I think I can stretch my vacation dollars much further this year than last. There are some great travel deals out there now that allow for some upgrades and nicer vacation packages. Thanks for the contest!

Banks seem to be falling all over themselves this year to get my business: Wachovia = $25, WaMu/Chase = $100 for opening new accounts with money I have on hand anyway. The credit card co's are also trying to get me to take interest free cash loans or trying to give me cash rewards. Gosh, I must be the only person left on the planet with a good credit score or something...

I got to go to ireland for very cheap this year =)

Prices were a lot higher the year before

Well, one thing's for sure. A dollar sure buys you more gasoline now than it did this time last year!

I always buy the cheapest headphones because I break them so easily. At Wal-Mart, their price has gone from $.99 to $2.49! This is for the exact same product!!!

Certainly not! With inflation being so high over the past year, it takes more money to get the same basic things you had before, not to mention that travel to Europe has become nearly impossible unless you're making at least six figures. All of my bills have went up by at least 1/3, and groceries keep going up much more often than I've ever seen my entire life. Yet, no one is getting raises, people are getting laid off left and right, and companies are actually SLASHING pay down to it's barest minimal. Which is why I got fed up with it all and started my own business while working part-time (mostly for health insurance). We all have to work harder to live on less. Not to mention that they raised the cost of stamps twice in a year, thank goodness I can pay most of my bills online.

Fact is, the dollar is getting less and less valuable as the days go by. The economy really isn't helping and I really wonder when they are going to do something about this. It's been going on for a long time now.

has definitely gone up.

Used to get a pound of pasta on sale 3/$1 - never less than $1 each these days. And finding anything useful (other than cleaning supplies) in the dollar store is getting really tough.
If I should win please donate the $10 to USO - they do great work keeping our heroes sane!

The current financial news is that consumer prices in June went up by seven-tenths of a percent. But monthly statistics don't give the entire picture. As an example, the run-up can be tied to rising gasoline prices in the month of June.
A more important statistic to note is that there was zero inflation over the last year. So a dollar today buys you more than it did a dollar year ago.The Wall Street Journal reports that prices overall are declining by the biggest amount seen since 1950. (sic)
Prices will continue to get better on the things we buy. What that means is that even if you didn't get a raise, your buying power has not declined.

I get cheaper car rentals and car than even before. I got a very nice car for $2500 recently. I couldn't think of getting a nice car for $2500 last year.

CDs (that is, compact discs, not certificates of deposit!) are cheaper, perhaps due to both the decline in luxury spending and the advent of easy music piracy. I've been able to buy music in good conscience for remarkably cheaper, thereby doing my part to prop up my local music store.

No, I don't think a dollar goes farther today than a year ago, except for maybe gas. Even if travel is cheaper, I can't afford it. I do make a dollar go farther today however, when it comes to cleaning products for my home. I recently moved, and decided that I had too many different products, so as I used up products, I didn't replace them, but switched to substitutes for commercial cleansers such as baking soda and vinegar. I have a lot more space in my pantry, now, too. I also use less laundry detergent and bleach than I used to, by actually MEASURING, rather than DUMPING it in!

There seem to be a lot of deals lately to make your dollar stretch further.

Considering that my pay is the same (wage freeze), my housing costs the same, utilities cost more, and groceries cost CONSIDERABLY more, it doesn't offset the decrease in the cost of gas. Not for a family of three, particularly since we do not travel very much.

Therefore I'm going to say a dollar does not buy as much for me as it did a year ago. However, it may be different for someone who travels a great deal as there are great deals out there. If you eat out you may also be seeing some savings, as restaurants are practically giving meals away. The upscale wine bar near me is giving away free sushi, for example. Ruby's has the two for one special. Some service industries are trying to stay in business and are willing to throw a customer a bone.

But for me? No.

The dollar seems to be worth more in some instances because we have been forced to zero in on every dollar spent. Houses cost less, rents are lower, gas is cheaper, milk is affordable, etc. The same items last year this time at the Dollar Tree that i purchased (chips, cleaning supplies, deo sprays, salami, etc.) are the same $1 this year for the same size and brand. A year ago even rice and beans, the ultimate meal, became expensive but fast forward to 2009 and we can afford to buy rice again in bulk and not worry about creating shortages and price spikes:)

Food prices across the board are soaring right now, almost to the point that junk food and healthy food cost the same! Gas on the other hand has definitely become more affordable this year, which is good because my husband has been laid off and rehired by the same company (not typical in his line of work) 6 months ago and now has had to take a pay cut on top of more work. The dollar is harder to earn and in general is worth less then it was before (which is such an oxymoron)

It doesn't go very far now days. I used to find bargains at the Dollar Bargain Store. Now it's not called the "Dollar Bargain Store" anymore, just "Bargain Store". Still it's cheaper than most big name grocery chains.

