About Money not Money

Welcome to Money not Money, your go-to resource for understanding the historical prices of consumer products in the United States.

We distill complex concepts into easy-to-understand language and visual representations, ensuring that every visitor can grasp the significance of price fluctuations, affordability, the impact of inflation, and the true cost of consumer products.

For the curious consumer

Have you ever asked yourself something like:

“How could a middle-class family afford to buy a house, a car and have two kids in the 50s when I can't even seem to buy a small apartment today?”

“How come the news is always talking about raising prices? Is there a limit to it?”

If so, Money not Money is made for you, the curious consumer who not only dares to ask these types of questions but is also not scared of the answers you might find.

Our mission is to shed light on the true cost of goods and services, empowering the general public to make better-informed financial decisions.

Unlocking the impact of inflation

Let's face it, most people don't get a great financial education… our education system is just not designed to teach us some basic concepts that are key to understanding the general behaviors of our economy.

Inflation is one of those concepts that most people have heard about, but many don't really understand, and that's a problem… because the price of something isn't all that relevant in many cases, what's a lot more relevant is whether people can afford it or not, and inflation is essential to understand the disparity between absolute cost and real affordability.

Amongst other things, Money not Money aims to demystify this concept and show how it affects our daily lives.

Robust data, expert analysis

We focus on long-term trends, providing yearly price averages for a wide range of consumer products dating back to 1960.

Our database comprises meticulously collected prices from diverse sources, mostly official repositories and trusted market research firms, but we also conduct our own research when the data we are looking for is not available through other sources.

We then take this data and we analyze it to present it as a coherent story that tells you what you want to know, and not what the media wants you to think, about the price and affordability of things.

Each of our articles is accompanied by interactive graphs and tables, allowing you to explore the absolute price evolution of a product, its inflation-adjusted price (i.e., its true affordability), and a side-by-side comparison of the two. This approach enables you to understand the historical context and make meaningful comparisons.

Beyond the present: What comes next

Our journey does not end here. Money not Money strives to continuously expand and update its database to include additional product categories within the United States.

Once we've managed to cover the US fairly, we plan to start collecting data from other regions, which will allow us, and you, to gain meaningful insight into the evolution of prices in different countries and economies.

Unveil the secrets of the past, gain clarity about the present, and empower yourself for a financially savvy future with Money not Money.