How $100 slowly loses its power over time

The disappearing power of $100

What feels like the same amount... buys less each decade.

That’s not bad luck. That’s inflation quietly doing its job.

1997: The golden age of your childhood

You’ve just turned 12. Your birthday money? A crisp $100 bill.

You walk into a toy store and go all in:

1. A brand new PlayStation game
2. A Tamagotchi
3. A couple of Pokémon card booster packs
4. A movie ticket and popcorn
5. And to top it off? Big Mac, fries and a Coke on the way home.

Boom. Childhood dream fulfilled. And you still have a few bucks left.

2007: You try the same trick

Ten years later, you feel nostalgic. You’ve got another $100 and try to recreate that childhood haul.

This time?

1. One PS3 game
2. No Tamagotchi (they’re retro now and overpriced)
3. Pokémon cards cost more, you get half the packs
4. Movie ticket alone eats $12
5. Big Mac meal? Almost double the price

You can’t afford everything anymore. $100 feels... smaller.

2017: You're buying for your younger cousin

Another decade flies by. You want to give them the same kind of birthday you once had.

But that same $100 barely gets you:

1. One AAA console game (if it’s not a deluxe edition)
2. A single Pokémon Elite Trainer Box
3. Maybe a snack, but no movie

The cart looks emptier. And you’re not imagining it.

2025: Now you have kids of your own

Your kid is turning 10. You want to treat them to what you once had.

But this time:

1. A new game costs $70
2. Pokémon cards are a collector’s market
3. A Big Mac meal is $14 in your city
4. The movie costs extra if it’s 3D or IMAX

You cross $100 fast. No extras. No leftovers.

What changed?

Nothing. And everything.

You always had $100. But inflation had other plans.

Prices didn’t jump all at once. They crept up year after year. Slowly. Quietly. And now that $100 birthday feels more like $35.

Lesson unlocked:

1. Inflation quietly reduces the buying power of money over time
2. Small yearly price increases add up to big lifestyle changes
3. Growing your savings is the only way to protect future choices

You’ve seen what $100 can lose. Test what you’ve learned, then discover which asset classes can actually help it grow.