Thinking about this the other day when considering all the adult purchasing power we have, how did we get by back in the 80's? I seemed to have enough for comics, sportscards, pizza, movies and toys, but I remember only getting $10 a week. Nowadays that can't even get you a coffee and a magazine! I didn't even have a paper route or a job like that either, with the exception of returning glass soda bottles for money. Anyone out there too are baffled how we got by back then?
Posted by Ronnie (Member # 465) on :
i never received an allowance. my dad owned a lot of records (he's a musician)..so i would just listen to what he listened to. we had all the cable channels, thanks to a friend of the family hook up. so i stayed in watching mtv, and HBO a lot. but for me the 80s were my childhood years, not my teens. i was born in '79. in the late 80s, i spent a lot of time at the local skating rink. i still didn't own many cassettes or videos. i wish i would have been able to get my hands on all the cool 80s toys, music, and movies when it was brand new.
Posted by kevdugp73 (Member # 5978) on :
I was born in 73' so I remember being fairly young and getting $1 for allowance...that was enough to buy a bag of chips, a bar, and a bottle of pop! Gradually moved up to $5, then $10 is the highest amount I remember. Where I lived (and actually still live in the same neighborhood) there was a short cut to the mall, so me and my friends would get our allowance and go to the arcade...after we feathered our hair that is! Same as you Rip...was always buying comics, hockey cards, etc. Going to the movies and buying toys was kind of an extra...just had to ask Dad on the right day. I do remember getting $5 for allowance and my Mom and Dad spotting me the extra $2 to buy the Footloose cassette tape....ahhhhh....the memories!
Posted by 80'sRocked (Member # 6979) on :
I got $2 a week for the longest time. I always made extra cash though by helping my bro on his paper route, mowing lawns, raking leaves and shoveling snow. My money mainly went to heavy metal items(posters, cassettes, magazines, shirts, etc.), wiffle balls, the ice cream truck, baseball cards, candy, and arcades. It's amazing at how far a few dollars went back then!
Posted by jdocster McFly you Irish bug (Member # 5752) on :
I never got allowance either. I started working young (7yrs) delivering newspapers, mowing grass, shoveling snow... Heheee....
Posted by Pyromantic (Member # 7658) on :
what little i ever got never went very far..I blew it all at the arcades usually.