And when you adjust your numbers for inflation that .32 gallon of gas was actually almost the same as a gallon of gas today or even more. The median price for a gallon of gas since 1918 is $2.68 hitting it's lowest price in 1998.
http://inflationdata.com/articles/inflation-adjusted-prices/inflation-adjusted-gasoline-prices/
A $1.50 gallon of milk in 1971 adjusted for inflation today is a whopping $8.92.
US Inflation Calculator
I know my neighbors and we help each other out all of the time. We still have freezer food from neighbors from when a family member passed in February. I have a growing stack of old brake rotors in the garage from helping my elderly neighbor and single mom with a disabled kid neighbor. Perhaps the main thing that has really changing is how much time the modern older generation is spending it's time viewing the world through the lens of internet and 24hr news.