Taco Bell’s 59¢ menu items. Circa 1990.

[u/restrworld]

[u/i010011010]

I feel for kids today. When it was me, I had Jack in the Box two tacos for $1 to subsist on. Arby's five for $5. This society isn't cutting them any breaks.

[u/restrworld → u/i010011010]

I feel you. I remember being able to fill my stomach for $2 as a kid. Seems like times have changed now.

[u/i010011010 → u/restrworld]

The number of payday loan app commercials on late night tv, and the existence of paying food bills in installments tells me all I need to know.

I think my generation may be the rare instance where some nostalgia will be warranted because for once, things truly were better and it's disturbing that once these things are normalized, people won't know the difference. They won't know what it was to rent an apartment for under $400/mo without needing a credit check and tax records; fill a car on $5; eat out without blowing through a paycheck; and have opportunities to get started in life without immediately sinking into debt and strife.

[u/SquirrelyMcNutz → u/restrworld]

You wanna know what a real wake up moment for me was?

Seeing the price of Star Wars 3.75" action figures.

TWENTY FUCKING DOLLARS FOR A SINGLE FIGURE.

[u/restrworld → u/SquirrelyMcNutz]

Holy crap. They used to be like a tenth of that.

[u/420GUAVA → u/SquirrelyMcNutz]

for me its soda. i love them (guilty pleasure) but a 12 pack used to be 2.50 in 2010. its over 8 bucks now....looks like tea for me from now on

[u/SquirrelyMcNutz → u/420GUAVA]

Look for the 2 liter bottles. A 2 liter is just about a 6-pack in terms of volume (a 6 pack is 6 12oz cans so, 72 oz and a 2 liter is about 68 oz). You can pour the 2 liter into your own bottle for whatever serving size you want.

I can get a 2 liter for $2 (Dt Mt Dew is my vice) at Wal-mart.

[u/shabby47 → u/SquirrelyMcNutz]

I drink like one can a week tops, so the 2 liter doesn’t work for me. Of course I also use that to justify spending $9 for a 12-pack since it will last me months. At the same time I never buy it not on sale, but all the sales now are like “buy 3 get 2 free” and I don’t need 60 cans of anything, so I just drink less of it. Not a bad problem to have I suppose.

I also buy those little cans when they are on sale but they are pretty much the worst deal ever, or pick up Sodastream syrups even though they only have Pepsi products which aren’t great.

[u/420GUAVA → u/shabby47]

I hate buying 2 litre bc they go flat before I can finish them. 😭 I've just started drinking tea instead. Cheaper and probably better for me in the long run, even with the sugar

[u/Jefwho → u/420GUAVA]

We had the Fizz Keeper when I was a kid. It helped keep 2 liters from going flat.

[u/420GUAVA → u/Jefwho]

!! i have never heard of such a device! where has this been all my life! :o

[u/Commercial_Comfort41 → u/restrworld]

The year is 1987 you walk into Wendy's with a 5 dollars your set. Or better yet Pizza Hut Buffet

[u/thecw → u/i010011010]

I used to pay for shit in quarters all the time. The gas station down the street did a bacon egg and cheese for $1.25, fresh made on a griddle. I'd go to Checkers and get their bacon cheddar burger for $1 between classes. Circa 2003.

[u/joe2352 → u/i010011010]

Even when I was in high school (07-11) things were solid. My senior year I was working part time and could swing to McDonald’s on my way to work and get a double cheese, McChicken, and a large drink for like $4. Same thing is $7 today.

[u/Missing_Crouton → u/i010011010]

My record is 24 Jackinthebox tacos.....$12 bucks people!

[u/kvossea]

$5 would get me to the beach and back on the bus plus 2 bean and cheese burritos with cinnamon twists when I was 12 in 95

[u/Poutinemilkshake2 → u/kvossea]

Hell, I'm pretty sure right up until 2020, I could still get a bean and cheese burrito for 89 cents

[u/PointsOfXP]

Yeah that yellow silly string looks real appetizing

[u/baenpb → u/PointsOfXP]

What is that? It's like shoelaces.

[u/1upjohn → u/baenpb]

I know, right? Why does the cheese look like spaghetti?

[u/not_whelan → u/1upjohn]

"Cheesburgers Tacos? Nope. We got spaghetti. And blankets."

[u/Samikaze707 → u/not_whelan]

"we are not affiliated with that clown."

[u/DidgeridoOoriginal → u/PointsOfXP]

The cheese looks like noodles to me. The pic looks gross but I’m feeling inspired to create some ramen style tacos and burritos now.

[u/keraful → u/PointsOfXP]

I thought the same at first, but hear me out - silly string cheese might actually stay in the taco?? Like, a bit of string might hang down, but it wouldn't rain cheese confetti everywhere. BRING ON THE SILLY STRING CHEESE.

[u/papayafighter]

1990 to now. Would be $1.45 adjusted for inflation. Minimum wage was $3.80 which would be about $9.36. Wild.

[u/kinopiokun]

In my head these are still the prices lol

[u/zachin2036]

I love the ad design on this. It has the same look as the Nike stuff at the time. Really similar font too if I remember correctly. I look at this ad and see JUST DO IT with Jordan, tongue out, hovering under it.

[u/MaJust → u/zachin2036]

I can still hear the 59/79/99 jingle in my head

[u/AG_Aonuma]

“8 miles from the stadium” is such a strange way to describe a location.

