What $100 Could Buy the Year You Were Born
Inflation, on the whole, is a good thing for the economy. When money is worth more today than tomorrow or next year, people are incentivized to spend their cash now or invest their savings in growing companies to keep pace with inflation.
However, since the value of the dollar is a moving target, comparing today’s prices to the costs of basic goods from decades earlier can be a little shocking — especially when you realize that you could have purchased six barbecue grills in 1950 for roughly the same price as the single wristband you’re wearing to count your steps.
To show just how much the U.S. dollar has changed over time, GOBankingRates compiled the costs of various consumer goods from across the years. The study went back to 1950 and used old newspaper advertisements and reference sites to find out what $100 could have gotten you in the year you were born.
Let’s look at what $100 bucks could get you throughout the last half-decade or so.
