What did a kilt cost in 1960, 1970, 1980 etc?

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Let's face it, Alan, there aren't any pockets in a shroud. I realised that a while back and if I wasn't going to get the pleasure from the money, somebody else sure as hell would. This life isn't just a rehearsal so make the most of it because you can be sure if you don't someone else will even if they just p**s it up against the wall.

Absolutely bang on message! If all you do is save for that rainy day, the only thing you can count is that they'll be passing out free umbrellas at your funeral.

[Jack Daw]

Absolutely bang on message! If all you do is save for that rainy day, the only thing you can count is that they'll be passing out free umbrellas at your funeral.

Go to the nursing home and see how those on Medicaid are living.

[Alan H]

Go to the nursing home and see how those on Medicaid are living.

I'll share a little detail of my private life.

My father in law has Parkinsons disease. He's had it for several years and is now pretty much confined to a wheelchair. I won't go into details, but he needs 24/7 care to do the simplest thing, like visit the bathroom. He's living in a pretty nice, but hardly sumptuous care home, which is a GREAT deal, and the monthly cost is $3,000 a month. That's $36,000 a year. This does not cover the cost of his medications, or the visits to the neurologist etc. etc. I'm going to guess that his annual cost for basic housing, food, doctor expenses and so on is around $45,000 or $50,000 a year.

This is CHEAP, out here. Dirt cheap. 24/7 care cost for living in a facility with nursing care round the clock is more like $5,000 a month, or $60,000 a year. Add in all that "other" stuff like doctors visits and it's probably $70,000 a year, and just in case you haven't visited a facility like that recently I STRONGLY recommend that you go walk into one and think about YOUR future..

Dad will likely live for another 3-4 years in this condition. If the annual cost is $50,000, then Dad had better have a drop-dead minimum of $200,000 to "make it", and Dad has already lived out 18 years of retirement.

Remember, you have to have a million dollars saved up to generate $50,000 a year annual income for an extended (say from age 65 to 85) retirement. $50,000 might sound like a lot right now (or it might not) but how will it sound, say in 2025 or 2045?
Even if you don't live on interest alone and you spend down your nest egg at the rate of $20,000 a year for those 20 years, you're going to need that million bucks at age 65 to have an income of $65,000 a year at age 85, 'cause if you're flat-broke at 85, and DANG...you live until you're 90, well.... Health care costs and nursing costs are skyrocketing.

AND....every dollar you save when you're 25 has that much longer to earn interest.

Sticking your head in the sand will not make these economic realities go away, eh?

While I agree that there ain't no point in living only for tomorrow, and that you can't take it with you, and that you COULD step in front of a bus and die tomorrow, the sobering realities of economics suggest that prudent folks might want to prepare for living into their 80's and 90's. If you DON"T prepare for that....and this goes ten times over for those of us who don't have kids.....your last years might be pretty freakin' GRIM.

And that needs to be balanced against how much you need/want that $600 kilt. Do you really want it? Are you saving for the future and still have some income left over? Then cool, get the kilt.

[JolyStNicholas]

The lesson for TODAY::QUALITY FIRST::QUALITY LAST::QUALITY ALWAYS!

[rodandy]

When I first went to Scotland in 1982 there were a couple of shops in Dunoon that were advertising a complete dress kilt outfit for something like 350 - 395 pounds. At the time the exchange rate down at the local YMCA was about 1.80 per pound, making the cost of the outfit about $630 - $711. I don't have any idea what kind of quality I would have got for that price, but I believe that was supposed to be the complete outfit - Kilt in the tartan of your choice, Jacket and waistcoat (probably a PC), shirt, hose and shoes. I don't remember whether it included any kind of sporran or other accessories or not. I'm sure there were options that would have raised the price if you didn't care for the standard package.

I've sometimes wished I had gone ahead and scraped up the money to buy one, but I never would have had the nerve 25 or 30 years ago to wear the thing, and I doubt I could wear it now, although I'm not too much heavier now than I was then.

In real terms that $700 would have been about half a month's take home pay for a junior NCO in the Navy in the early '80's. My situation has changed considerably since then and it would cost me much less than half a month's pay to buy the same outfit today.

[Laird O'the Cowcaddens]

Gentlefolk(men & woman),
I want to thank you for ALL your coments,they allowed me wander back in time and remember long forgotten memories. You American laddies gave me the best and longest laugh I have had in donkey's years. Your assumptions and sliderule analogies are just hilarious. I mean no disrespect when I say, "yea jus doant hae a clue". You North Americans have a saying that I am fond of.."You have to walk in the moccassins....". Please stick to what you know and not to what you have read. Stovies,fish and chips,tatties an neeps, these are all part of our childhood just as much as the thought processes of our parents when considering the cost of clothing us. Reading all of these comments has been a definite eye opener for me, even after 30 years of living amongst you. My father thanks you,my mother thanks you and I thank you.

[Phil]

I see this old thread has been resurrected. I posted originally and have since found the receipts from 1950 -





And here is the Montrose doublet and jabot 59 years later -



and the kilt -



Not bad value you have to agree. So it is worth buying the best you can afford.

(I still have the tartan hose as well)

[English Bloke]

... When I first went to Scotland in 1982 there were a couple of shops in Dunoon that were advertising a complete dress kilt outfit for something like 350 - 395 pounds. ...

... In real terms that $700 would have been about half a month's take home pay for a junior NCO in the Navy in the early '80's. My situation has changed considerably since then and it would cost me much less than half a month's pay to buy the same outfit today.

In 1982 I was earning £1.33 an hour giving me a gross of £30 for a 40 hour week. I was taking home about £21 a week, after taxes. Unemployement in Britain was over 3 million and in my region was about 15%. I was lucky to have a job at all and we took what we could get (anyone remember "Boys from the Blackstuff " ?... "Gizza Job Mr? I can do that"

In terms of pay and currency comparisons my wage was $210 gross / $147 net, per month on a $1.75 to £1 basis which was about the average for 1982 I'm told by Google. I remember begging the comany for overtime all the time and people asked me then and now WHY I joined up? One reason was I doubled my money overnight giving me £240 / $420 a month. I did have to sign up for 9 flamin' years with the colours to get the extra bonus to make it that much though.

That'll be why it took me so long to get into kilts then!

My situation has changed quite a bit too I'm pleased to say and I am fortunate now that I can enjoy the luxury of two beautiful wool kilts. I could not have afforded them at that time although it must be said, I still have to save for them now.