R.Caerbannog
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Figured I'd try and calculate Bob Cratchits wages, in a Christmas Carol, into modern USD.
(15 shilling * 52 weeks) / 20 (shillings in pound) = 39 pounds
Yearly wage of 7,760.61 dollars after conversion
(15 shilling * 52 weeks) / 20 (shillings in pound) = 39 pounds
Yearly wage of 7,760.61 dollars after conversion
What the Dickens? Rents of Christmas past ‘Cratchit’ up by around 120,000% since 1840s
Data shows that for Ebenezer Scrooge to rent his three-bedroom house in Lime Street in the City of London, the cost would have been around 7 shillings, 8 pence a week in the 1840s3. In today’s money this equates to around £46 per week (2017 comparison)4. But had Scrooge rented today, he would have grimaced at the cost of £459 per week5 for a three-bedroom house in London – an increase of 119,300%.
If the pace of rent growth continues at the same rate for a further 175 years, a three-bed home in London would cost on average around £548,076 per week to rent in the year 21936.
But while Scrooge may have had the means to rent, Bob Cratchit and family - including Tiny Tim - could not have afforded such a high rent on 15 shillings per week7, so he probably would have only been able to rent a single room for his entire family, costing around six shillings a week8 in what would have been a Victorian slum in Camden. In today’s money, this would have been the equivalent of £18.139 a week. In comparison, a room in Camden in today’s market would be on average around £247 per week10.
Data shows that for Ebenezer Scrooge to rent his three-bedroom house in Lime Street in the City of London, the cost would have been around 7 shillings, 8 pence a week in the 1840s3. In today’s money this equates to around £46 per week (2017 comparison)4. But had Scrooge rented today, he would have grimaced at the cost of £459 per week5 for a three-bedroom house in London – an increase of 119,300%.
If the pace of rent growth continues at the same rate for a further 175 years, a three-bed home in London would cost on average around £548,076 per week to rent in the year 21936.
But while Scrooge may have had the means to rent, Bob Cratchit and family - including Tiny Tim - could not have afforded such a high rent on 15 shillings per week7, so he probably would have only been able to rent a single room for his entire family, costing around six shillings a week8 in what would have been a Victorian slum in Camden. In today’s money, this would have been the equivalent of £18.139 a week. In comparison, a room in Camden in today’s market would be on average around £247 per week10.
39 pounds in 1843 = 7,760.61 USD
1843 Pound = 198.99 USD
1843 Shilling = 9.95 (9.9495) USD
Bob Cratchits weekly take home = 149.24 USD
Rent weekly payment = 59.697 USD
Leaves 9 shillings (89.54 USD) for weekly expenditures.
1843 Pound = 198.99 USD
1843 Shilling = 9.95 (9.9495) USD
Bob Cratchits weekly take home = 149.24 USD
Rent weekly payment = 59.697 USD
Leaves 9 shillings (89.54 USD) for weekly expenditures.
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