
Looking Back At What $20 Used To Buy Us
We all know that our money doesn’t have the same buying power that it used to. Just look at any of the discussions of people who are trying to buy eggs right now, you’ll quickly get the vibe of what’s going on with most products.

That’s what I thought of when I came across this article from Historyfacts.com about how much $20 used to be able to buy us.
I’ve found a place or two where my wife and I can get dinner for just a little over $20, but there’s not many out there like that anymore. Let's look back at how much $20 used to get us.
Colonial Times- The authors used an estimator to determine that $20 would equal 100 schillings. To show how the power of money has changed, they say that with 20 schillings you buy 50 acres.
The 1870’s- $20 would cover your month's rent in a Lower East Side apartment in New York. These days rent in this area is estimated to be $5,000 per month.
The 1920’s- The average yearly income is estimated to be between three to five thousand dollars, so $20 wasn’t something as common as it is now. Historyfacts.com says that for those who went to the clubs, you could get a new dress or suite for the night on the town
The 1950’s- The average salary had not changed much from the 20's, but twenty bucks could cover most, if not all, of your holiday meals.
The 1980’s- In 1980, $20 would get you two tickets to see your favorite band.
I can remember in the mid to late 80’s, my parents would give me $20 for a date which included a pizza at pizza hut, and two movie tickets with popcorn. Boy, wouldn’t that be nice now.
The value of the dollar changes over time, and we just have to live with that, but it sure is nice to remember a time when it felt like we could do more with the dollars we had.
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Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz
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