4 Common Expenses That Didn’t Exist Over 40 Years Ago

Commitment to Our Readers

GOBankingRates' editorial team is committed to bringing you unbiased reviews and information. We use data-driven methodologies to evaluate financial products and services - our reviews and ratings are not influenced by advertisers. You can read more about our editorial guidelines and our products and services review methodology.

20 Years
Helping You Live Richer

Reviewed
by Experts

Trusted by
Millions of Readers

Many of today’s common expenses are taken for granted. But  some of those line items in household budgets didn’t exist over 40 years ago.

That’s because they all stem from advances in technology that slowly worked their way into daily life and eventually into household budgets. GOBankingRates takes a look at four everyday expenses and bills and how they evolved over the last four decades.

Home Internet

Home internet wasn’t part of the vast majority of household budgets over 40 years ago. In 1983, only 1.4% of U.S. adults used it, so most families didn’t have a monthly internet bill or even any knowledge of what it was, according to Pew Research Center. As internet access became more popular, its cost became part of people’s budgets. Today, 96% of American adults use the internet.

Cell Phone 

Over four decades ago, phone calls only happened by landline for most Americans. Although the first cell phone was launched for consumers in 1983, only 1,200 units were sold that year.

Widespread cell phone ownership didn’t happen until decades later. In 2011, 83% of U.S. adults owned some type of cell phone, per Pew Research Center. Today, over 98% of U.S. adults own a cell phone, and service plans are a recurring cost, according to Consumer Affairs.

Streaming Subscriptions

Forty years ago, watching TV didn’t come with multiple monthly bills. Households relied on broadcast television or cable, not separate streaming subscriptions. Streaming services came much later and expanded as internet access became more common.

A pivotal moment was when Netflix introduced its streaming platform in 2007. Today, 83% of U.S. adults pay for streaming services, and some pay for more than one at a time, according to Pew Research. 

Software Subscriptions

In the early 80s, paying monthly fees to use software wasn’t a thing. Programs were purchased once, if they were used at all, and many homes didn’t own a personal computer, business expert and author Tony Summerlin wrote on his website. U.S. Census data shows only about 8% of U.S. households reported having a PC in 1984.

Today, many households pay ongoing fees for office software, including photo editing tools, antivirus protection and personal finance management tools. As of 2024, the average consumer had 4.1 software subscriptions, and that figure is expected to increase by 29% by 2027, per Recurly. 

Share This Article: