Sure, you’ll come to realize just how much more expensive things are today. But inflation is hardly the only reason why things cost so much more nowadays.
Neat post from a LiveCheap writer, who was eating in an iconic Los Angeles restaurant and took a close, in-depth look at a menu preserved behind glass and hung on the wall—a menu that was used on the premises way back in 1943.
So what was so enlightening about this artifact? For one thing, it revealed plainly that sales tax has gone through the roof: Where it was once 3% in the 1940s, a diner in that same restaurant today pays 9.75% in taxes. Also, here’s a partial explanation for why we’re more likely to be broke and be overweight today:
Meals vs. Sandwich Only
Back then, you didn’t have to pay for the fries if all you wanted was a sandwich. Today they are included in the meal and there is no option to “just get the sandwich.” We often wonder why we have obesity in America and part of the problem is that everything comes as a meal today. In most restaurants, it costs you the same if you don’t want high carbohydrate and fatty fries. Back then you would have saved approximately 20% by not ordering the fries.
Another interesting point is that the older menu takes it easy with the adjectives, unlike the way restaurants lay it on thick (in more ways than one) nowadays:
Marketing
Today, the menu peppers you with mouthwatering adjectives designed to sell you on the food – “savory”, “tender”, “delicious”. We now give our hamburgers names like Big Mac, Sizzler and Mandingo. Our burger’s have identities we can relate to. Whether you’re dainty or macho, you’ll find a burger that matches your personality. On the 66 year old menu, the only creative hard sell was for the “Wonderful Hotcakes” and I bet they earned that well deserved reputation to command 35 cents. They’re probably just as good today but they’ll cost you $7 and I’m not certain if they still serve them with real Maple Syrup.