NIAGARA, Wis. — When my husband and I were dating back in the early 1970s, we could have a pretty good time on a twenty-dollar bill. We lived 40 miles apart — he in Menasha and I in Ripon — so just the driving back and forth twice in one night took a good bit of gas. But gas back then was about 29 cents per gallon. He’d pick me up in Ripon and drive back to the Fox Valley, where there were any number of teen bars where we could hear great bands for a few dollars. After dancing and drinking beer for a few hours, we’d go out for pizza, and then he’d drive me 40 miles back home … and himself back to Menasha.

After we were married, we lived in Neenah. We lived on a shoestring even by 1971 standards. Our apartment rent, in a pretty new building located in a very nice neighborhood with a backyard that faced a golf course, was only $100 per month. Groceries were unbelievably inexpensive compared to current prices. Eggs were 99 cents per dozen, milk was 99 cents per gallon, a loaf of bread was 25 cents, chicken was 29 cents per pound, and hamburger was only 55 cents per pound. When beef prices went up, I stopped buying it. For the first, and only, time my husband was turned down by the Red Cross when he went to give blood because his iron count was too low. Our neighbors, who were our age and also newly married, said “they figured Pat had an iron deficiency because they’d found lip prints on the fender of their Volkswagen.” We were careful with our money. He worked at the Appleton Pizza Hut on the weekends because he was finishing school in Green Bay during the day. I waitressed at Nino’s Steak House. My small wage paid our rent and tips paid for everything else. We managed to save $100 each month, and when we moved back to Ripon so I could finish college, we bought our very first bedroom set.

Of course, living expenses were just one side of the equation. Wages back then were equally low. Pizza Hut paid $1.75 per hour to their experienced employees; everyone else made the minimum wage of $1.45. For a time, I worked third shift at Rich’s Frozen Foods for a whopping $3.45 per hour, and that included a 25-cent- per-hour shift differential. Yes, times were very different back then.

I recently stumbled across an article on the internet titled “What $20 Could Buy You Through History.” I think you will find the following information as interesting as I did.

The Colonial Era had not as yet developed a unified economic system, so a mix of currency was exchanged. A sum of 100 shillings would be equivalent to $20 in today’s money. In the 1730s, 20 shillings could buy 50 acres of land in Maryland or about 3 pounds of beef in New England. In 1777, the same amount would outfit a man in a full suit of broadcloth in Rhode Island.

By the mid-19th century, the U.S. dollar was well ingrained as the standard currency. A twenty-dollar bill could cover an entire month’s rent for a Lower East Side tenement apartment in New York City. Granted, the living environment was not the best, but many working-class families and new immigrants called those apartments home. Today, after centuries of both inflation and gentrification, apartment rent in the same Manhattan neighborhood averages about $5,000 per month. The $20 rent may sound like a terrific bargain, but most laborers earned about $50 per month — meaning 40% of their income went to housing. Professionals such as physicians and lawyers took home a few hundred dollars each month.

In rural areas during the same period, a twenty-dollar bill could buy a dairy cow that supplied a steady supply of milk, cheese, and butter for an entire household. And families were big back then. It could also purchase a decent selection of clothing. A silk suit cost $12.50, a heavy woolen coat set you back $5, and a silk twilled umbrella cost $1.50. Today, that same $20 will buy two cups of coffee in the city or a week’s worth of the same beverage in rural areas. If you are shopping for clothing, that $20 may buy a pair of off-brand jeans on sale.

The 1920s saw an economic boom — they weren’t called the Roaring Twenties for nothing. Everyday Americans could afford consumer goods so those who liked to dress up and go out and dance the Charleston could afford to spend $20 for a stylish suit, coat or dress. Household appliances were affordable, so were available to the common man. A small electric countertop oven cost about $10, so some Americans could now afford home innovations and upgrades. The average household income at that time was between $3,000 and $5,000 per year. Also, during this decade, the popularity of cars exploded. The popular Ford Model T cost $260, and $20 would fill its 10-gallon tank with gas about 10 times.

