Grocery Shopping in 1971

[bradfordwhite]

men only

Yes, I agree about the men only observations. Men shopping and men only working the register. No idea. I don't think it was planned that way. This seems more like an established neighborhood store vs. a newly built suburban shop.

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

I’m often surprised at the number of men shoppers at the store I work at, then again, me and four other men work as checkout guys…

— Dave

 

[sudsmaster]

This thread reminds me.

 

I need to go grocery shopping on Monday.

 

Usually it's Costco. Sometimes Safeway.

 

Recently defrosted the chest freezer, and since then have been digging through it and am now working my way through older frozen stuff I forgot I had. Found a large ham in there, LOL.

 

I am hoping that egg prices after Easter will start to go down to more reasonable levels.

 

 

[petek]

Luckily we have a small/medium size ish grocery store built in the 50s about 3-4 blocks from our house and for that I'm thankful because I despise more and more having to trudge through a super size store . I want to get in and get out as fast as I can. Was watching this video last night... quite interesting

 

[jamiel]

This sounds like they're bewitched by Amazon...except the Amazon Fresh stores are failing badly. They're likely to write them off and close them up in the next quarter or so.

 

[bradfordwhite]

Safeway 1980 store

Guys in short shorts, ladies in colorful dresses,
food with bright color price stickers applied with a pricing gun,
and the Utz brand potato chips

 

[qsd-dan]

Short shorts, tube socks, and pornstaches. Soon to evolve into mullets, acid washed jeans, leather jackets, and mohawks. I remember those days (barely), they were weird for the most part.

 

For women, it would soon evolve into linebacker style shoulder pads and fried curly hair. The teenage girl style was just horrendous but some of the mid 20's to mid 30's women pulled off the mature/conservative look quite nicely.

 

 

 

[bradfordwhite]

#66

I know what you mean. I like the 80s but when I say that I really mean 1975 up until about 1987. After that, things just got ridiculous.

Big hair became HUGE angry hair. Music became louder but annoying. Movies weren't as interesting. Interior decor lost it's charm. The fun was gone. The class was gone. It was a time that was just big for the sake of being big....and corrupt.

And from there up until about 1993, it was a time of upheaval, war, and recession.

 

[bradfordwhite]

More scenes, Muzak and commercials for your shopping pleasure.

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

Well music that stores used to play and I go back a long ways and decades I must have spent listening through the womb before I finally hatched…

 

[phillymatt53]

I'll chime in here to add my amusing story.....
Back in 1980, when I was 28, I got my first apartment not far from my parent's home in northeast Philly.
There was a Thriftway, originally called "Penn Fruit" supermarket near me that I often went to.
One day, in the middle of November I needed to get toothpaste, and as usual if you go in the market for ONE thing, you're likely to buy some other stuff.

That day, it was pretty busy, about a week before Thanksgiving.
I'm standing, waiting in a busy line at the register, 3 people in front of me.
An extremely "large" black woman was getting checked out for some purchases, and she was wearing a huge colorful dress.
All of a sudden as she was about to leave, a big Butterball turkey dropped to the floor from under her dress! - with a loud Thump!
Well, the cashier called the security officer and they arrested her, screaming all the while!
The people nearby in the store saw that turkey drop and the laughter was enormous!.
And so did I!
You had to be there!

 

[phillymatt53]

Well music that stores used to play and I go back a long ways and decades I must have spent listening through the womb before I finally hatched…

I think I was weened on Patsy Cline and Connie Francis the same way.

 

[vacerator]

Re; turkey story. I worked in a city store in the early 80's. Our union steward was a shorter black gal. She saw a taller man in a black overcoat stealing instant coffee and batteries. She was at her cashier lane register, He got in her line to pay for a candy bar. She asked him to pay for what was inside his coat. He tried to leave, and she grabbed his coat collar and flung him onto the checkout belt!

 

[phillymatt53]

Re; turkey story. I worked in a city store in the early 80's. Our union steward was a shorter black gal. She saw a taller man in a black overcoat stealing instant coffee and batteries. She was at her cashier lane register, He got in her line to pay for a candy bar. She asked him to pay for what was inside his coat. He tried to leave, and she grabbed his coat collar and flung him onto the checkout belt!

