Back when a dollar was a dollar

Meaning

A way of expressing that inflation has made money feel worthless compared to the good old days. It implies that you could once buy a whole meal for pocket change.

Economically weary, nostalgic

Used in a sentence

• I remember back when a dollar was a dollar and you could get a movie and popcorn for it.
• Everything is so expensive now, back when a dollar was a dollar you could fill a gas tank.
• It feels like today even a twenty is not worth much compared to back when a dollar was a dollar.