The Money Detectives #05 — Why Does My Money Buy Less?

The Money Detectives #05 — Why Does My Money Buy Less?

You can have the same number of dollars and still be able to buy less with them.

This comic introduces the idea of purchasing power—the amount of goods and services your currency can actually buy. It also shows why a raise in dollars does not always mean a real improvement if prices are rising even faster.

What This Comic Introduces

After reading, learners should understand that:

• Purchasing power means how much your currency can buy.

• The number of dollars you have can stay the same while their buying power falls.

• Rising prices can reduce the real value of wages and savings.

• A larger paycheck does not always mean greater purchasing power.

• Inflation can make the same amount of currency buy less over time.

Money Detective Question

If your allowance rises 5%, but the things you buy rise 10%, did you really get richer?

Encourage learners to think about the difference between having more dollars and being able to buy more with those dollars.

For deeper study: Continue with MLMF’s lessons and tools on inflation, purchasing power, and how changes in the currency supply can affect prices.