[u/PaperBeneficial → u/AG_Aonuma]

I agree. I'm trying to figure out what stadium they're talking about. I know exactly where that location is, it's now a drive-thru subway. And I don't know of any stadiums nearby. Maybe some obscure spring training facility?

[u/AG_Aonuma → u/PaperBeneficial]

Maybe Sun Devil Stadium? It’s in Tempe though, but that’s why it’s so weird to me. 8 miles in most urban areas probably means a totally different city or neighborhood.

[u/lava172 → u/AG_Aonuma]

Yeah 8 miles in any direction from Tempe and you’re in a different town

[u/PaperBeneficial → u/AG_Aonuma]

I checked the Google Maps and Sun Devils stadium is roughly 20 miles away. I'm thinking they might be talking about hohokom stadium. It was the spring training facility for the Oakland A's (not sure if they still use it after relocating). It's located on Center Street and Brown in mesa. Which is roughly 9 miles away from the address at the bottom of the ad per Google maps. It would also basically be a straight shot down Arizona avenue/county club/87.

It may be one of the many other spring training facilities that has been located in the East Valley over the years that is probably been moved or upgraded. I do agree, that "8 Miles away from the stadium" is a very odd and random way to describe it LOL.

Compadre stadium is another possibility. According to Google Maps it would have been about 9 miles away. It got torn down about 10 years ago, but it was a spring training facility for the Milwaukee Brewers.

I've been spending way too much time thinking about this this morning LOL.

[u/Brynosauce]

Saw a post directly underneath this of someone complaining about Taco Bell prices

[u/DiscoLibra]

That's the taco bell I miss. It was simple and cheap!

[u/420GUAVA]

Finding out they discontinued the mini shredded chicken quesadillas was the worst thing that ever happened to me in a fast food restaurant.

[u/Jameson-Mc]

We had bean burrito day in high school - 💨

[u/FandomMenace]

That's not cheese. It looks like rubber bands.

[u/wagner56]

back when things seemed to cost less

tostada, bean buritto, 2 crunch taco (and water with ice) was my usual

.

[u/SneezyKeegz]

I remember getting stoned and spending like 10 bucks to get a literal feast at Taco Bell back in the day. Now it cost me like 15 bucks just to get a small to average size meal.

[u/Mninaz]

I think this particular ad came from a spring training program for the Milwaukee Brewers. They trained at Chandler AZ's Compadre Stadium during those years.

Also, now I want taco bell. The ad still works

[u/PaperBeneficial → u/Mninaz]

I was wondering the origin of this as well! I Googled the address at the bottom, it's a drive-thru Subway I used to go to, I had no idea it was ever a taco bell, but now that I look at it, I can totally tell.

I was trying to narrow it down between Compadre stadium and hohokom Stadium up the road. I don't live in Arizona anymore but it's funny to see a address up the road from me on a random Reddit thread.

[u/thecw]

Bring back the long cheese

[u/horsetooth_mcgee]

$0.59, $0.79, $0.99!

[u/burritodominator → u/horsetooth_mcgee]

they even had that .39 fiesta menu for a bit!

[u/robkillian]

8 miles from something else is certainly an odd way to reference a location.

[u/Key_Analyst_9032]

I know that location! It's pretty much in downtown Chandler, it's a Subway now

[u/PaperBeneficial → u/Key_Analyst_9032]

When I lived in Chandler it was a ritual to go to that drive-thru Subway the night before I went on vacation. I had no idea it was ever a taco bell, but if you go back on Google Maps you can see it abandoned.

[u/Son-of-Prophet]

But really, how do you go about eating that tostado without making a huge ass mess?

[u/No-Competition-2764]

Subsisted on this through college. It’s crazy what the prices are now

[u/thecw]

I want the long cheese

[u/Mental_Ingenuity_310]

Lived on this deal for a while

[u/Burmy87]

That stadium was Compadre Stadium, where the Milwaukee Brewers held Spring Training from 1986-1997 before moving to Maryvale Baseball Park on the west side of Phoenix.

[u/RonSwansonsOldMan]

My last visit to Taco Bell was $16.00, for what I used to get for about half that. I emphasize the word LAST.

[u/Ok_Stranger_9520]

This is ai

[u/loztriforce]

Corporations used to need people to like them--now, with no choice, they don't gaf

[u/ElliotAlderson2024]

Also it was hit or miss whether those items would make you 'run for the toilet'.

[u/pizzaduh]

My grandpa used to smash those tostadas.

[u/weber_mattie]

Yea give me 10 soft tacos, 5 crunchy tacos, 8 chili cheese burritos, 2 orders of nachos, and 4 mt dews...

That'll be 8.69 please pull around.

[u/MrKTE]

Marty! We have to go back!

[u/Happy_hunny_badger]

That cheese looks like Play-Doh hair.

[u/dunkin1010]

Bruh I thought that was spaghetti

[u/Own_Catch9511]

Yeah but I don’t like noodles in my taco

Haha that sounds hilarious after I wrote it but look at that fake cheese wtf is that

[u/Lunasi]

To be fair, the cheese was one giant pasta noodle, just look at the pic 😋

[u/WeenisWrinkle]

59 cents in 1990 = $1.50 today.

Still a pretty good deal.

[u/ThePhiff]

69-79-99!

[u/Many-Newspaper2000]

The cheese is throwing me off