When Did Money Stop Working?

Remember When $20 Was Basically Infinite?

Back in the ’90s, a crisp $20 bill was power. It meant an entire afternoon of fun! For example, arcade games, movie tickets, snacks, and maybe even a new CD (because yes, music lived on tiny plastic discs back then). Now? Twenty bucks barely gets you through a fast food drive-thru.😢

I don’t know when it happened, but money stopped making sense somewhere between my childhood and my current adult crisis. And I’m convinced that whatever financial wizardry our parents pulled to keep things affordable was some lost art of survival.

🛒Grocery Shopping: Then vs. Now

I remember grocery trips when a cart full of food felt like abundance. We had brand-name cereal and snack cakes, and we had absolutely zero concerns about whether eggs would require loan approval.

Fast forward to today: I’m standing in the self-checkout lane, staring at my receipt, wondering how five things cost seventy dollars. I didn’t even get anything extravagant! I’m talking milk, bread, and the cheapest possible cheese slices. Inflation needs to chill.

⛽The Gas Pump Betrayal

Remember pulling up to the gas station with a $10 bill and feeling like a contributing member of society? Yeah, those days are gone. 

Now? It’s more like a strategic budgeting exercise mixed with an internal debate. Full tank? Feels reckless. Half tank? Risky. Quarter tank? Might as well start Googling how to convert stress into fuel efficiency. I stand there, doing the math, calculating the exact amount that won’t send me spiraling when I check my bank app later. Maybe I need a bike. Or a horse. Or just sheer willpower.😖

🍟🍔That Sneaky Disappointment at Fast Food

There was a golden era when five bucks got you a burger, fries, and a drink, plus enough change to throw in a dollar menu item for good measure. Today? That same order requires strategic coupon planning and possibly a moral compromise ("Do I want fries, or do I want to send my kids to college? Tough call."). Atleast if you have the app you get "deals."

🤔So What Happened?

Did I grow up? Did prices betray me? Did society collectively decide that affordability was a myth? Or was everything just cheaper in the ’90s? Whatever the case, I miss that reckless joy of spending small amounts of money and actually feeling satisfied.

Nowadays, budgeting feels less like “smart financial planning” and more like trying to outmaneuver capitalism. And honestly? I’m losing.😭

Oh and no I don't want to hear anything to do with politics, thank you.😁