| Author |
|
John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 136908
|
| Posted: 22 August 2026 at 3:36pm | IP Logged | 1
|
post reply
|
|
I have mentioned that the only time I ever knew my father’s salary at City Hall was in 1962, when he let slip that he made $600 (Canadian) per month. I’ve also mentioned that at the time my 12 year old self could not believe that there was that much money in the world. Curiously enough, it only minutes ago occurred to me to look up what that $600 would be worth in today’s money. Turns out $100 from 1962 had the buying power of about $1,100 today. So Dad was pulling in roughly $6,600 a month. A respectable middle class income. Made me realize the $1 a week allowance I was given was about $11 today, or $44 per month. I wonder what kids get today? Those 10˘ comics I was buying work out to $6.60 today. (Or were comics 12˘ by then?)
|
| Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
| |
Evan S. Kurtz
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 04 July 2022
Location: Canada
Posts: 395
|
| Posted: 22 August 2026 at 6:59pm | IP Logged | 2
|
post reply
|
|
When he actually fulfills his responsibilities (predominantly vacuuming the main floor of our house and tidying his bedroom and playroom), my 12-year-old son receives an allowance of $15 a week, for which he is expected to save around half.
However, I should point out that in a roundabout way, he ends up with a considerably more money than that, because he is assessed as "profoundly gifted" and we supplement his public education with many, many things, be they advanced math programs, music lessons, STEM kits, and a problematic amount of books and Lego.
|
| Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
| |
John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 136908
|
| Posted: 22 August 2026 at 7:13pm | IP Logged | 3
|
post reply
|
|
Profoundly gifted? Ask him to save the world for us, would you? It’s a dirty job, but someone has got to do it!
|
| Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
| |
Evan S. Kurtz
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 04 July 2022
Location: Canada
Posts: 395
|
| Posted: 22 August 2026 at 9:16pm | IP Logged | 4
|
post reply
|
|
Save the world?! At this point it's hard enough to get him to tidy his stuff for $15 a week, JB!
|
| Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
| |
Michael Penn
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 12 April 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 13349
|
| Posted: 23 August 2026 at 1:47pm | IP Logged | 5
|
post reply
|
|
In the mid-70s I had my first kid-job at $5 per week and I thought at first, how the hell am I gonna spend it all...!?
|
| Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
| |
John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 136908
|
| Posted: 23 August 2026 at 2:03pm | IP Logged | 6
|
post reply
|
|
In my middle teens I tried to convince my parents to give me money for my birthday presents—one dollar for each year. I was looking ahead to 1970, when I would get $20! A king’s ransom! They didn’t go for it.
|
| Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
| |
Evan S. Kurtz
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 04 July 2022
Location: Canada
Posts: 395
|
| Posted: 23 August 2026 at 2:24pm | IP Logged | 7
|
post reply
|
|
When I was an adolescent in the early 90's, I received a $5 allowance plus $5 for school lunches. So I pocketed the school lunch money and spent it all on comics.
|
| Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
| |
Michael Penn
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 12 April 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 13349
|
| Posted: 23 August 2026 at 6:37pm | IP Logged | 8
|
post reply
|
|
Only because I started to get into music did my work-money find a place to really be spent. My first 8-track was The Rolling Stones' SOME GIRLS. But I got a much better job by 1979, $3 per hour (10˘ above minimum wage!), 2-hours per day after school, 5-days per week, $30 per week! First I got myself an Atari (still own it, too) for like $150, and then I got a stereo system. Rolling in dough, I was!
(I needed to work because my parents were poor immigrants who expected me to do chores and work at my dad's businesses too, and I never got a penny in... allowance? What's that?! We allow you room and board!)
|
| Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
| |
Vinny Valenti
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 17 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 8664
|
| Posted: 23 August 2026 at 7:37pm | IP Logged | 9
|
post reply
|
|
"(Or were comics 12˘ by then?)"
--
I used to obsess over this stuff, but I'm nearly positive that the FF was the only Marvel Universe title that had a couple of 10-cent issues.*
*Also Hank Pym's First Appearance in TALES TO ASTONISH #27, but that story was retroactively a part of the Marvel Universe.
|
| Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
| |