Monika Harrington

In 1985, the federal minimum wage was $3.35/hour. A brand-new VCR costs $400–$1,200. That means the average person had to work between 119 and 358 hours - roughly 3 to 9 weeks - to buy one. Fast-forward to 2025: - Minimum wage (inflation-adjusted) ≈ $9.55/hour - That same VCR would cost $1,140–$3,420. The number of work hours hasn't changed much. We've swapped VHS tapes for streaming, but purchasing power for everyday people? Still stuck in rewind. Discussion Prompt If you had to work 9 weeks to buy today's must-have gadget (say, a new iPhone or OLED TV), would you do it? Or would you wait, save, or skip it? Let's talk about how work hours reveal actual cost - not just price tags.

New comment Oct 20

Monika Harrington

0 likes • Oct 19

we had a few VCR's over they years, they keeped braking. tons of movies too. now they collect dust. Now you can stream everything. there is not enough time to watch all that crap- mostly, i gotten very selective how i spend my time and with whom.

Monika Harrington

1 like • Oct 19

@John Pogue that's true, my tv is off during the day, i watch a little at night, mostly i like to read.