The country is celebrating the Queens Jubilee this weekend and 1952 does seem such a long time ago and being 70 years on the throne, I am sure the Queen has seen some price increases. 

She may not nip down to the local shops for a pint of milk and know that it now cost’s 69p instead of 4p when she started on the throne, but I wonder how many of the following she does know. 

Here are 15 interesting facts about how our finances have changed whilst she has been on the throne. 

  1. In 1960 she was the first monarch to appear on a bank note-the pound note-do you remember it? 
  2. Monarchs featured on Royal Bank of Scotland bank notes from 1727. 
  3. There were 796 Building Societies in1952, today there are 43. 
  4. A pint of beer cost 9p-now the average is £4.00.
  5. A radio licence cost £1 and now a tv & radio licence costs £152 per year.
  6. Inflation was 9% in 1952 and has averaged 4.2% over the last 70 years.
  7. The average property price was £1891, and it is now £265000.
  8. Approximately 4 million people owned their home in 1952, now it is 15 million.
  9. The basic state pension was £1.63 per week now it is £142 per week. 
  10. There were 6.8 million pensioners in 1952 there are now 12.1 million.
  11. In 1952 the average person never made it to state pension age. 
  12. 19.8% of deaths resulted in cremation, today it is 80%.
  13. The driving test cost 50p and now costs £62 for the practical & £23 for the theory.
  14. In the 1950’s people spent £70 on weddings, now it is £32000.
  15. Home contents insurance covered items like pianos and servants’ possessions. 

 

Spectrum Independents advice for the next 70 years-GET SAVING!