For a snapshot of grocery prices 40 years ago, this ad appeared in the October 15, 1981, issue of the Pittsburgh Press.  According to this inflation calculator, each 1981 dollar is the equivalent of $3.01 in 2021 dollars.  So for a fair comparison, you need to multiply all of these prices by 3.

Eggs were just 69 cents a dozen, but when you do the math, that’s the equivalent of $2.08, which you can compare to the current price shown below:

A pound of margarine was 99 cents, which would be about $2.98 in 2021 dollars. Today’s actual price is shown below:

Coffee was expensive, with a 3 pound can of Maxwell House selling for $6.99, or $21.04 in today’s dollars. It’s about half as much today, because the link below shows the price for two 3 pound cans, now in plastic:

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