That, and my posting, was at a time when employees were dedicated to their place of business, and honest.
My my, how times have changed!

 

[daveamkrayoguy]

Well store music and I go way back…

Heard The Hustle just for it to reach the ending and me wanting that record whereas Evil Woman came on but me having it and heard enough of, tired of it…

This store had all these upside down fans hanging from the ceiling but none of them needing to be turned on…

 

[harvestgold68]

We have a new shopping center that opened in April 2024 with a gigantic supermarket as one of the anchors that tries to be everything to everyone and it’s just too over the top. I prefer going to the medium sized supermarket a few miles away that has been here since the late 1980s. It was an A&P in the ‘80s and became an ACME in 2016. The staff are friendly, older people, the store is very clean and retains some of the 1980s design. It’s altogether a more pleasant, less hectic, less noisy grocery shopping experience than the gigantic new supermarket up the highway.

 

[phillymatt53]

We have a new shopping center that opened in April 2024 with a gigantic supermarket as one of the anchors that tries to be everything to everyone and it’s just too over the top. I prefer going to the medium sized supermarket a few miles away that has been here since the late 1980s. It was an A&P in the ‘80s and became an ACME in 2016. The staff are friendly, older people, the store is very clean and retains some of the 1980s design. It’s altogether a more pleasant, less hectic, less noisy grocery shopping experience than the gigantic new supermarket up the highway.

I tend to agree with that.
Smaller, family-owned places are more comfortable to shop at.

I've been to places like Walmart, and while they've got a wide range of products, I can't wait to leave the place and head for the car.
Besides, at those smaller stores, you get to know the employees, they get to know you.

 

[johnb300m]

“Two whole bags of groceries for only $9! Goly gee!”
$9 was a lot of money in 1971, equal to about $74 today.
That’s about what I spend now for 2-3bags of groceries. So it’s equivalent.

Everyone forgets about the ~700% inflation since the 70s. Yet get so nostalgic remembering “sandwiches were only a half dollar coin!”

 

[vacerator]

Every year since the items in the two bags of groceries were fewer. Back in about 1972, my mom spent on average about $60-$70 for our family of seven. Just like they're saying that a Thanksgiving dinner is less than last year but has less on the menu.

 

[ea56]

Every year since the items in the two bags of groceries were fewer. Back in about 1972, my mom spent on average about $60-$70 for our family of seven. Just like they're saying that a Thanksgiving dinner is less than last year but has less on the menu.

Back in 1971 min wage was $1.50 an hr. so that $9.00 for two bags of groceries represented SIX hr. of gross wages, a whole 8 hr. day of min wage was $12.00, less 15%for payroll deduction equals $10.20 net per day. So those two bags of groceries were almost one whole day of take home pay.

Everything cost a lot less then. If you could afford to pay $250 per mo for rent you could have rented a 4 bedroom house. I paid $65.00 per mo for a approx. 250 sq ft furnished cottage, util included., I recall wishing that I could afford $125.00 per mo and I could’ve rented a nice 2 bedroom townhouse. Or if I’d had about $2000.00 cash for a downpayment I could’ve bought a 2 bedroom 1 bath home for $12,000.00 and about $100.00 per mo mortgage paymt. Being only 20 years old at the time I foolishly chose to buy cars with loan pymts. instead. Hindsight is always 20/20.

Eddie

 

[harvestgold68]

In 1963 for $18,390 my parents built a 3 bedroom modern spilt level, single family house on about 1/3 acre in a central NJ suburb that still had outlying areas of beautiful farms and apple orchards (all now gone). In 1971, our first original neighbors from 1963 sold their 3 bedroom split level for $28,000 and my parents were amazed that the house prices went up $10,000 in 9 years in our suburb since 1963. Today in 2025 the same houses built in that 1963 suburb list for $650,000. I don’t know how people afford them anymore. My late parents would really be shocked.

 

[phillymatt53]

In 1963 for $18,390 my parents built a 3 bedroom modern spilt level, single family house on about 1/3 acre in a central NJ suburb that still had outlying areas of beautiful farms and apple orchards (all now gone). In 1971, our first original neighbors from 1963 sold their 3 bedroom split level for $28,000 and my parents were amazed that the house prices went up $10,000 in 9 years in our suburb since 1963. Today in 2025 the same houses built in that 1963 suburb list for $650,000. I don’t know how people afford them anymore. My late parents would really be shocked.

