• Echolynx@lemmy.zip
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      24 days ago

      Using this method, Cratchit’s 15 shillings per week would translate to a relative labor earnings value of £611.30 per week, according to MeasuringWorth, an inflation calculation resource that Williamson co-founded. At the current conversion rate, that’s about $850 per week and $43,000 annually.

      USA Today

      That’s solidly middle class in the UK?

      • Tar_Alcaran@sh.itjust.works
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        24 days ago

        Typically, 60k gbp is middle-class ish, which is twice what 43k USD is.

        But 60k is basically your housing expenses in London unless you bought a home around the time A Christmas Carol was written.

      • CIA_chatbot@lemmy.world
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        24 days ago

        You know that’s a good point, I was being a bit US centric and also thinking what was middle class a few years ago before Trump and his ass fucking of the global economy

    • Tar_Alcaran@sh.itjust.works
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      24 days ago

      Even worse when you consider 64 pounds in 1840 is approx 8000 pounds in today’s value

      Converting money from longer before, say, the 1930s is really hard. Simply calculating inflation doesn’t really work, since things have really shifted in what they cost. White bread was a luxury food, indoor lighting was insanely expensive, but living in central London was dirt cheap.