Using the college financial aid example again, when he received his loans it covered a massive part of his education, which was especially important as his family was not that well off. The low CPI in his childhood/ young-adulthood shows that financially he was born into an era of less spending and less income. Whereas for me the CPI is greatly increased (153 vs 31, and that same financial aid amount means almost nothing. Again my family is generally well off. We can purchase most anything we want (that is reasonable) like raisin bran or other brand name cereals rather than just Cheerios. Meat is another difference, my father grew up in a very Germanic family meaning meats were a very important part of meals, and yet they never managed to purchase the best brands or the best