The investment game, Inflation and the cost of goods.

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So what are the alternatives to gathering and keeping wealth? Meaning if it wasn't for real estate, Interest rate based investment, or stock market investment, what are the real alternatives?

Save more? Compound interest is your friend. The more you save, the more interest you collect, the more you earn. Having a successful small business is a good alternative, but who wants that headache? Sure investing in one may work too, but I'm the kind of guy who would only trust himself to do something right, and not someone else.

It's all about risk versus reward of course. How much are you willing to put on the line to get more wealth? Me personally, not so much...so I pretty much invest everything in Index based mutual funds (keeps admin costs VERY low, and I know that people more stupid than me won't futz around with my money), and in PIMCO, because Bill Gross is god. I will happily take his 7.75% annualized returns with virtually no risk.