What's in Your Portfolio

[Gravdigr]

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

It depends on inflation, and your definition of "money".

My definition of money is U.S. currency. That which can be used for food, weed, beer, gasoline, whores, vehicles, tools, and whatnot.

And, yes, those were listed in order of importance.

Still not losing money.

[Happy Monkey]

Originally Posted by Gravdigr

My definition of money is U.S. currency.

In number of dollars, or in how much they can be traded...

... for food, weed, beer, gasoline, whores, vehicles, tools, and whatnot.

Cash keeps its dollar value, but not necessarily its purchasing power.

[Gravdigr]

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

In number of dollars, or in how much they can be traded...Cash keeps its dollar value, but not necessarily its purchasing power.

That still hasn't removed money from my possession.

Why is this fact so goddamned hard for people to accept.

I got mine.

Barring a major fucktastrophe, I won't need anymore til I'm sixty-eight. I won't be buyin no Ferraris, mind you, not even a used Harley.

Why would I risk investment at all for money I will not need. In all likelihood, I won't live long enough to spend what I got.

And I don't really want to anyway.

[Gravdigr]

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

but not necessarily its purchasing power.

I hadn't noticed that in the last, oh, say, 44 yrs of living.

Fuck this, I'm done.

[Lamplighter]

I don't remember the exact words, but today there was the interview,
with the Director of the Funeral Home that was taking care of the body of the Boston Marathon bomber.
They were interviewing him because at least 3 cemeteries had supposedly refused to bury the body.

This man was of interest to me because his professional and personal ideals were
that he would serve everyone, regardless of their history or ability to pay.

He used an example of a woman who did not have enough $ to pay for her husband's funeral,
and he said he did the funeral just as he would if she had paid the full amount.

This is a long introduction, but it was his next comment that was of interest to me.
He said: "Money is only good for the good that you can do with it"

See Gravdigr... great minds do run along the same path.

[Happy Monkey]

Originally Posted by Gravdigr

I hadn't noticed that in the last, oh, say, 44 yrs of living.

Obviously it depends on what products you are buying with the $20, but on average a product that cost $20 44 years ago would cost $470.25 today.

Google gives various particulars for 50 years ago.

Due to technology and economies of scale, there are some items that you could get a rough equivalent now for roughly the same dollar vaue; there are probably some canned meals that aren't much more than the 30 cent canned ravioli. Ramen, at least. And clothing can be very cheap these days (though you may also have to buy it more frequently). But unless you've whittled down your needs to just inflation-resistant items (and if so, more power to you), the calculations you've made about lasting 'til age 68 may need occasional adjustment.