Blowing into cartridges was free. The console? Not so much.

Answer:  $584

Questions:

• Would you or your family spend $584 on a game console today? Why or why not?

• What does this tell you about how our brains understand the value of money over time?

• Do you think people are more or less willing to spend money on entertainment tech today?

Here's the ready-to-go slides for this Question of the Day that you can use in your classroom. 

Behind the numbers (Inflation Station):

Some other consoles:

• Original Playstation (1995): $622
• Original XBox: (2001): $538
• Nintendo Switch (2017): $391

About the Author

Dave Martin

Dave joins NGPF with 15 years of teaching experience in math and computer science. After joining the New York City Teaching Fellows program and earning a Master's degree in Education from Pace University, his teaching career has taken him to New York, New Jersey and a summer in the north of Ghana. Dave firmly believes that financial literacy is vital to creating well-rounded students that are prepared for a complex and highly competitive world. During what free time two young daughters will allow, Dave enjoys video games, Dungeons & Dragons, cooking, gardening, and taking naps.