The average household income during the 1950s was $3,300, and $20 still had decent purchasing power. A full holiday meal cost just under $7 and included a 16-pound turkey, potatoes, stuffing, dinner rolls, cranberries and a pumpkin pie. Families could even afford to add in a couple of vegetables and a nice bottle of champagne. A can of Coke sold for only a nickel. As a kid during this decade, I can remember being able to buy a Milky Way candy bar, a package of candy cigarettes –yes, they sold those back then — or Bazooka bubble gum wrapped in an Archie comic for a nickel. Bubble gum wrapped up with baseball cards cost a dime. Medical care was also much less expensive. A $20 bill could cover three or four trips to the doctor’s office and even some minor procedures in the operating room.

In the 1980s, $20 could easily get you concert tickets to hear the most popular performers of the day such as Bob Seger or the Grateful Dead. Today, try going to a Taylor Swift concert for that same amount, and you would not get out of the parking lot. Also, $20 bought a lot more fast food back in the ’80s. A McDonalds value meal cost only $2.59, so it could feed a family of seven — or a family of five with enough money left to buy ice cream for dessert.

While on vacation, I picked up a booklet at a tourist shop titled “Back in the Day — 1951.” I bought it because that was the year I was born. It listed the cost of common items and included the following: a new house — $9,000; a new car – $1,500; gasoline — 27 cents per gallon; eggs — 74 cents per dozen; butter — 82 cents per pound; bread — 16 cents per loaf; coffee — 86 cents per pound; potatoes — 51 cents per 10 pounds; milk — 92 cents per gallon; bacon — 67 cents per pound; and sugar — 51 cents per 5 pounds. A movie ticket cost 53 cents, and I can remember when the Saturday afternoon kids’ movies were only a dime. A postage stamp cost 3 cents. That was the “expense side” of life. Minimum wage was 75 cents per hour. When my husband and I were kids, we can remember our parents wishing for an income of $10,000 a year, a huge amount back then. The Dow average was a whopping 258 points.

Yes, in some respects it was a simpler time back then. The dollar went further, but we didn’t have as many of them. Time seemed to go slower, and we could have a whopping good time just running out in the summer rain in our bathing suits … or taking a drive on a country road while singing old jukebox tunes.

Today, we earn more money, but we spend more. We have more conveniences, yet we seem to have less time. We work harder to try to live simpler. We wonder where the time has gone as we turn each calendar page to the next month. In the year ahead, maybe we need to practice living more slowly … taking a moment to appreciate each new day … and to count our blessings.

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NURSING HOMES/SENIOR LIVING FACILITIES

Freeman Nursing and Rehabilitation Community

Kingsford

906-774-1530

They welcome anyone who would like to entertain the residents. Volunteers are also needed to help with crafts and other activities.

On the third Tuesday of every month at 2 p.m. they host a Memory Cafe — a fun hour to spend with others. For more information, contact Jaime Hathaway at jlhathaway@protonmail.com. The program runs on donations.

Sunday: Catholic Mass on TV, 10 a.m.; ice cream served in rooms with staff.

Monday: Room visits, 10 a.m.; small group in activities room, 11:30 a.m.; card club, 2 p.m.

Tuesday: Nail day, 10 a.m.; brown bag bingo, 2 p.m.

Wednesday: “Price Is Right” on CBS, 10 a.m.; crafts, 1:30 p.m.

Thursday: Choose the right number and win, 10 a.m.; bunny visits, 11 a.m.; crafts, 1:30 p.m.

Friday: Room visits, 10 a.m.; small group in activities room, 11:30 a.m.; bingo, 2 p.m.

Saturday: Word search, 10 a.m.; family time, 2 p.m.; “Weakest Link” on PBS, 7 p.m.

