Mr. Patterson found the following information on the cost of living in England in 1888 in an article entitled "Life on a Guinea a Week" in The Nineteenth Century (1888), p. 464. Prices are in Pounds (£)/ Shillings (S)/ Pence (d).

Average Weekly Expenditure

ItemS/d
Meat4/0
Bread (10 loaves)2/3.5
Flour2/0
Vegetables (18 lbs)1/0
Other Vegetables0/4
Butter1/0
Fruit1/6
Milk (1 1/2d per day)0/10.5
Tea (1/2 lb)1/0
Cocoa (1/2 lb)0/6
Sugar (4 lbs)/0/10
Soap (1 1/2 lbs)0/6
Soda, starch, blue0/.5
Candles0/1
Parafin (1/2 gallon a fortnight)
[Kerosene]		0/3
Coal (1 cwt)1/3
Beer (3 pints at 3 1/2d)0/10.5
Rent5/6
Boots (for whole family)1/8
Clothes for the man1/0
Clothes for wife and children2/0
School fees0/4
Provident Club [savings]1/6.5
Medical attendance
wife & children		0/3

Yearly Expenditure

Item£/S/d
Rent105/0/0
Rates and taxes
including gas		28/18/10
Coals12/8/6
Wages48/2/1
Food: Butcher46/9/11
Food: Baker9/8/8
Food: Dairyman35/4/8
Food: Grocer38/8/10
Food: Greengrover10/6/0
Food: Poulterer10/3/7
Dress: Wife35/8/4
Dress: Husband19/17/3
Washing34/14/9
Doctor & chemist33/1/0
Traveling & tips43/7/5
Local traveling19/17/9
Stamps7/16/7
Stationery8/1/3
Pleasures, presents
Smoking		35/18/2
Wine15/0/8
House repairs26/12/10
Garden4/13/9
Balance50/19/2

Clothing

Item£/S/d
1 overcoat1/15/0
1 umbrella-/7/6
1 hat-/2/6
1 silk hat-/7/6
1 week-day suit 2/0/0
1 Sunday suit2/10/0
1 pair socks-/1-/10
1 pair boots-/10/6
repairing boots-/6/0
1 under vest-/2/6
1 flannel shirt-/3/0
1 collar-/-/5
1 pair cuffs-/-/8
cutton, buttons-/0/1

Weekly Prices

Item£/S/d
Rent0/6/0
Breakfasts0/1/8
Dinners0/5/0
Teas0/1/0
Boot-cleaning0/0/3
Coal and Wood0/1/0
Washing0/0/9
Tobacco, etc.0/0/6

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Last modified 16 July 2003