For a snapshot of grocery prices 40 years ago, this ad for Haines Supermarkets appeared in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette on February 6, 1986. According to this inflation calculator, a dollar in 1986 is equivalent to $2.94 in 2026 dollars, so to compare, you need to triple these prices. So eggs for 69 cents are actually the equivalent of about $2 today. Ground beef for $1.49 a pound is almost $4.50 today. And the 50 cent margarine is about $1.50 today.

What would you buy for dinner if you were shopping in 1986?

For a snapshot of the cost of living in 1988, this ad for Amarraca Supermarket. While the prices might look low, there has been inflation in the intervening years. According to this online inflation calculator, one dollar in 1980 was the equivalent of $2.74 in 2025 dollars.  So for the modern equivalent, you need to multiply the prices here by 2.74..  This ad appeared in the September 22, 1988, issue of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette.

What would you make for dinner in 1988?

If you were shopping for dinner 45 years ago, these are the prices you could expect to pay. While some might appear low, remember that there’s been a lot of inflation since 1980. According to this online inflation calculator, one dollar in 1980 was the equivalent of $3.92 in 2025 dollars.  So for round numbers, you can multiply these prices by 4.  This ad appeared in the September 10, 1980, issue of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette.

If you were shopping for groceries in 1980, what would you plan for dinner?

For a look back at 1977 grocery prices, this ad appeared in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette on May 18, 1977.  While the prices might look low, there has been a lot of inflation since 1977.  According to this online calculator, one dollar in 1977 works out to $5.28 in 2025 dollars.

Still, it looks like there were some bargains here.  An 8 ounce tube of Pillsbury biscuit dough was only a dime, which works out to 53 cents today.  Ground beef was 69 cents a pound, or about $4.40 in today’s money.  And 64 ounces of Coke (what would sell as 2 liters today) is 69 cents, also about $4.40.  If you want to see the modern prices, click on the links above to see the same product at Amazon.

What would you have for dinner in 1977?

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For a look at 1978 grocery prices, this ad appeared in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette on April 5, 1978.  The prices might look low, there has been a lot of inflation since 1978.  According to this online calculator, one dollar in 1978 works out to $4.89 in 2025 dollars.

This means that the ten-pound bag of potatoes for 98 cents is about $4.79 in today’s money.  And the quart of Miracle Whip for 59 cents would be about $2.89.  A pound of bacon for $1.29 would be $6.30.  If you want to compare prices, these links take you to the current listing on Amazon for the same product.

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For a snapshot of the 1987 cost of living, this ad appeared in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette on March 26, 1987.  While the prices look low, there has been a lot of inflation since 1987.  According to this online calculator, one dollar in 1987 works out to $2.81 in 2025 dollars.

So the 79 cent box of Sunshine crackers works out to about $2.22.  How does that compare to today’s actual price?  You can find the price for the Amazon store brand at this link.

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For a snapshot of the cost of living in the Bicentennial year, this ad for A&P stores appeared in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette on March 5, 1976.  While the prices look low, this was the era of the WIN button, and there was a lot of inflation in progress.  According to this online calculator, one dollar in 1976 works out to $5.58 in 2025 dollars.  So 59 cents for a five pound bag of flour works out to about $3.29 per pound today.  You can check the current price at Amazon at this link.

For a snapshot of grocery prices in 1966, this ad appeared in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, February17,  1966.  So the 59 cent butter was actually closer to $6 a pound.

There’s been a lot of inflation since then. According to this online calculator, one dollar in 1968 is the equivalent of $9.68 in 2025.  And the whole chickens for 29 cents a pound were closer to $3 a pound.

What would you make for dinner if you were buying the groceries in 1966?

For a snapshot of grocery prices in 1968, this ad appeared in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, January 22, 1968.

There’s been a lot of inflation since then. According to this online calculator, one dollar in 1968 is the equivalent of $9.07 in 2024. So the margarine is closer to $3 a pound, and the pork chops are over $6 per pound.

What would you make for dinner if you were buying the groceries in 1968?