You have $55,000 in a savings account that pays 2% interest per year. the inflation rate that year is 3.24%. to calculate simple interest: principal x rate x time = interest

How much do you make in interest in a year?

$  1100

How much would you need to have made for your spending power to keep up with inflation in that year?

$  1782

How much buying power did you lose in that year because of inflation?

$  682

Explanation:

Your interest formula is given to you.

Interest in a year = principal (the amount invested) * rate (the interest rate) * period (the time you're measuring)

Interest = 55,000 * 2% * 1 year = 55,000 * 0.02 * 1 = $1,100

How much would you need to have made for your spending power to keep with inflation?  Your interest rate would have needed to match the inflation rate, otherwise prices are going up faster than you're saving.

Required interest = 55,000 * 3.24% * 1 year = 55,000 * 0.0324 * 1 = $1,782

How much buying power did you lose?  The difference between your required interest and your actual interest.

Buying power lost = 1,782 - 1,100 = $682.  You lost this much in buying power.

Hope that helped :)

cognitive overload: having a lot on your mind impairs decision-making and tends to result in the simplest, but not necessarily best, option being selected.

empathy gaps: overlooking how you might feel in a different situation can result in unnecessary purchases, such as overbuying when shopping for food on an empty stomach.

optimism and overconfidence: wearing rose-tinted glasses and having unrealistic expectations about the future can affect money management and leave you unprepared for a change in circumstance.

instant gratification: seeking instant gratification drives impulsive spending and can undermine long-term planning and savings.

harmful habits: automatic or mindless behaviour can amplify a poor financial decision as it becomes a recurring event.

social norms: we are heavily influenced by the actions of others; while this can be in certain circumstances, it also contributes to the pressure to keep up with the joneses through conspicuous consumption.