Inflation hasn’t ruined everything. A dime can still be used as a screwdriver.

The line is a wry, practical joke about inflation: even if money buys less, a coin still has “use value” as a physical object. By suggesting a dime can serve as a screwdriver, the speaker reframes economic frustration into a small, everyday consolation—humor as a coping mechanism. The quip also hints at a broader skepticism toward consumer value: when currency is devalued, its symbolic power (purchasing power) shrinks, but its material utility remains. The comedy comes from the mismatch between what money is “for” and what it can be reduced to when its economic function disappoints.