Interesting poll on NPR (http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2010/10/12/130512149/the-tuesday-podcast-would-you-rather-be-middle-class-now-or-rich-in-1900) today.
Would you rather:
A. Live in 1900 and make $70,000 a year.
or
B. Live today and make $70,000 a year.
If you choose A., you get to be super rich; your income is roughly equal to $700,000 today. You get a mansion, servants, the whole deal.
Choice B. means you aren't rich, but you're not poor and you don't have to worry about being crippled by polio, or killed when a cut on your foot gets infected. You also get cable TV and air conditioning.
I'll take B
heck i wouldn't start off rich but shoot i think i could stash away about 3thousand a month i'd be rich soon
$70k/yr sounds delightful! I'd say it's at least 5 times what I make right now. So I'll stick with my internet and air conditioning.
Tough decision...But you could live in say, San Francisco or Los Angeles and have beautiful weather (who needs a/c on the west coast)! Of course there was that 1906 earthquake thing. :-
Oh, I don't know thats a hard one!
I would rather live today. I love what I have today.
To make $70k/yr in 1900 would also mean being one of the upper class who got ubber rich from taking advantage of the working class. Every dollar I would make back then would be fuel to the Labor Movement fire and all of the turmoil associated with it.
No. I cannot elevate myself by stepping on others.
Ubber rich in the 1900's for me. I'll travel to catch the breeze. :)
I almost jumped at the chance at the $700k/year but then I realized that I don't like 1900. :P I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm sure it was a lovely time and all, but barely any rights for women. . . . Oh, and interracial relationship were hard enough just on the friends level so the idea of the relationship I'm in now would be scorned by my fellow upper-crusts.
Yeah, I'd rather take the $70k/year now, enjoy my rights, and love my boyfriend. Oh, and the internet. ;D
I am divided pretty closely on this one...but think I would stay in the current time.
I am already doing B, so I'd try A just for some variety.
I'll take $70K in 1900 please, Alex...
money NOW please! I'm not bothered by not being rich, and money now would still give me more than I make at this moment...like 10 times as much lol...also I like having technology...and I really don't want to use an ear spoon...
My mother's midlife crisis was to move all of us to Montana - where I spent 6 years without any running water or electricity (or the conveniences that go with either). I'll take 1900 - it wasn't nearly as bad as how we were living, and being rich would make up for a lot of the bad. Plus, you don't have spam email and faxes.