Here's What a Buck Could Buy the Year You Were Born
In 2026, $1 can’t buy that much in terms of goods and services. However, you might be surprised at how much $1 could buy in the past. Remember when $1 could buy six Hershey’s chocolate bars? If you were alive in 1973, you might. What’s the cost of three gallons of gas today in your neighborhood? Fifteen dollars? More? In 1966, those three gallons were less than $1.
While these examples are fun to look at, they’re also an important representation of the power of inflation. Over time, inflation reduces the purchasing power of a dollar, as exemplified by these various items. Ten or 20 years from now, you may look back yet again and be amazed at how “cheap” things were in 2026, as inflation will no doubt have driven prices higher still in the future.
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To see how much $1 could have purchased in the year you were born, we took a sample of prices from 1940. For each year, you’ll see an example of a common good or service that cost about $1. The list is not only interesting but also educational, as it points out in black and white how the purchasing power of $1 declines over time. Check out your birth year, and you may get a chuckle out of what $1 could buy in that year.
1940-44
1940: School bag, $0.98
1941: 2-gallon aquarium, $0.98
1942: Women’s dress, $1.00
1943: Handbag, $1.00
1944: 3-piece toy set (doll, Klik-Klak and teether), $1.05
1945-49
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: Boy’s cotton shirt, $0.97
1950-54
1950: Throw pillow, $0.80
1951: Baseball cap, $0.95
1952: 1 cake pan and 6 custard cups, $1.05
1953: 1 quart of paint, $0.98
1954: 4-piece screwdriver set, $0.98
1955-59
1955: 2 McDonald’s meals (1 burger, fries and soda), $0.70
1956: Hair spray, $1.05
1957: Baby gown, $0.87
1958: Bath towel, $0.91
1959: Pitcher, $0.91
1960-64
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
1965-69
1965: Rifle carrying case, $0.88
1966: 3 gallons of gas, $0.96
1967: 2 Big Macs, $0.90
1968: Baby blanket, $1.00
1969: Set of greeting cards, $0.99
1970-74
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
1975-79
1975: 50 vitamins, $1.00
1976: Knee socks, $0.99
1977: Skein of yarn, $0.97
1978: 6 first-class postage stamps, $0.90
1979: 8 guitar picks, $0.98
1980-84
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 pound of grapes, $0.99
1985-89
1985: California Lottery ticket, $1.00
1986: 3 shots of bourbon, $0.97
1987: 2 bags of gift wrapping bows, $1.00
1988: 4 packs of gum, $1.00
1989: 1 gallon of gas, $1.00
1990-94
1990: 1 share of Microsoft, $0.94
1991: 1 share of Disney, $1.00
1992: 1/2 pound bacon, $0.93
1993: 4 vending machine toys/gumballs, $1.00
1994: 1/2 bag of potato chips, $1.00
1995-99
1995: Ballpoint pen ink refill, $1.00
1996: 1/2 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
2000-04
2000: Loaf of bread, $0.99
2001: Postage for three letters, $1.02
2002: Taco Bell bean burrito, $0.69
2003: Ticket to Blink-182’s DollaBill Tour, $1.00
2004: 1 share of Apple, $0.94
2005-09
2005: 10 KWHs electricity, $1.00
2006: 2 pounds bananas, $0.96
2007: iTunes track, $0.99
2008: Slice of New York pizza, $1.00
2009: 1/2 a weekday New York Times, $1.00
2010-14
2010: 1/3 gallon of gas, $0.93
2011: 1/3 pound ground beef, $1.00
2012: Fitness app, $0.99
2013: 1 pound of navel oranges, $1.00
2014: 1 car air freshener, $1.00
2015-19
2015: 50GB of storage (iCloud), $0.99
2016: Shot of whiskey, $0.99
2017: Makeup brush set, $0.89
2018:
A dozen Krispy Kreme donuts, $1.00
2019: 4 dry-erase markers, $1.00
2020-24
2020: Wendy’s Frosty (small), $0.99
2021: Amazon Kindle e-book, $0.99
2022: A can of soda, $0.75
2023: 10-count pack of ballpoint pens, $0.58
2024: Lipstick, $1.00
Justice Petersen contributed to the reporting for this article.
This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.
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