A Five-Dollar Bill
Imagine you find $5 in your pocket. These days, with rising prices and inflation, it might not be that exciting. But in the past, that simple five-dollar bill would've got you...Well, that's what we're going to look at. And yes, we understand that with inflation and depending on how far back we go, the "$5 value" isn't the same. However, it's still a fun and interesting thing to look at.
And while some of you might remember these prices, others will be shocked how much five bucks used to get you.
A Ticket To The Movies
And we're not talking about going to see Star Wars back in 1977 either. We only have to go back as far as 1998 to find average ticket prices for movies at $4.86. Not only are movie prices more than double that today—but these days, you probably can't even get a bag of popcorn for that price.
Five Items At The Dollar Store
Remember when dollar stores like Dollar Tree first opened and pretty much everything in them cost $1? Well, these days, you're lucky to find items at that $1 price point, with most in the $1.25-$5 range.
Rowanlovescars, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
A Dozen Eggs
Just two years ago, in 2023, the average cost of one dozen eggs was $4.82. Even that sounds expensive, but it's under five bucks. Compare that to March of 2025 when the average cost of 12 eggs hit $6.22.
The Original Barbie
Released in 1959, the first Barbie dolls sold for $3. Not only are new Barbies gonna set you back more than that these days—if you want one of those original ones, well, now you're looking at tens of thousands.
Nelson Tiffany, Los Angeles Times, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Five McDonald's Hamburgers
If you were hungry when you found that $5 bill in your pocket back in 2013, you could quench that hunger with five classic McDonald's hamburgers at $1 each. Today, you can get one, but won't have enough change for even a second one.
A Plane Ticket
In 1914, Jannus airline charged $5 for a one-way flight between St Petersburg and Tampa. It was also $5 for each 100 pounds of freight.
Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
20 Hot Wheels
In 1999, you could get two packs of Hot Wheels cars (with five cars per pack) for $2.49. Quick math: That makes 20 cars for five bucks. Can you get 20 Hot Wheels for $5 today? Didn't think so.
User:Vhoscythe, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
2.3 Gallons Of Gas
We only have to go back five years for this one—when gas prices were in and around $2.17 per gallon. These days, with a gallon going for around $3.30, you can barely get a gallon and a half for that same $5.
Two Shares Of Apple
No, not two apples, two shares of the Apple Corporation. We could get more for our $5 if we went farther back, but just 20 years ago, you could take that $5 and get two shares of the future creator of the iPhone. These days, that five bucks gets you about .02 of one share.
A Pound Of Bacon
They say that everything is better with bacon. Well, in 2000, you could make "everything batter" for less money—as a pound of bacon was going for just under $3—whereas that same pound is generally costing you over $7 in 2025.
10 Stamps
Sure, if we go back all the way to 1885, we're getting 250 stamps with our five-dollar bill. But even as recently as 2018, you could at least get 10 of them (at 50 cents each). These days, 10 stamps will set you back $7.30.
A Concert Ticket
These days, it feels like you have to almost remortgage your home to afford a concert ticket. But in the 1970s, $5 would get you a concert ticket to some of the biggest music acts of the era—from Rod Stewart to Elton John to Elvis Costello.
And just to note: It's more than $5—but in 1969, if you bought your Woodstock tickets in advance, they were only $18 (and that was for all three days of peace and music).
Woodstock Whisperer, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
500 Comic Books
Old school comic book fans might remember that prior to 1961, comic books cost about 10 cents—so, for your $5, you could really stock up. By 2019, the average price for one book was over three bucks. At least you could still get one for under $5, right?
A Pound Of Steak
Based on average pricing data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' (BLS) Consumer Price Index, one pound of round steak was setting people back about $4.88 in 2013. By 2020, the same pound of steak was over $6.
Two Tickets To An NBA Game
In the 1950s, the average ticket price to go see an NBA game was $1-$2. Even in the 80s, you could—depending on the team, location, and specific seating—find $5 tickets to games.
A Pair Of Levi's 501s
In the early 60s (when jeans were a relatively new fashion item), if you found five dollars in the pocket of your jeans, you could go to the store and buy a new pair of Levi's 501s.
Jeppe Gustafsson, Shutterstock
A Pound Of Coffee
If you need your morning coffee to wake up, it's gonna cost you more today than it did just a couple decades ago. Almost twice as much, in fact. In 2000, a pound of ground coffee was going for around $3.63, while today we're shelling out over $7 for that same morning caffeine hit. That thought alone is enough to wake us up.
A 12-Pack Of Coca-Cola
The last time you could get 12 cans of Coke for $5 was around 2010 when a 12-pack generally sold for about $4-$5 in supermarkets. By 2014, the common price was $5.50 and over.
10 Pounds Of Sugar
Not that most of us will probably ever need 10 pounds of sugar—but at 43 cents per pound back in 2000, you could get all that for five dollars (with some change coming back to you, even). At about $1/pound in 2025, that five dollars is only half as sweet when it comes to sugar.
You might also like:
How To Invest Just $1,000 And Multiply It
10 Ways To Save Money With Your Old Phone
