If you don't preserve your assets, how far can your family's wealth go? — From the founding of the country to 2026: A survival guide through inflation cycles

Introduction: Why Is Money Becoming More “Thin”?
Have you noticed that in your grandfather’s generation, one penny could buy a piece of candy; now, you might not even bend down to pick up a dollar bill that drops on the ground? Parents often say that in the 1980s, a few dozen yuan could support a family, but now, even a monthly salary of several thousand yuan often feels insufficient. This is not an illusion—it’s inflation silently eroding wealth. Ten thousand yuan in 1978 has the equivalent purchasing power of 14.47 million yuan in February 2026; ten thousand yuan in 1988 is equivalent to 1.66 million yuan today. This means that if cash is hidden under the bed, wealth shrinks by more than half every decade.

This article will analyze the 76-year economic trajectory since the founding of the People’s Republic, examining how inflation has eroded household wealth and outlining the trends of wealth flow across different historical stages.

Part One: The Evolution of Currency and the Truth About Inflation (1949–February 2026)

1949–1952: The Ruins of Hyperinflation
At the founding of New China, the remnants of the Kuomintang’s hyperinflation caused prices to run wild. In January 1949, 1 US dollar exchanged for 80 old yuan; by March 1950, it had depreciated to 1 dollar = 42,000 old yuan. After currency reform in 1955, the exchange rate stabilized at 1:10,000 between new and old yuan. The key lesson: during post-war economic reconstruction, cash was poison; food and gold were the lifelines.

1953–1978: “Hidden Inflation” Under Planned Economy
Food coupons and cloth tickets became hard currency, and prices appeared stable, but the currency’s purchasing power was artificially suppressed. In the 1960s, 0.14 yuan could buy a jin of rice with a food coupon; a worker’s monthly wage of 40 yuan could buy only a few items. The truth about wealth: during this period, accumulating wealth was not about saving money but about “getting tickets”—families that could obtain food and cloth tickets had a standard of living far above ordinary workers.

1979–2026: The Complete Cycle of Inflation
After the reform and opening up in 1979, inflation officially began:

1985–1988: Price surges triggered inflation, with CPI reaching 18.8% in 1988. Small business owners earning 50,000 yuan annually deposited in banks, but their real purchasing power shrank by over 60%.
1994: CPI hit a peak of 24.1%, and the savings of “ten-thousand-yuan households” were swallowed by inflation.
1998–2002: Asia financial crisis led to deflation, with CPI declining for 39 consecutive months, making cash the safest asset.
2003–2007: Economic boom after WTO accession, with housing prices rising an average of 20% annually, but the 2008 financial crisis shrank wealth by 30%.
2016–2020: Housing prices doubled in third- and fourth-tier cities due to monetization of shantytown redevelopment, but the “three red lines” policy in 2021 prompted a real estate adjustment.
2023–February 2026: CPI remains low (average 0.8% in 2025), real estate sales area turns positive year-over-year, and the economy enters a phase of “mild recovery + deflation pressure.”

Inflation of Food and Consumer Goods

In January 1985, a jin of rice cost 0.14 yuan; by February 2026, it rose to 3.0 yuan. A jin of pork was 0.95 yuan in 1985, rising to 20.0 yuan in 2026. The key finding: essential goods increased about 21 times, but core city housing prices soared from 500 yuan per square meter in 1998 to 60,000 yuan in 2026—an increase of over 120 times. This means that with the same 10,000 yuan, investing in real estate yields over ten times more profit than depositing in a bank.

Part Two: The Golden Age and Lessons of Wealth Flow (1978–2026)
1978–1984: “Farming for Prosperity” Under Land Contract System
The household contract responsibility system shifted farmers from “collective farming” to “farming for themselves.” In 1979, grain output grew by 9%, and farmers’ incomes surged. Wealth case: Farmers in Xiaogang Village, Fengyang, Anhui, earned 500 yuan from farming in 1980 (compared to a worker’s annual income of 400 yuan), but lacked investment awareness and relied solely on farming for basic needs. Meanwhile, Zhejiang farmers used surplus grain to exchange for money and invested in small commodity trade, doubling their income. Lesson: Land is the foundation, but without investment, wealth stagnates at subsistence.

1980–1990: The “Get-Rich Trap” of Individual Entrepreneurs
Legalization of individual businesses in 1980, with monthly incomes reaching 300 yuan by 1985—7.5 times the state-owned enterprise worker’s 40 yuan. The truth about wealth: at that time, “selling tea eggs made more money than engineers,” but most people kept their money in banks. In 1988, inflation was 18.8%, and bank deposits depreciated by 10%; in 1994, inflation reached 24.1%, and deposit purchasing power shrank by 60%. Comparison case: Shanghai entrepreneur Wang stored 50,000 yuan, which by 1994 was worth only 20,000 yuan; meanwhile, Li bought a house with 30,000 yuan and sold it in 2005 for 20 times the original price.

1992–2007: The Boom of Going Offshore and Real Estate
Deng Xiaoping’s southern tour in 1992 ignited the tide of entrepreneurs going offshore; in 1998, housing reform launched the real estate bull market. Wealth flow:

In 1998, Beijing’s housing price was 500 yuan per square meter; by 2007, it reached 8,000 yuan—an annual increase of 25%.
The Shanghai Stock Exchange index rose from 1,200 points in 2005 to 6,124 in 2007—an annual growth of 50%.
Key lesson: Investors who entered the market at the peak in 2007 suffered a 73% loss when the index fell to 1,664 in 2008; those who invested steadily in index funds over 10 years gained over 200%.

