'12 Big Macs': 20 Things You Could Buy for Under $5 in 1999

Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor

Sep 24, 2024 11:30 AM EDT

What can I get for $5?

In 2024, you can either a box of breakfast cereal, a small black coffee and MAYBE a gallon of gas. If you grew up in the decades of 'penny candy' and matinees, a $5 coffee feels pretty dismal.

For those of us feeling nostalgic about the decades long past, there's a certain simplicity to the notion of buying groceries with a single bill in your pocket or carrying around a bag of quarters and feeling like the king of the neighborhood. Obviously, inflation is a common thing that happens in countries (don't ask me why–I ain't an economist), but in 20 years, things seem to be drastically changing. Frankly, none of us will ever be ready to see simple things become a luxury because of their inflated price. But alas, this leaves us much to feel nostalgic over!

But in the 90s, you could buy a whole lot with just a fiver in your wallet. Read on for a trip down memory lane where you can explore and reminisce on the things we could have bought in 1999 with just $5.