Iron County Medical Care Facility

Crystal Falls

906-874-1501

Sunday: Room visits, 8:30 a.m.; penny ante, 9:30 a.m.; chair exercise, 10:45 a.m.; room visits, 12:30 p.m.; afternoon matinee with popcorn, 1:30 p.m.

Monday: Cooking, 9:30 a.m.; exercise, 10:45 a.m.; DT luncheon, 11:30 a.m.; room visits, 1 p.m.; bingo, 2 p.m.; Sunshine Club, 2:30 p.m.; “Name That Tune,” 6 p.m.

Tuesday: Just friends, 9:30 a.m.; Iron River Bible Church, 10 a.m.; mystery ride, 1 p.m.; wildlife film, 1:30 p.m.; trivia teasers, 2 p.m.; musical movie, 6 p.m.

Wednesday: Coffee social/travel club 9:30 a.m.; balloon toss, 10:45 a.m.; room visits, 1 p.m.; current events, 2 p.m.; night bingo, 6 p.m.

Thursday: Puzzler, 9:30 a.m.; bowling, 10 a.m.; Bible study, 1 p.m.; travel film, 1:30 p.m.; happy hour, 2 p.m.

Friday: Crafts, 9:30 a.m.; exercise, 10:45 a.m.; room visits, 1 p.m.; monthly birthday party with live music and cake, 2 p.m.; comedy movie, 6 p.m.

Saturday: No information available.

Optalis Healthcare

Kingsford

906-774-4805

Sunday: Devotional, 9:30 a.m.; room visits, 11 a.m.; movie, 1 p.m.

Monday: Coffee time, 9:30 a.m.; daily chronicle, 10 a.m.; room visits, 11 a.m.; mystery prize bingo, 2 p.m.

Tuesday: Coffee time, 9:30 a.m.; daily chronicle, 10 a.m.; room visits, 11 a.m.; karaoke, 2 p.m.

Wednesday: Coffee time, 9:30 a.m.; daily chronicle, 10 a.m.; room visits, 11 a.m.; mystery prize bingo, 2 p.m.

Thursday: Coffee time, 9:30 a.m.; daily chronicle, 10 a.m.; room visits, 11 a.m.; wii bowling, 2 p.m.

Friday: Coffee time, 9:30 a.m.; daily chronicle, 10 a.m.; room visits, 11 a.m.; mystery prize bingo, 2 p.m.

Saturday: Manicures, 9:30 a.m.; room visits, 11 a.m.; crafts or games, 1 p.m.

Maryhill Manor Nursing Home

Niagara, Wis.

715-251-3172

Families are allowed to attend activities and are encouraged to join in.

Sunday: Coffee and trivia, 10 a.m.; delivery of communion, 12:30 p.m.; movie and popcorn, 1:30 p.m.; church service, 2:30 p.m.

Monday: Rosary/communion service, 9 a.m.; pamper and polish, 10 a.m.; “Family Feud,” 2 p.m.

Tuesday: Rosary/communion service, 9 a.m.; Protestant service, 10 a.m.; winter word search, 10:15 a.m.; bowling, 2 p.m.; Chaplet of Divine Mercy, 3 p.m.

Wednesday: Rosary/communion service, 9 a.m.; puzzle mania, 10 a.m.; jokereno, 2 p.m.

Thursday: Rosary, 9 a.m.; Catholic Mass, 9:30 a.m.; tic tac trivia, 10 a.m.; board games, 2 p.m.

Friday: Hot cocoa bar, 10 a.m.; happy hour with Jim on the piano, 2 p.m.

Saturday: No information available.

Northshore Healthcare

Florence, Wis.

715-528-4833

Sunday: Independent activities.

Monday: Card club, 10 a.m.; bowling, 2 p.m.

Tuesday: Word search, 10 a.m.; manicures, 2 p.m.

