Everything seems so expensive today, with the cost of living having soared in recent years.
But how do prices today compare with those half a century ago.
We’ve put together a list of some of the everyday goods and services you could get for less than a fiver in the 70s, yet would set you back much more today.
We’ve attempted to compare prices like-for-like, without taking into account inflation.
According to the Bank of England inflation calculator, goods and services costing £5 back in 1971 would cost around £64 today.
Some things are much cheaper today, allowing for inflation, than they were in the 70s, like TVs, washing machines and, in many cases, clothes.
But the costs of many other goods and services have soared much faster than inflation, easily outstripping the growth in wages, with house prices being one obvious example
What do you find more expensive today, and what do you think is better value than it used to be?
5. Shampoo and set
A shampoo and set would have cost you about £1.50 in 1971, while a men's haircut was around 35p. Today, a shampoo and set at a salon is typically priced between £16 and £25, while a men's haircut costs between £10 and £25. | Getty Images Photo: Steve Wood/Express/Hulton Archive
6. Pack of cigarettes
A pack of 20 cigarettes cost around 27p in 1971, compared with £16.60 today. | Getty Images Photo: Evening Standard
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7. Cinema ticket
The average cinema ticket cost 34.26p in 1971, according to Terra Media. As of 2024, that had risen to £7.73, according to the UK Cinema Association. | Getty Images Photo: Evening Standard/Hulton Archive
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8. A vinyl album
The latest LP cost between 77p and £2.25 in 1972, according to Age UK. Today, the price of a chart album depends on the format you buy it in. A CD or digital download typically costs around £9.99, while a 12" vinyl album can set you back anywhere between £20 and £40. | Getty Images Photo: Evening Standard/Hulton Archive