Americans floored after viral ad from 30 years ago was ‘spot on’ – it predicted a $16 burger but forgot crucial details | 3O57K48 | 2024-05-11 17:08:01
Americans floored after viral ad from 30 years ago was 'spot on' – it predicted a $16 burger but forgot crucial details | 3O57K48 | 2024-05-11 17:08:01
A MAGAZINE advertisement from nearly three decades ago has seemingly predicted the cost of a burger in 2024, among other price points.
The unique page from 1996 was found in a magazine by an American who was left shocked by its accuracy.
It showed a black-and-white photograph of a young woman in the background looking at the camera, with overlayed white text.
The text read, "They say in thirty years a burger & fries could cost $16," per a post from the owner of the magazine copy on Reddit.
The advertisement was specifically from the Teacher's Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA) and the College Retirement Equities Fund (CREF).
This prediction proved fairly accurate, and many fast food chains have recently been called out for their price points.
Five Guys, for example, charges about $16 to $20 for a cheeseburger and regular fries depending on the state customers reside in.
McDonald's also went viral recently for an $18 Big Mac combo that was spotted by one customer.
In the past 10 years alone, McDonald's prices on some menu items have skyrocketed by 199%, according to a study from The Food Institute.
Residents who live in states with higher living costs like California or New York City would most likely say the $16 prediction meets what they frequently see for a burger and fries too.
Inflation, especially considering food costs at restaurants or in grocery stores, has been steadily high since the coronavirus pandemic.
Inflation in general has risen 22% from 2019 until now, and the Consumer Price Index (CPI) stayed at about 3.5%.
<!-- End of Brightcove Player --> It has since decreased and leveled off a little, but customers at grocery stores and those who get a burger and fries and fast food joints nationwide are certainly looking back at 1996 prices with a wanting expression.
CAR ENVY
The ad also suggested that a car would cost around $65,000 and that a vacation would be $12,500.
These predictions are missing a few crucial details, and the estimates aren't necessarily accurate.
Could you pay $65,000 for a decent car? Of course.
It could also be argued that $65,000 won't get you nearly as nice of a car today as it could back in 1996, but Americans can still get a fairly reasonable new vehicle for $20,000 to $30,000.
Still, the average cost of a car in 2023 was reported to be about $48,000, per Car and Driver.
<p class="article__content--intro"> The Consumer Price Index is how the federal government measures inflation. </p> </div> </div> TRAVELING IN STYLE
With travel, it's the same sort of situation.
Spending $12,500 on a luxurious vacation overseas might be easy to do, but depending on certain factors, it could be about half that cost.
Data collected by Pacaso found that an average vacation for one person in the United States, per week, is about $1,986.
For two people, it's $3,971.
Americans would either need to add more people, more time, or change the destination to get that up to the $12,500 mark.
For more related content, check out The U.S. Sun's coverage of the In-N-Out CEO's comments on rising fast food prices.
The U.S. Sun also has the story of Wendy's CEO confirming price changes for customers depending on where they visit.
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