Inflation
A loaf of bread cost 12 cents in 1950 · guess what real old prices are worth in today's money, from the actual CPI
Money used to go a lot further. Each round charts a real US price through the decades · read the trend and work out what it is worth in today's money.
A loaf of bread cost $0.12 in 1950. What is that amount worth in today's money?
Documented prices up to 2000 · extend the trend to today
Historical prices and the CPI are from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. See the source
Tip: A century of inflation adds up fast · a dollar from 1950 is worth more than ten of today's dollars.
About Inflation
Inflation is a quick, slightly startling lesson in how much money has changed. Each round shows a real, documented US price from decades ago · a loaf of bread for 12 cents in 1950, a gallon of gas for 36 cents in 1970 · and asks what that price is worth in today's money. Four choices; pick the closest.
The answer is real maths, not a guess. When you choose, the game shows the true figure, worked out from the actual US Consumer Price Index: the old price multiplied by today's CPI divided by the CPI of that year. So a 1950 dollar really is worth more than ten of today's dollars, and you can see exactly why.
Build a streak. Each correct answer grows your streak and your best is kept. Over a run you develop a feel for just how steep a century of inflation really is · and why your grandparents' prices sound impossible.
Prices and the CPI come from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Part of the PlayMemorize family · runs entirely in your browser and works offline as a Progressive Web App.
FAQ
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How is the answer worked out?
Each round takes a documented historical price and multiplies it by today's Consumer Price Index divided by the CPI of the price's year · the standard way economists convert old money into today's money. The game shows you the multiplier. -
Are the old prices real?
Yes · they are widely-cited average US prices for their year (a loaf of bread, a movie ticket, a gallon of gas, a new car, and so on), and the CPI figures come from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. -
Why is a 1950 dollar worth so much more now?
Because prices have risen almost every year since, and the increases compound. The US CPI has multiplied roughly thirteen-fold since 1950, so a 1950 dollar buys about what thirteen dollars buy today. -
Is this in US dollars?
Yes · the prices and the CPI are American, so the figures are in US dollars. The underlying idea · that inflation makes old money worth more in today's terms · is the same everywhere. -
Does it work offline?
Yes. PlayMemorize is a Progressive Web App, so Inflation keeps working without a connection once the page has loaded.