Wednesday: Exercise/parachute, 10 a.m.; bingo, 2 p.m.

Thursday: Pastor Jason/Bible study, 10 a.m.; air hockey, 2 p.m.

Friday: Social/hot chocolate, 10 a.m.; happy hour, 2 p.m.

Saturday: Independent activities.

Victorian Pines

Iron Mountain

906-774-5158

Sunday: Juice time, 10 a.m.; Bible study, 1:30 p.m.

Monday: Juice time, 10 a.m.; exercise, 11 a.m.; bingo and refreshments, 1:30 p.m.

Tuesday: Juice time, 10 a.m.; exercise, 11 a.m.; trivia and refreshments, 1:30 p.m.

Wednesday: Juice time, 10 a.m.; exercise, 11 a.m.; bingo and refreshments, 1:30 p.m.

Thursday: Juice time, 10 a.m.; exercise, 11 a.m.; refreshments, 1:30 p.m.

Friday: Juice time, 10 a.m.; exercise, 11 a.m.; refreshments, 1:30 p.m.

Saturday: Juice time, 10 a.m.

Pinecrest Medical

Care Facility

Powers

906-497-5244

Sunday: Morning visits and reality orientation; bean bag toss, 10 a.m.; trivia, 11:15 a.m.; church services, 1:30 p.m.; rummy, 2:30 p.m.; coloring pages, daily chronicle.

Monday: Morning visits and reality orientation; open room, 9:30 a.m.; what’s your verdict? 11 a.m.; bowling, 1:45 a.m.; book club, 4 p.m.; movie, 6 p.m.; daily chronicle.

Tuesday: Morning visits and reality orientation; open room, 9:30 a.m.; juice hour and who-what-where, 11 a.m.; bingo, 1:45 p.m.; Alice’s adventures, 4 p.m.; daily chronicle.

Wednesday: Morning visits and reality orientation; open room, 9:30 a.m.; Pictionary, 11 a.m.; crafty Wednesday, Chinese lanterns, 2 p.m.; kings ‘n’ corner, 4 p.m.; daily chronicle.

Thursday: Morning visits and reality orientation; bingo/trivia, 10 a.m.; Bunco, 1:30 p.m.; table talk, 4 p.m.; daily chronicle.

Friday: Morning visits and reality orientation; Catholic Mass, 10:30 a.m.; trivia; Vicky and Dave entertain, 2 p.m.; book club, 4 p.m.; game night, 6 p.m.; daily chronicle.

Saturday: Morning visits and reality orientation; exercise group, 10 a.m.; juice hour, 11 a.m.; bingo, 1:45 p.m.; one-to-one visits, 3 p.m.; activity packets, daily chronicles.

SENIOR CENTERS

Amasa Center

906-822-7284

Menu for the week —

Tuesday: Barbecue chicken legs, baked beans, vegetables, dinner roll.

Wednesday: Deluxe hamburger, seasoned potato wedges, baked beans.

Thursday: Scalloped potatoes and ham, peas, dinner roll.

Breen Center

Kingsford

906-774-5110

Dine-in eating Monday through Thursday — meal at noon. Carryout meals are available. Soup and salad bar are also available. Friday and night meals are on hold indefinitely. Menu for the week —

Monday: Spaghetti with meatballs, vegetable, garlic bread.

Tuesday: Meatloaf, mashed potatoes and gravy, candied carrots.

Wednesday: Boiled dinner, biscuit, applesauce.

Thursday: Cranberry maple chicken, potato, vegetable, pudding cup.

Note: All meals served with a choice of skim milk or juice and fruit.

