Your Work/Time Is Precious—Here’s How to Keep Its Value From Being Stolen
David LeBlanc- May 5
- 7 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
Hey real money tribe,
I've shared several of my thoughts and perspectives lately about many things precious metals, fiat dollars, and how to protect ourselves and preserve our savings/wealth in an uncertain and changing world which rarely is designed to our benefit or advantage. We need to keep being vigilant by having our eyes and minds open to new and different ideas as things are shifting rapidly. Right now, I believe the world and financial systems are quietly changing right before our eyes/under our noses - whichever body part it is, many do not see nor smell it. My next article dropping soon is all about international banking changes (Basel III) and the triumphant return of gold and its impact (and opportiunity) on us, so make sure to keep your eyes open for it.
OK, back to this article...
I get super-annoyed after I work, and work hard by investing a lot of energy and passion into my labour for the benefit of clients and others, only to get paid in fiat dollars - like everyone does. The annoyance is when I get paid in fiat dollars the full value of my labour isn't being stored, especially the longer I wait to use it. Why? Inflation erodes its value and purchasing over time so unless I spend it relatively quickly, the value of the work I did last month or year is being robbed from me - though I did the work and should be able to retain its full value. I feel like I am being robbed especially as we have all been taught to save our hard-earned pennies in the bank (fiat dollars). The trouble is, the longer we keep doing this, the more we lose. This is messed up, so what can we all do to preserve the full value of our labour so we can use it at full value in the future? Let's dig into it...
We've all been conditioned to:
Get a stable job/career and be an employee with benefits and retire at 65 (lifetime of fiat dollars, maximum taxes, financial system)
Direct deposit our paycheques into a bank account (fiat dollars, financial system)
Get married and buy a home and car (mortgage/car loans in fiat dollars, financial system)
Save our "pennies" for a rainy day into a savings account (fiat dollars, financial system)
Invest our wealth using a financial "advisor" (don't get me started on these folks) into their products (stocks, bonds, mutual funds, ETFs) using the stock market (fiat dollars, financial system)
For thousands of years, precious metals, especially gold, have been a benchmark of wealth, stability, and value. But how accessible are they to the average worker? Let's look at gold and one compelling way to measure this is by calculating how much time a person has to work to afford 1 ounce. Over the last 30 years, shifts in wages, inflation, and gold prices have all played a role in shaping this answer. Let’s explore how the “time cost” of gold has changed—and what that tells us about real wages, fiat dollars and inflation, and the true store of the value of your labour in today’s economy and financial system.
Instead of measuring gold in dollars, let's look at it in terms of hours worked at the average hourly wage. This gives us a clearer picture of the gold-to-labor ratio—and whether the average worker is gaining or losing purchasing power over time.
The Numbers: Gold Prices and Wages (1995–2025)
Year | Gold Price (USD) | Avg Hourly Wage (USD) | Hours to Buy 1oz |
1995 | $385 | $11.60 | 33.2 hours |
2000 | $273 | $14.00 | 19.5 hours |
2005 | $444 | $16.00 | 27.8 hours |
2010 | $1,225 | $22.50 | 54.4 hours |
2015 | $1,160 | $25.00 | 46.4 hours |
2020 | $1,770 | $29.00 | 61.0 hours |
2023 | $1,950 | $33.00 | 59.1 hours |
2025* | $2,300 | $35.00 | 65.7 hours |
*2025 figures are estimates based on current trends as of May 2025.
Analysis: What the Numbers Reveal
🔹 Gold is More Expensive in Wage Terms
In 1995, the average American worker needed to work just 33.6 hours to buy an ounce of gold—less than one work week. Fast-forward to 2024, and that number has doubled to over 66 hours, or nearly two weeks of full-time work.
🔹 Wages Haven’t Kept Up with Gold
Although wages have risen over the past 30 years (from ~$11/hour to ~$35/hour), the price of gold has risen faster. This reflects not only inflation but also increasing investor demand for gold as a hedge against economic uncertainty, massive overnment debt, and fiat currency devaluation.
🔹 The 2000s: A Turning Point
The early 2000s marked a key shift. While gold was relatively cheap around $279/oz in 2000 (requiring only 20 hours of work), prices began a long climb, especially after the 2008 financial crisis. By 2010, it required over 54 hours of work to buy the same ounce.
