Gas 22 cents a gallon in 19--

**frugalnana** · 06-18-2006, 04:39 PM

Oh I thought this would get some attention of readers. So let me explain.
My dad had his 50th high school reunion a few weeks ago. Class of 15 people.

The people who organized the reunion made books up for everyone. It told about each of them in high school. Pics of them growing up and about the two who have passed away. But on the last page it had what was happening in 1956 and prices.

There it was in bold lettering. GAS 22 CENTS A GALLON. I started to chuckle. Wouldn't there be some type of mania going on if the prices dropped to price.

I remember in the early 80's gas was 57cents a gallon. My dad sent me a picture of the price drop when I was in Germany. I can't remember why the price dropped like that. But I still have the picture.

It also had bread 18cents, milk gallon, 95cents, For a new house it was $11,400, New car was $4,444.00.

I told my parents I can remember I could get a bag of chips, candy bar and pop and still have change left over when I left the store as a kid.

Just wanted to share a little humor. Anyone else remember prices or have parents who can remember what the prices were?

**fernykins** · 06-18-2006, 06:01 PM

Well I can remember when gas was 19 cents a gal, penny candy was a penny
15 cent hamburgers from McD..... and 1.65 cents was a good wage.....
Fern

**banana** · 06-18-2006, 08:59 PM

My mom always told me stories about when she was little going to the movies cost .05 cents! Amazing! She also bought her house for 16,000 approx 40 years ago and it is now worth around 800,000! Outrageous!

**SewCrafty** · 06-19-2006, 08:18 AM

I remember gas being about 35¢ a gallon, $2 would go a long way! LOL

For a quarter you could fill a small brown paper bag with penny candy and it would be overflowing.

A quarter would also buy a kite (15¢) and a ball of string (10¢). Had to put the kite together and raid mom's rag bag for the tail.

Popcicles (the double ones) were 5¢, creamcicles (sp) were either 7¢ or 10¢ along with nutty buddies. A bottle of soda (pop) was a dime.

We would go to the public pool to swim for the day 35¢, 25¢ to rent the basket for your clothing which you got back when you turned in your key, so 10¢ for the entire day.

School lunches (always hot, no a-la-carte back then, cost 35¢. A small container of milk was 3¢ and an ice cream was 7¢. Every payday mom always got one roll of quarters and one of dimes for lunches. We were allowed to 'buy' our lunch once a week, the rest of the time it was brown bag and we bought a milk and ice cream.

In 1963 my parents bought their home for 5K I think??? My mom can tell you the exact price. My dad made less than $50 a week working full time on the railroad. There were 8 of us in the family then (my youngest brother came along in 1966) and we ate good! Don't have a clue how mom did it, but she did!

I know she could only buy 8 ½ gallons of milk at a time as that is all that would fit in the fridge, then later in the week have to get more. And grocery shopping was a 3 hour a week adventure, Mom always had 2 full carts so my oldest brother or sister HAD to go and help with that. And NO WAY were we screaming brats in public! You better hold the side of that cart or else! ROFL

**frugalnana** · 06-22-2006, 03:16 AM

Thank you two for sharing. Just thought it would be fun to see what we can remember from growing up and from what our parents could remember. Sometimes I'm just in shock to see how much things go up at times.