As a kid, I got 50 cents allowance every week. I had to choose between buying a Matchbox brand car or truck (about an inch or two long) or going to the Saturday Matinee. Tough choice.
Prices in 1955:
A loaf of bread: $0.18
A new car: About $1,500.
A gallon of gasoline: $0.29
A dozen eggs: $0.61
A Matchbox series toy car: $0.49
A ticket to the Saturday matinee at the Los Altos Theater: $0.25
Candy bar (Good & Plenty, Dots, Bit o Honey, Juicy Fruits, Tootsie Roll) at the Los Altos Theater: $0.05.