I don’t think you understand it. The intent is to invest that dollar into a basket of investments for 40 years. The stock market is up this past year, not negstive.
Sure Interest rates are negative but OP did not suggest sticking it in a bank. Besides, inflation eats at the value of a dollar.
Compound interest does not apply to the stock market, it applies to savings.
The only way stocks can compound is if you re-invest dividends, and that's not 'interest'.
Inflation eats at the value of the dollar, but not at the value of real estate, so that's one way to make this all work for you: buy a house when you're young at the current low interest rates so that you have a chance to pay it off, and better make sure that you do this in a place that isn't subject to boom/bust cycles.
Yes. But you'll be earning relatively little when you're young so there won't be too many dollars left at the end of your fixed expenses to pull that trick with, besides, the interest rates are negative at the moment.
Whereas later in life you will likely make a multiple of what you make in your twenties, comfortably offsetting your gains.
Indeed, life is short. So while you're young and healthy, first and foremost ENJOY LIFE rather than to be focused on money and your old age all the time. Those will come anyway.
It's a fine line between having fun and enjoying life versus 'goofing around', but the big trick is to not look back with regret on what you could have done, but instead to appreciate what you have. If you don't your life will be an endless source of frustration.