Playing MASH… with Inflation

MASH was the shit back in the 2000’s. Maybe it’s still the shit now? I don’t know. I’m old. Young people, do you still play MASH?

If you’re not familiar, this is how it went: 

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Basically, a game where you determine your spouse, car, job, house, and number of kids based on where you circled a piece of paper. Simpler, analog-ier times.

Whether you’re a diehard MASH-er or you’re thinking, “Seriously? The game is just writing stuff on paper?” one thing is for sure – a game of MASH costs a lot more today than it did back in 2000. 

Let’s take a look. 

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House

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Between 1999 and 2022, the median house price has jumped from $111,000 (about $186,000 when adjusted for inflation) to $269,039. 

Maybe that’s why boomers think we could afford a house if we just cut out the avocado toast – they bought their homes for the cost of roughly 5 slices.

Source

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Car

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While the average price of a car in 2000 was $22,000 (about $36,000 when adjusted for inflation), today’s average car will set you back to the tune of $47,000. 

Factor in the astronomical price of gas and maybe it’s time to ask your friends if they’ll go splitsies on a horse with you. 

Source 1, 2

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Job/Money: 

Okay, so everything’s way more expensive today than it was back in 2000. But that means everyone should be getting paid way more today than they were in 2000, right?

 Right?

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Yeah, about that. 

In 2000, the average household income was $42,148 – about $70,000 when adjusted for inflation. But in 2019, the median household income was $65,712. 

Taking inflation into account, that actually means people are earning less today than they were in 2000.

Yep.  

Source 1, 2 

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So what does all of this mean?

Besides that we should all be asking our bosses for some serious raises? 

It means that we’re all in WAY tougher financial positions than our parents were when they were raising us. Shit is hard, you guys. And it’s not our fault. (Well, not all of it, at least.)

 So give yourself a pat on the back and a break – you’re doing what you can with the hand you were dealt.

And now? Let’s keep the nostalgia going. We built a totally rad Y2K throwback in the Cleo app. 

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📱 type Y2K Mode to Cleo, in our app

🕰 head back to the 2000s

📺 share your fav moment on bebo (jk. Twitter or IG will do)

‍….you might even win $500 for it. 

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