If you earned $10-an-hour in 2005 when the cpi was 100, and you earn $11-an-hour today when the cpi is 120, then your real wage rate has since 2005.

The consumer price index, or cpi, has the following formula:



Let's compute the real base period price for the cpi today.



Base Period Price = $9.2

Then, we compare the apparent with the real:

Real Base Period:  $11 - $9.2 = $1.8
Apparent Base Period: $11 - $10 = $1

Real > Apparent, thus your real wage rate has increased since 2005.

I would rather fund my company using debt funding. This is because if you pay in debt, then you have no existing payment or fund left to pay after it is paid off. In equity funding, you have to give a percentage or a lifetime payment funding which would not help or support your company.