Prices When I Was Born

Here's what things cost when I came along in 1936:

 

When I look at prices, I automatically think of worth which can be a good thing but not so much when it comes to some things.
As an example, in 1936 a person born in hospital with no complications might have cost about $10 or less whilst in 1950 there is no recorded cost of over $50 for a normal birth.
Now, the cost of a normal birth starts at around $2,500.

So, viewing all that we may assume can we say that (a) hospitals are bigger business, (b) the fed was created and prices surged, (c) doctors need to live in bigger houses, (d) prices are higher to curb overpopulation and bump up the market on birth control or (e) kids are worth more nowadays?

 

When I was born on July 11, 1936, Dr. Gilmore's total charges were $85 at the Wheeling Hospital in Wheeling,W. Va.

Hal

 

Price gouger! In WWII, most of the children born in England were delivered free of charge.

 

With me, my mom wasn't in a hospital. A midwife came by, and my dad paid her $2.00 to deliver me.

Later that day, my mom was outside hanging up clothes.

 

My mother-in-law to be (2 years hence) was fresh off the plane in New York from Germany with her 2 kids, 7 and 13, her husband having been sent off to be cleared by a sanitarium (TB) in Denver. Seated at a lunch counter, the menu was "Greek" to her, but "hamburger" sounded German, so she ordered 3.

With what little money she had converted from Deutsche Marken to U.S. currency, she had some dimes and nickels........knowing nothing of their relative values, she reckoned a nickel was worth more, since it was bigger: she tipped the waiter a nickel!

His thoughts are open for consideration! (Damned Greenhorns!)

Frank

 

How long ago was that? A nickel might very well have been a generous tip at one time.

 

@Beth Gallagher

May, 1963.

Frank

 

Yes, it depends on the era.

My wife always pays the bill at Steer & Stein, but she asks me for a $20 bill before the check comes.

She never tells me what she tips the waiter, but our bill for 2 runs between $43 and $50.

Harold

 

@John Brunner

Ascribing to the overall higher prices of restaurant fare now, we have upped our tip amounts accordingly, always shooting for 15 to 20%.

Frank

 

When ordering pizza online there is an option to tip the delivery driver or not which doesn't include the delivery charge of about $5 which use to be $3. I kind of didn't want to tip because of the increase but I did. So the tip amount ranges from no tip, 10%, 20% up to Custom. I always chose Custom to make it an even amount but if it's less than 10% I add more.

 

It's easy to figure the tip amount in California. We just double the sales tax!

H.P.