Crystal Falls Center

Head Cook: Elizabeth Peryam

Assistant Cooks: Debbie Bigalke and Shannon Stapleton

906-875-6709

The center is serving meals for dine-in or takeout – call the center by 1 p.m. to make reservations or place an order. All food purchased from local vendors. All dinners include warm vegetables, salad bar, soup, homemade desserts, coffee, tea or milk. Salad bar begins at 4:30 p.m. and dinner is served at 5 p.m. Pickup for takeout meals is 4 p.m. – call ahead and leave a message with a phone number. A volunteer will deliver meals to homebound citizens only. Menu for the week —

Monday: Sloppy Joes, oven-browned potatoes, baked beans.

Tuesday: Salisbury steak with mashed potatoes and gravy.

Wednesday: Pizza.

Home-delivered meals (prepared by DICSA – independent from above menu) —

Monday: Cheeseburger, baked fries, baked beans.

Tuesday: Pancakes, hash brown potatoes, sausage, yogurt.

Wednesday: Pasty pie, vegetables, applesauce.

Thursday: Layered chicken casserole, cauliflower, croissant.

Dickinson-Iron Community Services Agency

DICSA

Iron Mountain

906-774-2256, ext. 230 or 235

This is a Meals on Wheels program only. Home-delivered meals only — call to make arrangements. Menu for the week —

Monday: Cheeseburger, baked fries, baked beans.

Tuesday: Pancakes, hash brown potatoes, sausage, yogurt.

Wednesday: Pasty pie, vegetables, applesauce.

Thursday: Layered chicken casserole, cauliflower, croissant.

Friday: Cheesy tuna casserole, steamed carrots, croissant.

Note: All meals include a choice of skim milk, juice, or no beverage.

For more information, call Christine McMahon at 906-774-2256.

Crystal Lake Center

Iron Mountain

906-828-1776

Schedule for the week:

Monday: Les Artistes art club, noon to 4 p.m.; woodcarvers, starting at 9 a.m.

Tuesday: Cards — Pinochle and cribbage, noon to 4 p.m.; Happy Quilters, noon to 3 p.m.

Wednesday: Bingo, 1 to 3 p.m.; cards cost 25 cents with 10 games played

Thursday: Spinning Spools quilting, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Friday: Cards — smear, noon to 4 p.m.

Felch Center

906-246-3559

Open for dine-in eating — call for serving times. Carryout meals also available.

Menu for the week —

Monday: Chicken fettuccine Alfredo, broccoli, dinner roll.

Tuesday: French onion pork chops, garlic mashed potatoes, chef’s choice dessert.

Wednesday: Oven porcupine balls, mashed potatoes, vegetable, biscuit.

Note: All meals served with skim milk or juice.

Home-delivered meals —

Monday: Cheeseburger, baked fries, baked beans.

Tuesday: Pancakes, hash brown potatoes, sausage, yogurt.

Wednesday: Pasty pie, vegetables, applesauce.

Aging and Disability Resource Center

Florence County, Wis.

715-528-4890

Director: Tiffany White

Menu for the week —

Monday: Chef’s choice entree, vegetable, and fruit.

Tuesday: Pasties, cole slaw, fruit pie.

Wednesday: Baked ham, baked sweet potato, broccoli, dinner roll, fruit, cookies.

Thursday: Chicken salad on a croissant, potato salad, beet salad, fruit.

Friday: Chicken tenders, western baked beans, tater tots, fruit.

Note: All meals served with whole grain bread, butter and milk.

Aurora-Hillcrest Dining Center

Home-delivered meals will be served Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. There will be no meals delivered on Monday or Wednesday. The dining center is only open on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Space is limited. Call 715-589-4491 the day before to make a reservation.

Fence Center/Town Hall

715-336-2980

RSVP for meal at 855-528-2372

Same as ADRC menu, served at noon on Wednesday only.

Florence Community Center/Town Hall

RSVP for meal at 715-528-4261

This site is closed until further notice.

Home-delivered meals will be delivered Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. No Wednesday meal is available.

Tipler Town Hall

RSVP for meals at 715-674-2320

Same as ADRC menu, served at noon on second Thursday only.

