I saw this post the other day from a mom who found an old receipt and decided to turn it into a “state of the economy” experiment.
Her results were shocking, and the comments were full of other people who claimed to have done a similar experiment and gotten similar results.
Being the skeptic that I am, I decided to try to replicate what she’d done, and sure enough my results were the same.
I pulled up an old grocery receipt and asked my kids, “Want to guess what all this cost back in 2020?”
We read through the list—milk, cereal, peanut butter, canned goods, paper towels—and they gave me their guesses.
When I told them the total, their eyes got wide.
Then we recreated our order, and sure enough—more than double!
We ended up having a great conversation about how money doesn’t stretch the way it used to, and how quietly the rules of life change when you’re not paying attention. We talked about how understanding the “why” behind all of it can give you a leg up when everyone else is stuck wondering what the heck is going on.
I told them what I’ll tell you: most adults can’t explain inflation.
Sure, they’ll grumble about it. Some even blame “greedy corporations” or “late-stage capitalism,” but few people understand what inflation actually is—or why it happens.
And of course that’s by design.
Most adults grew up in the public education system. And that system has zero incentive to teach people how their lives and futures are massively impacted by the events of a secret meeting of wealthy politicians and bankers on Jekyll Island, GA over a hundred years ago.
Lucky for your kids, we have The Tuttle Twins and the Creature from Jekyll Island which spills the beans on the whole sordid affair.
It’s the story of the Federal Reserve—how money is created out of thin air, and how it quietly eats away at our buying power. Of course it’s told in a way that kids can easily understand and enjoy.
It’s amazing how quickly kids grasp concepts that many adults fail to understand. I think it’s because their minds haven’t yet been corrupted by the politics and propaganda that’s meant to purposely obscure the way the world really works from everyday people.
It’s why the work we do at home as parents and grandparents is so vital.
You should really try this:
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Find an old receipt (from 2019 or 2020 is ideal).
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Re-shop those same items in your grocery app or online.
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Let the kids calculate the difference.
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And then talk about it.
You’ll be surprised how engaged they get when they realize this isn’t just “economics”—this is their life.
It's why their favorite snacks cost more. It’s why family dinner nights out happen less, and why even a candy bar seems weirdly expensive now.
If you do it, I’d love to hear what your kids said, or what surprised you most. Just reply to this email with your results!
And if you want help explaining the bigger picture behind the numbers, Creature from Jekyll Island is a great place to start. It’s included in our original Tuttle Twins series, which is up to 70% off right now during our Back to School Sale. It also comes with activity workbooks, audiobooks, and parent guides.
In the end, this is about way more than price tags. It’s how we help our kids set themselves up for success in a world that is becoming more and more corrupted by philosophies and policies that have always led to human suffering and failure.
If we want our kids to be able to flourish and thrive, we are going to have to take extraordinary steps to set them up for success.
That’s why I do this work. I suspect it’s what motivates you also.
The good news is, I think we’re going to succeed.
— Connor