2008–2026: Survival Wisdom in Cyclical Fluctuations
After the 2008 financial crisis, the “Four Trillion Yuan” stimulus boosted housing prices. In 2016, the “housing not for speculation” policy was implemented, and by 2023, real estate sales bottomed out and began to recover. Current assessment: by February 2026, core city housing prices have stabilized, but third- and fourth-tier cities are still adjusting. Wealth lesson: real estate cycles last about 20 years; from 1998 to 2017, prices rose, but after 2018, divergence and correction occurred.

Part Three: The Ultimate Weapon for Asset Preservation—Learning from Buffett and Munger

1. Buffett’s “Circle of Competence” Principle: Focused Investment Within Your Knowledge Scope
   Buffett never diversifies blindly; instead, he concentrates within his understanding. Early on, he invested 80% of his funds in a single business (Berkshire Hathaway’s textile mill); later, he shifted to Coca-Cola because he drank it daily and understood its brand value. In 2016, he heavily invested in Apple because his daughter used an iPhone, understanding the mobile ecosystem.

Operational Tips:
Ask yourself: Do I truly understand this investment target? (e.g., if you don’t understand chip technology, avoid semiconductor stocks)
Next: Is my knowledge deep enough? (e.g., Buffett studied Coca-Cola for 20 years before heavily investing)
Finally: Invest only in 1–2 core assets, not 10 “somewhat known” ones.

Case: During early 2020, Buffett sold airline stocks (due to lack of understanding industry logic) but held onto Coca-Cola (due to clear understanding). By 2023, Coca-Cola’s stock rose 35%.

2. Munger’s “Margin of Safety”: Always Leave Room for Error
   Munger said, “Investing isn’t about making money; it’s about avoiding losses.” He insists on buying at least 20% below intrinsic value.

Operational Tips: Calculate the margin of safety: For example, if a property’s assessed value is 1 million yuan, buy it for 700,000 yuan.
Avoid “hot” stocks: In 2021, the new energy vehicle craze, Munger warned, “Don’t chase if you don’t understand the technology,” resulting in many concept stocks halving.
Case: In 2022, real estate stocks in A-shares plummeted—Evergrande and Sunac fell over 90%, but Poly and Vanke, with valuations 30% below intrinsic value, only declined about 20%.

3. Bank Large-Denomination Certificates of Deposit: The Conservative “Cash Preservation Tool”
   Since 2023, large-denomination CDs (starting at 200,000 yuan) have seen steadily rising interest rates:

3-year rate at 2.75% (as of February 2026), 0.75% higher than regular deposits.
Deposits under 1 million yuan are protected by deposit insurance, making them safe and risk-free.
Why is this important? During the low-inflation period from 2023 to 2026 (average CPI 0.8%), large CDs can outperform inflation and offer better liquidity than fixed-term deposits.
Practical advice: Allocate 50% of emergency funds (3–6 months’ living expenses) into large CDs, and 50% into money market funds (like Yu’e Bao, with an annualized yield of 2.5%).

Part Four: Practical Asset Allocation Guide for February 2026

1. “Buffett-style” Principles for Family Asset Allocation

2. Specific Asset Allocation Plan (Family Version) for February 2026

Cash Account (20%):
10%: Large-denomination CD (3-year, 2.75%)
10%: Money Market Fund (annual yield 2.5%, liquid at any time)
Reason: To prepare for possible economic fluctuations in 2026, maintaining liquidity.

Stable Income (40%):
30%: High-grade bond funds (annual yield 3.5%, low volatility)
10%: Gold ETFs (hedging geopolitical risks)
Reason: Falling interest rates increase bond yields; gold preserves value during inflation resurgence.

Growth Assets (35%):
25%: CSI 300 index fund (dollar-cost averaging, annual yield 8%)
10%: Core city real estate (owner-occupied + small investment units, annualized 3–5%)
Reason: Buffett says “the stock market is a weighing machine in the long run”; index funds are best for ordinary investors; real estate should be in “understood, prime locations.”

Protection Assets (5%):
Insurance (critical illness + medical insurance)
Reason: Munger’s saying, “Without a safety cushion, wealth will vanish.”

Key Reminders:
In February 2026, avoid high leverage in real estate, avoid chasing rising prices and selling at lows. For example, someone who bought third- or fourth-tier properties at high prices in 2023 might face a 20% loss by 2026, while properties bought in core districts of Hangzhou in 2020 could appreciate by 25%.

Conclusion: Wealth Preservation Is a Marathon of Cognition
Reviewing 76 years of economic history, we see:

In the 1980s, individual savers’ wealth was swallowed by inflation;
In the 1990s, those who went offshore lacked proper asset allocation, and wealth stagnated at subsistence;
Post-2008, those who bought at high points were trapped for 15 years;
Meanwhile, Buffett-style “cognition-driven concentration investors” achieved intergenerational wealth transfer.

Final advice for February 2026:
First, learn: spend three months studying one field (e.g., consumption, technology) until you can explain its profit model;
Next, invest: within your understanding, allocate 60% of your funds to 1–2 core assets;
Always keep a fallback: 40% of funds in liquidity to avoid market traps.

Buffett said, “Investing is simple, but not easy.”
Munger said, “Wealth isn’t luck; it’s cognition.”
Start now—stop dreaming of “saving for inflation.” Use your understanding to drive wealth, and your family’s wealth will go further.

This article is based on February 2026 economic data and does not constitute investment advice. Investing involves risks; decisions should be made cautiously.