003 Baby Boomers I

We’ve Come a Long Way, Baby Boomers! 

Picture this, Boomers: it’s 1946. Born in this significant year at the end of WWII, we are “persons of interest” to sociologists, economists, the Social Security Administration, AARP, and those who create and study algorithms for commerce. 

We, of the 1946 birth year, have Social Security and Medicare (and

whatever else we can afford). 

What changes we have seen! What changes we are seeing! We may not be the “greatest generation,” but I do believe we Boomers (1946 to 1964 birth years) are the MOST ADAPTABLE generation. Let’s take a look. 

In 1946, cars cost an average of $1,400 with gasoline at 21 cents a gallon, a stamp was 3 cents (yep, three cents), and minimum wage was 40 cents per hour.  (Actually, not all jurisdictions had a

minimum wage). Bread was 10 cents a loaf and milk was 70 cents a gallon. The average home sold for $12,500. 

Now, let’s put those into 2014 numbers: that $1,400 car is now about $18,000, while gasoline extrapolates to $2.56 (aha, no surprise we ARE paying more at the pump at today’s $3.35), the 3 cent stamp equivalence would be 38 cents. It is interesting that there were no 38 cents stamps; in 2002 the cost of a first class USPS stamp was 37 cents, which jumped to 39 cents in 2006. I am not sure what the cost of a first class stamp is now--we buy “Forever” stamps--guessing about 49 cents.

Minimum wage in Virginia is currently $7.25. Here we have seen an increase--rather than the $5.12, which would be the equivalent of the 40 cents in 1946. Bread, at the 1946 cost 

of 10 cents should cost $1.28 instead of the $1.99 (grocery chain brand) to nearly $3 a loaf. Milk at 70 cents a gallon would cost $8.12 in today’s prices (why are dairy owners not complaining loudly!). 

And the home price – that $12,500 home cost now equals $160,061. I think the realtors are absolutely correct: location, location, location.

So where am I going with this? I see 1946 as a pivotal year in United States history. The year marks families trying to return to normalcy after sixteen years of the Great Depression and WWII. Many soldiers returned home to girlfriends and wives while older Americans who

Post-war family

who had postponed marriage and children were eager to …start families (want to keep our “g-rating”). Confidence in the postwar era, in better wages and benefits, unions, plentiful and affordable consumer goods (no more SPAM Thursdays), along with the G.I. Bill helped with home ownership (in the suburbs) and education opportunities. 

The number of babies born in 1946 was 3.4 million, another 3.8 million in 1947, and more than 4 million per year from 1954 until 1964. 

By then, there were 76.4 million Boomers in the U.S., making up 

almost 40% of the population. Whoa! 

Next blog we’ll move on through our Boomer journey – the

school years. I am so excited about this blog project and hope

you’re enjoying it. I can’t believe I am 68 and still remember

 being the “2nd grade jacks champion.” Go, Glenne! 

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Glenne White