Not surprising at all!
My row home is now accessed at a quarter million and rising as we speak.
It's insanity!

 

[vacerator]

I know it's ridiculous! Real estate has usually appreciated, except from 2007 through 2010. Partly so agents and lenders can profit, and sellers can profit and buy upmarket too. Our 1968 home was about $28,000 new. We bought it in 1995 for $120,000 in move in condition. Now the area is selling from $280 to $325,000.

 

[ea56]

We paid $122,000 for our 2 bd, 1.5 bath 2 story 1260 sq ft, condo in 1994. Just 3 weeks ago one of the units here sold for $411,000, but 2 years ago 3 other units sold for $460,000, but they’d all had many upgrades done before the sale and the market was hotter 2 years ago in the Bay Area.

IMO it was the house flipping scheme that began in earnest here in the San Francisco Bay Area in about 1976 that has caused real estate prices to go right through the roof. Flippers buy fixers, slap a coat of paint in the walls, replace the flooring and two mo later sell for tens of thousands of dollars more. The advent of HGTV turned this flipping scheme into a cottage industry.

The only way the average Joe can get into real estate is to buy a home with potential in the best neighborhood they can afford, with the intention of staying there indefinitely and make the improvements over time as they can afford to pay CASH for the improvements that make it the home of their dreams.

And on top of this from your very first mortgage payment begin to add 1/12th of your mortgage payment extra to the monthly payment, specifically stating that this extra payment is to be applied to the principle. This way you can pay off your 30 year mortgage of in 15 years instead of 30 and save tens of thousands or more dollars in interest. Then you can retire in a paid for home and have financial security.

And above all else NEVER refi taking the equity out to payoff other debt or for other purchases!!!! Keep you eye on the light at the end of the tunnel.

We refi’d twice to lower the interest rate and didn’t roll the closing costs into the new mortgage, but paid them up front ourselves, always with the intent of paying off the balance ASAP!

Eddie

 

[wayupnorth]

In 1959 my family bought the land and had the original "camp" built for $7000. It became mine in 1989 and was appraised at $90000. I have done considerable work to the house since and have lived here permanently for almost 31 years. Now I could easily sell the house for $600000 +as this lake I am on is one of the highest in demand for its pure water and close proximity to all services. My 1989 property tax bill was $487, my last bill was $6000. Thankfully, the mortgage was paid off almost 10 years ago.

 

[harvestgold68]

You never truly have a fully “paid home” even after you pay off the mortgage. You have a “paid in full mortgage home” and hopefully lots and lots of equity BUT you still owe quarterly property taxes, quarterly home insurance and usually some frequent repairs. In my neighborhood the property taxes average a whopping $10,000 a year, home insurance $1,500 to $2,000 a year and as a friend of mine can tell you his roof and gutters had to be replaced last year to the tune of $29,000. and now he has to get estimates on window replacements which can also be $$$. It’s wonderful to have a good house but the costs can be very consuming when you retire and are on a fixed income budget.

 

[ea56]

“It’s wonderful to have a good house but the costs can be very consuming when you retire and are on a fixed income budget.”

You’d still have these same expenses if your mortgage wasn’t paid off, compounding your expenses. Since we live in a condo the exterior repairs, insurance and maintenance is covered by our monthly HOA dues. Our property taxes are about $2700.00 pr year and we pay them in full once a year. Our per mo. housing expense is about $765.00 for the prop tax and dues, to rent a comparable home in our town would cost $2500 to $3000 per mo. so we are saving at least $1735 per mo in housing costs which is a substantial amount when you have a fixed income of Soc Sec and a Pension.

So yes, with a paid for home you still do have housing expenses, but they are a lot more managable. Plus, you also have all the equity in your home that can be converted to cash if you sell or take a reverse mortgage, which I’d only do in a case of an extreme emergency.

Eddie

 

[qsd-dan]

quarterly home insurance

Home insurance isn't required if the mortgage is paid off.

 

[ea56]

Home insurance isn't required if the mortgage is paid off.

Yes, home insurance isn’t required if there’s no mortgage on the property, but it’s advisable.

Eddie