Welcome back to The Penny & The Pint! In this installment of the "My Roman Empire" series, John and Brendan are tackling a financial topic they obsess over daily: Inflation, the ultimate thief in the night. But before diving into supply chain shocks and CPI numbers, Brendan breaks down his upcoming survival prep as a "silver alert" fan headed to see K-pop megastars BTS at M&T Bank Stadium—complete with army bombs, compression socks, and fan chants.
In the main segment, the guys dissect how inflation silently erodes your hard-earned purchasing power over time. They clear up the difference between Headline CPI and Core Inflation, call out the sneaky trap of "shrinkflation," and discuss why hiding your cash in a mattress (or mason jar) guarantees a loss. Finally, John and Brendan lay out a practical bucket strategy—from high-yield savings to diversified portfolios—to help you outpace the invisible hand of inflation and build real long-term wealth.
In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
- Silver Fan Survival Kit: The hilarious reality of gearing up for a stadium BTS concert with earplugs, Aleve, and compression socks.
- Headline vs. Core Inflation: Why ignoring food and energy in inflation numbers misses what everyday consumers actually feel.
- Spotting Shrinkflation: How companies pass along stealth price hikes by shrinking product sizes instead of raising prices.
- Beating the Thief: How to bucket short-term cash in High-Yield Savings Accounts and rely on growth portfolios to protect your long-term purchasing power.
Contact & Resources
- Visit us online: www.oldirishguysfinancial.com
- Send us your portfolio questions: info@oldirishguysfinancial.com
- Catch up on the series: thepennythepint.transistor.fm
- (00:00) - Show Intro and Roman Empire
- (00:45) - BTS Concert Prep Chaos
- (08:13) - Back From Break Inflation Begins
- (08:37) - Inflation Explained
- (10:57) - CPI Core vs Headline
- (15:29) - Beating Inflation Strategy
What is The Penny & The Pint?
The Penny & The Pint is a financial podcast hosted by John Shea and Brendan O’Brien, known as the "Old Irish Guys". Drawing on over 60 years of combined experience in financial services, the hosts aim to help listeners stop guessing about their finances and start building real wealth.
The show is designed to be a community resource for the South Baltimore neighborhood, featuring short, 10-minute episodes that balance local news and sports with high-level, actionable financial advice. Each episode typically includes two segments: "Local Flavor," which discusses current events in Baltimore, and a "Financial Deep Dive," which provides two or three practical steps listeners can apply immediately to their lives.