General Discussion

That's when I got out of college and started working to support myself. I remember thinking I would never own a house because interest rates were so high. It was a struggle on $110 a week but I managed to get an apartment for $170 a month (plus utilities) while paying off a $3,000 student debt (private school).

Adjusted for inflation, those numbers would be today:

$110 a week pay --> $620.91 a week or $32,287.32 per year
$170 a month rent --> $959.59
$3000 student loan debt --> $16,934

One thing that made us more positive about the future were the yearly minimum wage increases because even though I was paid above minimum wage ($2.75 per hour) employers usually increased the lower pay levels whenever the Federal minimum increased.

Minimum wage in those years (and adjusted for today):
1977: $2.30 --> $12.98
1978: $2.65 --> $14.00
1979: $2.90 --> $14.02
1980: $3.10 --> $13.16
1981: $3.35 --> $12.72
1990: $3.80 --> $9.85