2024 vs. 1994: What Spending $100 at Target Gets You
Written by
Angela Mae
Edited by
Zuri Anderson
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A hundred dollars might have once seemed like a lot of money, but it has a lot less purchasing power today than it did 30 years ago. Over the past 30 years, the dollar has seen an average inflation rate of about 2.54% per year — and a cumulative increase of just over 112%. This means $100 today buys roughly 47% of what it did in 1994.
At stores like Target, changes to the value of the U.S. dollar are especially noticeable.
“In 1994, $100 could buy significant groceries, clothing, and household items,” said Dana Ronald, CEO of Tax Crisis Institute. “For example, that sum would typically purchase two weeks’ worth of groceries for a family of four. Today, the same $100 would barely cover a week’s worth of essentials from a store like Target.”
To find out just how much the value of the U.S. dollar has changed over the past 30 years, GOBankingRates ran some comparisons using Target’s current catalog and old ads from 1994.
Here’s what spending $100 could have gotten you at Target in 1994 versus today. If you’re feeling like taking a shopping run to Target, here are several items you can splurge on, settle on or skip.
Handheld Gaming Consoles
In 1994, you could have purchased two Game Boys for about $90 (or $44.99 each). Target no longer sells these handheld gaming devices, but you can get one for about $135 online.
Target does sell more modern gaming consoles, none of which are for $100. For example, the Nintendo Switch costs $299.99 today. When you reverse the inflation rate of the past 30 years, that’s the equivalent of $141.41 back then.
Classic Game Boy Games
Back in 1994, Target also sold a variety of classic Game Boy titles. Each one cost as little as $16, meaning you could get up to six games for $100.
Like the classic handheld gaming console, Target doesn’t sell the games themselves anymore. However, you can buy these on other sites for about $25 apiece.
Using the closest equivalent in today’s gaming world, Target sells Nintendo Switch games for $40 to $60 apiece. This means you could only get one or two games for $100.
Remote Controls
Prices may have changed in the past 30 years, but Target’s kept things pretty consistent in some areas. Back in 1994, an RCA TV remote cost $15. This means you could have bought six of them for $100.
Today, remote controls go for between $9 and $19 at Target. You could get between five and 10 for $100.
Apparel
Target has been selling apparel for decades, but the prices have changed. Here’s what $100 would have gotten you in different clothing categories back in 1994:
- Pocket T-shirts: 10 packs of men’s pocket T-shirts ($10 per three-pack)
- Jeans: Seven pairs of jeans ($13.99 each)
- Underwear: 22 packs of cotton underwear ($4.44 per three-pack)
- Regular shirts: 12 regular shirts ($7.99 each)
And this is what that amount would get you today:
- Pocket T-shirts: Four packs of slim-fit T-shirts ($25 per five-pack)
- Jeans: Three to five pairs of jeans ($20 to $30 each)
- Underwear: Seven to 10 packs of cotton underwear ($10 to $13 per six-pack)
- Regular shirts: 10 regular shirts ($10 each)
VHS and DVDs
DVDs didn’t come out until 1995 or 1996, but Target did have VHS tapes back in 1994. Disney classic tapes cost $16 apiece, meaning you could get six tapes for $100.
While DVDs aren’t as popular today as Blu-Ray or streaming, they’re the closest equivalent we’ve got to VHS tapes today. At Target, you can buy DVDs for anywhere from about $8 to $13 — more if you get a double or triple feature. That means you can purchase between seven and 12 DVDs today.
Air Filters and Oil Filters for Cars
Back in 1994, you could get two oil filters that fit most domestic- and foreign-made vehicles for just $4. That’s 50 total oil filters for $100.
Or you could get two air filters for $8. That’s 24 total air filters for $100.
Filters have changed a lot over the years, and Target no longer appears to sell air filters. However, you can get four extra-guard oil filters for $25 apiece.
M&Ms
A 16-ounce bag of holiday M&Ms cost just under $2 back in 1994. This means you could have purchased 50 bags for $100 — more than enough to get you through any holiday season.
In 2024, an 18-ounce bag of M&Ms costs about $8. You could get roughly 12 bags for $100.
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