FiveBucks.com

WHAT IS $5
REALLY WORTH?

Track the purchasing power of five bucks over time.

$5.00
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Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — CPI-U, monthly. Auto-refreshed daily.
Purchasing Power Lost

How much has $5 lost?

Held as cash since 1971, five bucks has surrendered most of its buying power.

$5.00 held since 1971
$5.00
Retained
12.6%
Lost
87.4%
19712025

A dollar kept under the mattress didn't lose value because it was spent — it lost value because the supply of dollars grew. This is monetary debasement, measured against the goods $5 could actually buy.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — CPI-U annual averages, 1971 vs 2025.
The Five Bucks Index

The Purchasing
Power of $5

What $5 from each year is worth in today's money. The further back you go, the more five bucks could buy.

1971Today
197119811991200120112021$0$10$20$30$40$5 today
Year
2025
$5 then worth
$5.00
Retained
100.0%
Lost
0.0%
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — CPI-U annual averages. Hover the chart to inspect any year.
Debasement Speed

How fast is your $5 getting devalued?

Track how quickly the purchasing power of five bucks is falling over the past six months.

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The $5 Basket

What could
$5 buy?

Five bucks used to go a lot further.

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Quantities are calculated as $5.00 ÷ the official annual average price for each category. Gasoline: U.S. Energy Information Administration. Movie tickets: National Association of Theatre Owners. All other categories: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Average Price Data, via FRED. For years before each BLS series begins, the exact secondary source is shown on each card — the U.S. Census Bureau's Statistical Abstract (1971), the USDA Food Cost Review (milk, 1980 & 1990), the BLS Ground Chuck series (ground beef, 1980), and the EIA (electricity, 1971). Where no reliable figure exists across any of these, "Data unavailable" is shown rather than an estimate.
Vs. Assets

WHAT HAPPENED
TO YOUR $5?

See what $5 would be worth today if you had held it as cash, gold, silver or Bitcoin.

Cash is measured using CPI-based purchasing-power equivalence. Gold, silver and Bitcoin are measured using historical market prices.

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Debatement Calculator

Calculate your
dollar's lost power

$
19711971Today
What was a nominal amount then worth today?
Your $5 in 1971 equals
$39.82
in today's purchasing power
Power retained
12.6%
Power lost
87.4%
Source: U.S. BLS CPI-U annual averages. Educational estimates, not financial advice.
FiveBucks

What is $5 really worth?

Tracking the changing value of money over time through data.

Same money. Less money.

Data
  • U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
  • CPI-U, All Items, Annual Avg.
  • 1982–84 = 100 reference base
© 2026 FiveBucks.com — Tracking the changing value of money over time through data.
Not financial advice. Estimates use official CPI data.