Few items from my old account note book!!!!!… Account note book for household expenditure was maintained when myself and my wife started our life after marriage in the early 1979…. i was in Bangalore at that time.. THE good old book reveals the cost of living then in a city like Bangalore!!!!..
After receiving the shock of electricity bill for APRIL AND MAY 2012 together with the super shocker of PETROL PRICE HIKE ON 23 MAY 2012 , i scanned thro MY account note book of 1979 and was wondering myself whether those days would comeback!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LET me share the cost of items recorded in that old note book for you to enjoy!!!!!
Morning breakfast …RS 1. 45…. TRAIN TICKET TO MADRAS RS.18.15….LUNCH FOR ONE PERSON .. RS. 1.70 ….COFEE FOR TWO RS. ….1.00……KUMUDAM ..TAMIL WEEKLY… 0.55 … AUTO FARE TO CANTT. STATION FROM INDIRA NAGAR RS.2.50….
PETROL FOR SCOOTER 5 LITRES. RS 22.00….SOAP ANS SHAMPOO…RS 8.50….BUS TICKET…LUXURY COACH… FROM MADRAS TO BANGALORE RS.50 FOR TWO PERSONS….. COFFEE AT BANGALORE AIRPORT RESTAURANT… RS.4.50… FOR TWO PERSONS… SUGAR 1KG…RS 2.20….APPLE IKG.. RS.6.00 … MILK COUPON BOOK FOR 1 MONTH…RS.33.10….SUJI WHITE.1KG.RS.2.20…CHUTNEYDHALL 1KG..RS 4.00….COFFEE POWDER HALF KG..RS 9.00…KEROSENE 5 LITERES RSRS 7.00 TIL OIL {NALLA ENNAI} 1 LIT.. RS 10…. THE HINDU PAPER RS 13.50 FOR A MONTH…WHEAT FLAVOUR 1KG.RS.1.60 TOOR DHAL 1KG 5.15…
SALT 1KG. 0.40… RICE 1 KG .RS 2.20…PETROL 3 LIT. RS 13.30..!!!!!!! BOURNVITA RS.14.85….GROUNDNUT OIL 1 KG. RS 8.90
BUTTER 500 GRAM….RS 5.75…..
Same account note book shows my takehome salary{net] RS.829.10 FOR APRIL 1979…!!!!!!. MY GROSS SALARY WAS AROUND RS 12OO AS CLASS TWO OFFICER WITH 3 YEARS SERVICE AT THAT TIME !!!!!!!!!!!!!.
Looking back i am admiring our life at that time and the value of MONEY those days…. What is so great in earning FIVE DIGIT SALARY EVERY MONTH now AND SPENDING MINIMUM 3 DIGIT AMOUNT FOR ONETIME LUNCH OR BREAKFAST for one person AND 4 DIGIT FIGURES FOR EVERY OTHER NEEDS OF LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?????????….
Need of the day is stabilty in cost of living … any increase in emoluments SANS a check on the expenditure level….espicially on the basic needs of life like food , shelter . education and transportation, medical etc , has no meaning at all… . I am given to understand that SINGAPORE is able to control its cost of living of SINGAPOREANS by maintaining
the PRICELEVEL of almost all commodities incuding ESSENTIALS OF LIFE for more than a decade now!!!!!!!!!!! THAT IS THE BEST ECONOMIC MANAGEMENT…you see the value of $SG today against our INR …. Today ONE $SG is equvilent to RS 44 OF OURS …NO WONDER ONE DAY $SG MAY EVEN SURPASS AMERICAN $ !!!!!…..I wish one day we should be in a position reverse the present day situation with an equation of ONE INR = $SG 44 OR $US 56 …. I AM LOOKING FORWARD FOR THAT D DAY!!!!!!….
Natarajan
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Take off with Natarajan 
Yes,Sir, it is quite interesting to see from your accounts note book how we lived happily with such a low salary! If you ask your Father or any elder person,he will give take you to a good old life of still lower prices! To say in lighter vein, prices of postal stamps only remain the same today (only Re1/- for one rupee stamp and so on)!
Thanks sir for giving us an insight of good old days. Probably the tendency for contended and simple lifestyle is missing these days which has compounded the problem besides the economic reasons. More such thought-provoking information are expected………..thank you once again sir.