As a college student, I have no idea about purchasing power vs. a year ago when it comes to groceries. I never had to buy them until last year, and you can't really compare prices at a chain store on Chicago's north side to a suburban family owned place (I regularly shop at both, depending on where I am).

Retailers are tripping over themselves to offer you a good deal. I went into a Crocs store recently (to buy the non-foam shoes, ok?). They were out of my size, and without skipping a beat the saleswoman offered me free shipping and 10% off on the site. I don't think that would have happened a year ago, therefore, I think your dollar is worth more.

Compared to a year ago, items that you might buy everyday will have gone up. The local Coffee shop has rose their price of their Weekly special from 99 cents to $1.59. My favorite places to eat all have little marks on their menus, increasing the prices of all of their dishes. A little cafe I frequent gives a 12 oz cup with their combos instead of a 20oz drink.

At the same time, when there are deals, there are deals. A local used movie/cd store had a deal, Buy $50 worth of items, get a $25 discount on your next purchase. A local bookstore gave out free paperbacks with any hardcover purchase.

So can a dollar buy you the same it did a year ago? It depends on what you're shopping for. When you buy small, they nickel and dime you here and there. But when you're dropping $1000 on a new laptop, expect $300 of extras.

I think that our dollars are going as far as they did last year this time...if not more. Right now we are able to get things for awesome bargains. The buyer has a little more wiggle room when it comes to negotiating.

For me, a dollar is buying more than it did last year. We have gone from a two income house to a single income household in the last few months, this has forced me to rethink many purchases. Even though food has gotten more expensive, I am now buying generic and looking at sales and coupons. Last year, I would buy whatever brand I had heard of and bought before. I am making a lot less money stretch to buy the same amount of stuff.

I am not in the United States right now. I used to be for a very long time. When I was there, one dollar alone could not help me out too much, but overall, I used them alone to buy ONE item on sale in some stores, mostly stuff from the 99 cents shops...

I went again to the US a month ago... The 99 cent shop was gone, and it charged 1 dollar and 10 cents for all the articles that last year were 99 cents. It´s not a lot, but it does count...

I heard from an economist professor that Inflation needed to be determine by location, not by product... I agree... At the end, because of arbitrage, certain products end up at the end being about the same price everywhere and anywhere you may look for it, but not always...

I believe, that one dollar BUYS you, according to your taste, MORE stuff now, mostly because, since competition is increasing, and people are cutting back, and more and more products are available in the market... However, one dollar will not give you the same VALUE of last year, it will give you LESS, in the sense that the value of that dollar was used for creating a sense of security in people by paying for a house, paying for going out anytime you wanted, and basically, living the moment and not worrying about that dollar; while right now, due to interest rates, due to the loss of the credit market and several other issues, no matter how much dollars you may have- except if you are extremely rich- you feel it is not enough to keep up the standard you once had...

Well, here's a strange one. We have a local consignment "extravaganza" for kids' clothes/toys/gear here in Charlottesville, Virginia twice a year. I noticed at the last one (late May) that the prices of items were substantially higher than they'd been in the past (the sale is usually held every May and October). Since consigners are the ones who assign a price to their own items, I can only assume it meant that everyone was trying to squeeze just a little more cash out of the items they were consigning. Probably a reflection of money being tight all around, and people trying to earn extra wherever they could. This increase, though small, was really noticeable. Regardless then, of whether a dollar buys more or less than last year, it seems like individuals have the perception that it buys less, and want to maximize how much of it they can make.

Hmm, I think the price for travel has dropped, but with it has come an increase in airport fees, taxes, etc.

"Dollar Store?" I don't think so- there's tax! So it's really the "1.07 Store." Plus the ones near me have started selling really really horrid quality items- children's toys containing lead, toothbrushes that snapped in half, tuperware with warnings of not to store food inside (honestly!)..

The dollar really is getting us nothing this year.

I love Wise Bread! The only time my dollar goes further is when I buy gas. Groceries are higher, so I've changed what I'm willing to buy. A $1 coupon might be worth as much as last year;)

A dollar definitely doesn't go as far as it used to, but there has been some good to come from the bad economy. We are more aware of how we spend our money, and we tend to focus on needs rather than wants. We have also learned ALOT about being frugal (from using coupons to making your own cleaners). So in a way, we are actually getting more for our money than we did before! And, we have eliminated much of the useless junk we use to accumulate.

Looking at this from the upside..

A year ago, a dollar was only worth 0.63 Euros but now, it's worth about 0.70 Euros. While the difference in the exchange rate isn't huge, it sure makes a big difference in affordability if one is trying to do international business, study abroad, or plan a honeymoon!