1930s food prices make my wallet cry

This past weekend my parents were in town and we visited lots of New York City attractions. One of the most fascinating was The Tenement Museum on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. As we toured the apartments, we learned the true stories of some of the more than 7,000 people who lived at 97 Orchard Street between 1863 and 1935.


One apartment we explored had been the home of a Sicilian family during the 1930s. When I stepped into the kitchen from the narrow hallway, my nutritionist eyes were immediately drawn to the food products in the cupboard, which included coffee, canned tomatoes, and imported olive oil.


As our guide talked about the average wages and expenses at that time, it really got me thinking about how much some things have and haven't changed. It also got me curious about just how much certain foods cost 70 or so years ago.


Here's what I found:

Bananas
Then: $0.05/lb
Now: $0.69/lb
(about 13 times higher)

Bran flakes cereal
Then: $0.10/box
Now: $4.59/box
(about 45 times higher)

Potatoes
Then: $0.02/lb
Now: $0.99/lb
(about 50 times higher)

Mixed nuts
Then: $0.19/lb
Now: $12.00/lb
(about 65 times higher)

Lettuce
Then: $0.07/head
Now: $1.69/head
(about 23 times higher)

Chicken
Then: $0.20/lb
Now: $1.69/lb
(about 8 times higher)

Bread
Then: $0.09/loaf
Now: $3.19/loaf
(about 35 times higher)


Wouldn't it be nice to roll back the clock on some of these prices right about now? When I was a kid, I remember riding my bike to the market to buy a Baby Ruth bar for a quarter. I also remember when popcorn at a movie theatre didn't cost more than the admission! What's your take on these comparisons? Do you have any nostalgic food cost stories? Please share!

P.S. The average salary in the 1930s was $1,368/year. According to the latest Census data, the median household income in the U.S. is now $48,201 (about 35 times higher).