In the sixties, my dad was in the Air Force, ranked above a private, and after he finished his day job for the military, he worked at a bar. He also received free healthcare and a housing allowance in addition to his military pay. 

My mother reminisces that our monthly splurge then was a visit to the Weinerschnitzel or Dairy Queen where we could all have a $0.05 ice cream cone each.

Such was our lifestyle then.