Shouldn't it be that when we get paid for our work, the full value is always available to us? Due to inflation, this is not the case. As time goes by the value of your labour which occurred in the past is worth less and less - that's unfair and robbery. After working and getting paid in fiat dollars, unless we spend it almost right away, we are losing. Have you ever thought about this?
Key Takeaways
Gold is more expensive today in labour terms than at almost any point in the last 30 years.
Gold has outpaced wage growth, highlighting how it has preserved purchasing power better than fiat currency.
Measuring gold in working hours offers a real-world benchmark for understanding its value over time.
Why This Matters?
Gold often acts as a mirror and a benchmark. It reflects the hidden cost of inflation, currency debasement, and wage stagnation. If today’s workers need twice as much time to buy gold as they did 25 years ago, that’s not just a story about gold—it’s a sad story about fiat dollars and the financial system itself, and how much less it buys and traps us to keep us poor and dependent with less independence, choice and freedom.
Most people think in terms of how long they have to work to afford something (only one more year until I can afford that European vacation!) —not just its price in dollars. Gold’s increasing cost in labour terms reveals more than market trends—it reflects the slow erosion of currency value and the growing role of gold as a shield against monetary instability. Whether you’re a seasoned investor or new to precious metals, understanding how gold relates to labour and wages adds an important dimension to your financial attitude, planning and actions.
Let's say you are a diligent planner and want to take a vacation next year. You put $5,000 cash into a high-interest savings account at 4% (wow!) thinking it's safe plus with a big interest rate - smart, right? After a year, it's time to pay for the trip and, with inflation at 10%, your vacation "nest egg" has dropped by $272 to $4,727 as the price is the vacation has increased by this amount. Even worse, if this was outside of a registered account (i.e. TFSA), the interest income earned is taxed at 50%. Ugh!
So, What Can You Do?
If you want to preserve your time, labour, and wealth, gold offers a way to opt out of the inflationary, fiat dollars treadmill. Measuring your savings in ounces, rather than dollars, can shift your financial mindset—and protect what you’ve worked so hard to earn.
✨ What I often suggest to many clients and others when they paid in fiat dollars, like we all do, is to be your own bank. How does this work? It's quite simple if you buy into the idea that holding fiat dollars especially for the long term is toxic to your financial wellbeing.
Each month when you get paid in fiat dollars:
Keep enough fiat dollars in your bank account to cover your monthly bills and expenses.
Take any excess fiat dollars and swap them into physical gold and silver.
If you have an unexpected expenses or want/need any extra funds for whatever you wish, simply swap enough ounces back into fiat dollars, usually at your local coin shop (your new best friend)
You will likely quickly discover several things with this new approach such as:
1) You will likely see your savings grow as it's too easy to spend with the click of a mouse button using your online banking whereas there is some extra effort in swapping your metals into dollars at your local coin dealer. So if you're not the best saver, this approach can and has worked wonders!
2) The value of your work/labour is retained - you're not losing out because of inflation and, in fact, you will likely see the value increase over time, especially with gold (you can't say that about your fiat dollar savings account). So, if you planing that trip of a lifetime to Europe next year, why not put your cash into an ounce of gold instead?
3) You will likely develop better financial habits and an appreciation for real money and honour more the value of your labour.
4) Add some fun with your finances - when is the last time you felt this way--where finances, saving and building wealth as actually fun? There is a universe of beautiful gold and silver coins and bars from which to choose, and there is no better feeling in holding precious metals in your hands - you can't say that about dollars. You might even find it addictive in adding more and new gold and silver items, and even look for ways to trim some wasteful spending to do so - and have your savings and wealth grow!
Whether you’re just starting out or already stacking, owning even a small amount of gold and silver puts you ahead of the curve. Honour yourself and your hard work by holding and retaining its value in something real, tangible and secure which can't be inflated away. Getting started is easier than you may think and can offer life changing results. You'll even likely find yourseld saying, "I wish I did this years ago". It can start today for you and your loved ones.
Take advantage of my free resources to help you learn more and take action today so you can reduce anxiety and fear and build knowledge and confidence in regaing financial independence, choice and freedom.
To your financial health, 🥂
David LeBlanc
Precious metals coach "Real money for We The People"
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Disclaimer: This podcast and article and their contents are only for education and entertainment purposes only. They reflect my views and opinions and are never to be considered as financial advice. As always, you should consult a certified professional so you can determine what's right for your circumstances.
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