Hermansville Center

Coordinator: Barb Peters

906-498-7735

Center is open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Meals are served through the Menominee-Delta-Schoolcraft Community Action Agency in Escanaba. Meals-On-Wheels program is available for those who are homebound.

Monday: Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes with gravy, peas and carrots, Mandarin oranges, whole wheat bread.

Tuesday: Baked ham, sweet potatoes, California vegetable blend, sliced apple, whole wheat bread.

Wednesday: Congregate birthday — barbecue baked chicken, twice-baked potatoes, Key Largo vegetables, whole wheat dinner roll, tropical fruit, birthday cake.

Thursday: Polish sausage with sauerkraut, boiled potatoes, mixed vegetables, diced pears, whole wheat bread.

Friday: Breaded pollack, red oven potatoes, baked beans, whole wheat bread, mixed fruit.

Iron River Center

906-265-6134

Meal served at 11:30 a.m., salad bar available at 11 a.m. No night meals. Carryout meals also available. Menu for the week —

Monday: Chicken teriyaki bowl, Oriental vegetables, pears.

Tuesday: Cheese ravioli with marinara sauce, Italian vegetables, garlic bread.

Wednesday: Chicken bacon ranch, parslied buttered noodles, vegetable, biscuit, berry and granola yogurt parfait.

Thursday: Hamburger gravy over mashed potatoes, carrots, dinner roll.

All meals are served with choice of skim milk or juice and fruit.

Niagara Senior Center/Cafe

715-251-1603

Dinner is served at noon Monday through Thursday. Reservations are required one day in advance. Suggested donation is $5 for those older than 60 and $11 for 60 and younger. Bingo played on most Wednesdays. Transportation is available.

Tuesday: Chop suey, rice, Oriental vegetables, chow mein noodles, fresh orange.

Wednesday: Chicken booyah with crackers, pea and cheese salad, pumpkin bars.

Thursday: Swedish meatballs, mashed potatoes, vegetable blend, wheat bread, apple torte.

The center will have bingo on Tuesdays and Wednesdays this month.

Norway Center

Director: Alicia Rochon

906-563-8716

Dine-in eating begins at 11:15 a.m. Takeout meals are available for pick-up from 11 to 11:30 a.m. Let staff know if planning to dine in or pick up.

Menu for the week —

Monday: Chicken Alfredo over fettuccine, garlic bread, hot vegetable, side salad, seasonal fruit.

Tuesday: Italian sausage wrap, garlic bread stick, hot vegetable, side salad, seasonal fruit, homemade cookies.

Wednesday: Deluxe chef salad, ham and Swiss slider, cheesy breadstick, seasonal fruit.

Thursday: Chicken pot pie, mashed potatoes, biscuit with butter, side salad, seasonal fruit.

Birthdays and bingo on second Thursday.

Center activity schedule:

Mondays and Thursdays — Exercise at 10 a.m. and card bingo after the meal.

Monday through Thursday — Card game 101 from noon to 3 p.m. Call Joe at 906-563-5587 for information.

Tuesdays — Quilting and sewing.

Wednesdays — Ceramics and crocheting.

Last Monday of each month — Book club at 9 a.m.

Second Thursday of each month — Birthdays and bingo.

Sagola Center

906-542-3273

Dine-in meals served, salad bar opens at 11 a.m. and meal is served at 11:30 a.m. Carryout meals also available.

Menu for the week —

Tuesday: Hot beef sandwich, mashed potatoes and gravy, vegetable.

Wednesday: Tater tot casserole, vegetable, croissant, Jell-O with fruit.

Thursday: Sweet and sour chicken with fried rice, Oriental vegetables, fortune cookies.

All meals served with an option of milk, juice or no beverage.

Home-delivered meals —

Monday: Cheeseburger, baked fries, baked beans.

Tuesday: Pancakes, hash brown potatoes, sausage, yogurt.

Wednesday: Pasty pie, vegetables, applesauce.