The average cost of gas has drastically changed since 1997. In that year, gas averaged at $1.66 a gallon. The average price of gas today is around 3 or 4 dollars per gallon.
The average cost of car in 1997 was only $16,900. Today, the average cost to by a brand new car is $23,039.
The average cost for buying a house in 1997 was $146,000 that has raised to an average of $199,036, almost $200,000!
The average wage of someone living in the US in 1997 was about $27,426, that has now increased to $37,389 in the year 2013.