Making 7,000 dollars a year between two people in 1974 would be equivalent to how much money now days? On todays ep. they said that is how much they make between them! Wow! That doesn't seem like very much! I know the Sanford's weren't rich, but they didn't seem dirt poor either. So exactly how much would that be in todays terms? I guess they didn't have many expenses. That small house was probably paid for .Seems like Fred lived there since he and Elizabeth were married. Probably in their 20's, and houses were CHEEP back than! And Watts is not a rich area of Los Angeles! So probably the mortgage was paid and they owned it outright. And their household bills probably weren't that much. And their truck was so old, so they weren't making payments on that! But wouldn't there be extra taxes on a residential property where a business was being run?

Value of $7000 by Year, starting in 1974

1975 $7,863.63
1976 $8,409.09
1977 $8,818.18
1978 $9,409.09
1979 $10,257.57
1980 $11,621.21
1981 $13,075.75
1982 $14,242.42
1983 $14,787.87
1984 $15,348.48
1985 $15,954.54
1986 $16,560.60
1987 $16,742.42
1988 $17,484.84
1989 $18,257.57
1990 $19,106.06
1991 $20,272.72
1992 $20,893.93
1993 $21,499.99
1994 $22,090.90
1995 $22,681.81
1996 $23,257.57
1997 $24,030.30
1998 $24,439.39
1999 $24,833.33
2000 $25,499.99
2001 $26,363.63
2002 $26,772.72
2003 $27,409.09
2004 $27,924.24
2005 $28,833.33
2006 $29,818.18
2007 $30,575.75
2008 $31,823.63
2009 $31,852.72
2010 $32,719.54
2011 $33,208.93
2012 $34,192.72
2013 $34,788.03
2014 $35,310.45
2015 $35,577.57
2016 $35,837.57

Source http://www.dollartimes.com/inflation/inflation.php?amount=7000&year=1974

Yeah not dirt poor, but maybe on the higher scale of low income !! And nowhere near being rich either ! That's what I thought! ;)