For a snapshot of grocery prices during the Great Depression (and a look at what was on the radio), this ad for A&P appeared in the Washington Evening Star 90 years ago today, April 25, 1932.

FDR had just taken over as President the month before, and the Bank Holiday of March 6-13 was still fresh on everyone’s minds. The prices look low, but there’s been a lot of inflation since then. According to this online inflation calculator, one dollar in 1932 is the same as $20.99 in today’s money. So the ground beef for 17 cents a pound is the same as $3.57 a pound in today’s money. Bacon was 13 cents a pound, the equivalent of $2.73 a pound today. Those prices weren’t too bad, but the can or corn or beans sounds like a bargain at 4 for a quarter, but that’s the same as $1.31 a can. Coffee was 19 cents a pound, and cigarettes were 12-1/2 cents per pack.

For those who didn’t like to cook, you could buy a 16 ounce jar of freshly prepared chicken and noodle dinner for 29 cents, ready to heat up at home. But you would pay a premium for not knowing how to cook, since that was the equivalent of over $6 in today’s money.

If you were shopping for your family’s dinner, what would you buy?

The ad also points out a time change for two radio programs.  Apparently, New York, where the programs originated, had just switched to Daylight Savings Time, resulting in a time change for the live program in Washington.  The store sponsored “Our Daily Food,” a program for tips for homemakers, at 8:45 AM.  And on Monday evenings at 8:00, they were the sponsor of the A&P Gypsies, which ran from 1924-36.