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Your toaster stops heating, so you look for someone to fix it. Then comes the surprise: replacement might cost less than the service visit. That calculation is familiar with coffee makers, blenders, and other countertop appliances. The reasons go beyond one broken component.

The foil trays. The tiny desserts. The excitement of getting to eat in front of the television. TV dinners in the 60s and 70s were practically an event. But some of the meals we looked forward to have disappeared completely. How many of these do you remember eating?

Remember Sears, Montgomery Ward, and JCPenney charge accounts? Discover how department store credit worked in the 1960s and 1970s before modern credit cards took over.

Discover how the cost of family movie night has changed since the 1980s. Compare movie ticket prices, popcorn, VHS rentals, inflation, and streaming costs to see what's cheaper today.

Remember when pizza night meant clipping coupons from the newspaper? Discover the unforgettable pizza deals, discounts, and promotions Baby Boomers loved in the 1970s.

There was a time when a few dollars could buy a surprisingly satisfying fast-food meal, and the 1980s helped make that experience unforgettable. Burger chains competed with discounted sandwiches, inexpensive sides, and increasingly attractive meal combinations. By the end of the decade, Wendy's had introduced a 99 cent menu that would influence the entire industry. Those prices look almost unbelievable today, although the dollars themselves were worth considerably more back then.

Taking the whole family out to dinner for $25 sounds like an impossible dream these days. Getting everyone fed and still having change sounds downright impossible. Well, in the 1980s, these restaurants could make it happen. Did you eat at any of them?

Remember when $20 could buy dinner for two at Applebee's, or when a family could head to a restaurant without worrying about a massive bill? In the 2000s, chains like Chili's, Olive Garden, and TGI Fridays competed to offer Americans enormous portions at surprisingly low prices. But behind those bottomless breadsticks and bargain meals, the restaurant business was changing in ways customers couldn't see. Some of those beloved deals eventually became financial disasters, and the fallout helps explain why eating out today feels so expensive.