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(InvestigateTV) — Those 10¢ Cokes are long gone, but your money may still be more valuable than you think. Dayna Edens with ConsumerAffairs said their research showed that Americans actually have more buying power today than they did 50 years ago. The ConsumerAffairs Research Team dug into data going back to 1973 to see how the cost of living has truly shifted. “As incomes have grown faster than inflation, your dollar is technically taking you further, but also your biggest life essentials such as housing, you know, college education have grown much faster than wages have,” Edens explained. “And that’s why we’re feeling a little bit more financially squeezed, even when the data is saying, you know, you’re doing okay.” She said the most surprising finding in their research, after adjusting for inflation, is that gas cost 9 percent less than it did in the 1970s. “The average tank of gas in 1973 was $0.41, which I know that sounds low, but when you adjust that to match today’s inflation rates, the average tank costs $4.02, which is higher than what it saying at the pumps right now,” Edens noted. There are plenty of areas where money does not go as far compared to the 70s. The average price of a house, back then, even when adjusted for inflation was just $37,000 – a far cry from the median price of $410,800 today. Submit story tips to our Investigators Share errors or concerns with our Digital Editors Watch full episodes of InvestigateTV+ Subscribe to the InvestigateTV YouTube Channel
