600 dollars today. That's still lower than the average in-state tuition by about 2000 dollars, but just putting that into context. However, minimum wage in 1964 was 1.15/hr, which means it would have taken about 16 weeks at full time minimum wage to pay for one semester tuition vs the 33 weeks it takes today. That's a much better metric of comparison. It would take over a year to pay for a year of school now vs half a bit over half year before.

[–] SchmidtGenetics 55 points 4 months ago (3 children)

How does housing and food factor in too though, that’s only one portion of expenses. Entertainment costs far more for example, lots didn’t even really have entertainment than books.

[–] [email protected] 36 points 4 months ago

Also ignores the approximately $1000 of books you’re buying every year

[–] [email protected] 18 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

Entertainment costs far more for example, lots didn’t even really have entertainment than books.

This is a bizarre statement. People have had entertainment since society has been a thing. It may not always look like what you do, but it has always been around, and yes, it was more than "books".

[–] [email protected] 6 points 4 months ago (3 children)

A podcast I was listening to today suggested that food is more affordable now than it was 50 yo. I don't know if that's true, but it would seem possible given all the science lowering costs for producers (additives, artificial ingredients, preservatives).

[–] whoreticulture 13 points 4 months ago

Rent is definitely proportionally higher though, and that's much more of the monthly budget.

[–] chknbwl 4 points 4 months ago (2 children)

I often wonder how inexpensive produce would be if GMO crops weren't demonized. I know the USA has several varieties of GMO fruit and veg on the market, but it's availability is so scarce, and many countries still outright ban any bioengineered organism.

[–] sep 6 points 4 months ago

do not mind the gmo crops themself. but the companies pushing them are almost nestle level horrible. open source gmo crops. now sign me up.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Costs are not the reason for higher food prices; it's demand. They charge more because you have no option. The average person has no way or ability to grow food and not much aptitude for cooking. That's a recipe for higher food prices.

[–] chknbwl 6 points 4 months ago

Cost is a function of supply and demand. GMO crops yield more, so there would be a larger supply, thus driving down cost if demand remains the same. This is totally pedantic though because you're still right:

They charge more because you have no option.

I took capitalist greed as a given... my bad.

[–] SchmidtGenetics 1 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

That makes sense, due to breeding one chicken produces more product by a few factors than it used to for example.

But you would probably have to be on a specific diet to achieve it at the same time.

[–] [email protected] 24 points 4 months ago (1 children)

According to https://educationdata.org/average-cost-of-college-by-year the average tuition for a public 4 year school in 1963-1964 was $243 or just under $2500 today.

[–] kryptonianCodeMonkey 7 points 4 months ago

Yea, she probably went to a private university or had out of state tuition... or went to school well after 1964

[–] [email protected] 14 points 4 months ago

Problem is I had to buy somewhere between two and five tuitions worth of education just to get one.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 4 months ago

It should also be noted that a semester itself is about 16 weeks.

So if you worked 16 weeks full time in the summer and 32 weeks part time during your 2 semesters, you'd have 4 weeks left in the year. At absolutely minimum wage, if you lived with your parents, that's a fairly heavy workload, but perfectly feasible to do.

Now, to pay for 2 semesters, you need to work full time for 66 weeks a year. Can you work full time while going to school? Can you manifest 8 extra weeks of full time work in a 52 week year? Can you even get a full time minimum wage job without your employer cutting hours to deny benefits?

[–] ChexMax 9 points 4 months ago (1 children)

If the boss was born in '46 this is true, but she's a lot more likely born at the later end of boomers, since '46 would age her at 78. I'm guessing she's at or below retirement age, not well above it

If the boomer is 60, it would only cost $2,267.87, adjusted.

If they're 65, it would have been 3,245.61.

The numbers I got for tuition today: $41,540 at private colleges $11,260 at public colleges (in-state residents) $29,150 at public colleges (out-of-state residents)

[–] wafflez 5 points 4 months ago

And you could get jobs that covered your housing, food, and more easier in general

[–] NarrativeBear -3 points 4 months ago

Doing the lords work here.