How Much Could $1 Buy You the Year You Were Born?
This amount of goods or services will not be possible to buy for $1 in 2022. But you may be surprised at what $1 used to buy in the past. Did you know that $1 could have bought six Hershey’s chocolate bars in the past? This is what you would have done if you were alive back in 1973. What is the current cost of 3 gallons gasoline in your community? Ten dollars? More? More?
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These examples are not only fun to see, but they also show the destructive power of inflation. As inflation increases, the purchasing power of an asset decreases. dollarAs shown by these items, it is. You might be amazed, ten or twenty years later, at how “cheap” things were in 2022. This is because inflation will likely drive prices higher in the future.
GOBankingRates analyzed prices from 1940-2021 to see how much $1 would have bought in the year you were born. You’ll find an example of a good or service that cost $1 for each year. This is a fascinating and educational list that shows in stark black and white how $1 loses its purchasing power over time. Check out your birth year and you may get a chuckle out of what $1 could buy in that year.
1940-1944
1940: School bag, $0.98
1941: 2-gallon aquarium, $0.98
1942: Women’s dress, $1.00
1943: Handbag, $1.00
1944: Set of three toys (doll and Klik-Klak), $1.05
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1945-1949
1945: B-29 Boeing Super Fortress Bomber model kit, $0.95
1946: 2 RCA Victor records, $0.89
1947: Apple tree, $0.98
1948: Men’s belt, $0.94
1949: Cotton shirt for boys, $0.97
1950-1954
1950: Throw pillow, $0.80
1951: Baseball cap, $0.95
1952: 1 cake pan & 6 custard cups, $1.05
1953: 1 quart of paint $0.98
1954: Set of 4 screwdrivers, $0.98
1955-1959
1955: 2 McDonald’s meals (a burger, fries, and soda), $0.70
1956: Hair spray, $1.05
1957: Baby gowns, $0.87
1958: Bath towel, $0.91
1959: Pitcher, $0.91
1960-1964
1960: Tights/nylons, $0.94
1961: 2 Sunday New York Times $1.00
1962: 1 yard of fabric, $0.94
1963: Movie ticket, $0.86
1964: 2,000 cigarette papers, $0.97
1965-1969
1965: Rifle carrying case, $0.88
1966: 3 gallons gas, $0.96
1967: 2 Big Macs, $0.90
1968: Baby blanket $1.00
1969: Set of 2 greeting cards, $0.99
1970-1974
1970: 2 pillowcases, $0.88
1971: Rake, $1.09
1972: Wrench, $0.98
1973: 6 Hershey’s bars, $0.90
1974: Barbie outfit, $0.77
1975-1979
1975: 50 vitamins, $1.00
1976: Knee socks, $0.99
1977: $0.97 Skein of yarn
1978: 6 First-Class Postage Stamps, $0.90
1979: 8 guitar picks, $0.98
1980-1984
1980: 1/2 gallon milk, $1.02
1981: 1 dozen eggs, $0.97
1982: Pack of cigarettes $0.82
1983: 2 D batteries, $0.99
1984: 1 lb grapes for $0.99
1985-1989
1985: California Lottery ticket: $1
1986: 3 shots Bourbon, $0.97
1987: 2 bags gift wrapping bows, $1
1988: 4 packs of gum $1
1989: 1 gallon gas = $1
1990-1994
1990: 1 share of Microsoft, $0.94
1991: 1 share of Disney, $1
1992: 1/2 pound bacon, $0.93
1993: 4 vending machine toys/gumballs, $1
1994: 1/2 bag potato chips $1
1995-1999
1995: Ballpoint pen ink refill, $1
1996: Half pound chicken breast, $0.96
1997: Die-cast Nascar model, $1.33
1998: 2 liters cola, $0.98
1999: 11 green Lego bricks, $0.98
2000-2004
2000: Loafs of bread, $0.99
2001: Three letters per postage, $1.02
2002: Taco Bell bean burrito, $0.69
2003: $1 Ticket for Blink-182’s DollaBill Tour
2004: 1 share Apple, $0.94
2005-2009
2005: 10 KWHs electricity, $1
2006: 2 pounds bananas, $0.96
2007: iTunes track, $0.99
2008: Slice of New York pizza $1
2009: 1/2 weekday New York Times, 1
2010-2014
2010: 1/3 Gallon of Gas, $0.93
2011: Ground beef 1/3 lb, $1
2012: Fitness app, $0.99
2013: 1 lb navel oranges, $1
2014: $1 for 1 car air freshener
2015-2019
2015: 50GB storage (iCloud), $0.99
2016: Shot of whiskey at $0.99
2017: Set of 2 makeup brushes, $0.89
2018: A dozen Krispy Kreme donuts, $1
2019: 4 dry erase markers, $1
2020-2022
2020: Wendy’s Frosty (small), $0.99
2021: Amazon Kindle eBook, $.99
2022: Can of soda $0.75
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This article first appeared on GOBankingRates.com: What $1 Could Buy the Year You Were Born