Cost Comparison

What You Need: A copy of the "Prices Then & Now" table below; paper; pen/pencil; calculator.

Doing It:

Grandparents and grandchildren can compare present prices to prices when the grandparents were growing up. The "Prices Then & Now" table is a useful reference (it's in $US). Aside from the categories in the table, you can also compare the price of a candy bar, a soft drink, an apple, a meal in a restaurant, a newspaper, a movie, a bicycle, and anything else you can think of.

Calculate the percentage increase for each item (i.e. subtract past price from current price; divide the difference by the past price; multiply by 100). Have some items gone up more than others? What's gone up the most? The least? Has anything stayed about the same? Are you surprised at any of the prices? How have increases in average income compared to increases in the costs of goods and services?

You can view and print the sheet below in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). If you don't already have it, you'll need Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. Acrobat Reader is available free of charge from the Adobe Website. Click on the link below to download and install your free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Once Acrobat Reader is installed on your computer, just click on the sheet below. Allow up to 2 minutes for the sheet to download and appear on your screen. Note: If you're using Netscape 6, you may not be able to view the page automatically. Call 1-800-772-7765 for more information.