Ok, kids. Grandpa Brian here with a little story.
Back last century whilst in high school, an economics teacher of mine was talking about inflation.
He said movie ticket prices would be $9-$12 by the Year 2000 (which seemed an eternity away when time was measured by a clicking clock on the front of the classroom wall). We were taught back then that putting money into a savings account, with compound interest (we used to have to solve for that by hand, sans calculators) was the SOP of average, everyday Americans.
Tickets for “loge” seating was the premium price of $4.50 back then, for reference.
Inflation used to be the headline report on the local news 40 to 50 years ago. Nowadays, people don’t even question QEx (ongoing Quantitative Easing). Me thinks economic literacy today is a ravine that divides us, and is widening. Like, why do people need an app to tell them what subscriptions they’re paying? Don’t they know how to “balance a checkbook”?
If I were 15 again, I’d be converting a portion of my income/gifts/etc. into Bitcoin, and I’d get my parents to set up 2 brokerage accounts—one for an IRA, one for a rainy day— with
$SPY,
$QQQ,
$JEPQ, et cetera, and cash average my inputs.
I’d probably pick up some Goldbacks as well—my teenager self back then would have thought they were bitchin’ rad, as well as being a tangible asset.
So, kids, just remember: the buying power you think you have today will not be the same “tomorrow”. Plan for decades down the road now, whilst you have the compounding interest time to do so.
You can’t wait & think this is something old people worry about.
The old people that didn’t start early enough are the worrying olds—don’t be one of them when it’s your turn.
@ZubyMusic