Economy
I always liked this little tabulation from the “Economy” chapter of Walden. Thoreau writes of the money he spent for materials for his cabin beside Walden Pond. (Really, why is it called a pond? It’s 61 acres in surface area!)
Boards…………………………………………… $8.03 ½
Refuse shingles for room and sides………… 4.00
Laths………………………………………………. 1.25
Two second-hand windows with glass…….. 2.43
One thousand old brick……………………….. 4.00
Two casks of lime………………………………. 2.40
Hair………………………………………………… 0.31
Mantle-tree iron………………………………… 0.15
Nails……………………………………………….. 3.90
Hinges and screws……………………………… 0.14
Latch……………………………………………….. 0.10
Chalk……………………………………………….. 0.01
Transportation…………………………………… 1.40
In all……………………………………………… $28.12 ½
He notes that the Boards were mostly shanty boards, that the cost of the Lime was high, that the Hair was more than he needed, and that of the Transportation, he carried a good part on his back.
I don’t suppose you could build a one-room cabin beside a lake these days for $28.12 (and a half cent).
Still, it’s a nice thing to think about when we’re sitting in the comfy chairs on the shady porch overlooking the sparkling lake.
Missouri calendar:
- The Missouri Natural Events Calendar is blank for today.
November 24th, 2009 at 9:26 am
It would be interesting to see what $28.12 (and a half cent) is in today’s money. I may have to check on that. Pretty pic, pablo.
November 24th, 2009 at 3:36 pm
In 1845 the price of gold was fixed at $21, now the price is about $1150, so $28 in 1845 would be equivalent to about $1500 now.
I bet you could build a similar cabin (approx. 10×12) for about $1500, possibly for less if you used salvaged materials.
Regardless of the cost, it would be interesting to actually build a replica of something like Thoreau’s cabin.
November 24th, 2009 at 9:05 pm
Damn economics. We thought we could build a house by ourselves, and pay as we went, but the truth these days is that it takes a considerable infusion of cash to get things going.
November 24th, 2009 at 9:43 pm
Gorgeous view… your “pond” looks quite well! Some folks call ours a lake, even though it’s less than a couple acres. I seem to remember they do call the smaller ones ponds up in the northeast with so many larger lakes around. That rise across the lake looks like a nice spot for a cabin.