Most people are experiencing a decline in purchasing power, yet they perceive their home values have increased by 20% when measured in fiat currency (USD). However, if we shift the denominator to a more stable or appreciating asset like gold or Bitcoin, the picture changes. Since 2008, when measured against these assets, investment gains appear lower or even stagnant for most individuals. This suggests that while nominal values in USD may have risen, true value gains are quite different when assessed against more resilient benchmarks like gold or Bitcoin.