RE: Time Value of Money

they'll help me do more research.

That warms my heart but I am a bit of a nerd 🤓 LOL

In other words, I've been losing money all this time because I've lent money to my friends to buy sweets and they pay me back the same amount.

Yep basically; it is more correct to say you are losing out on the opportunity to make more money than if you never gave the loan in the first place. I mean that is why if you lend someone money and they do not pay back on time it is frustrating. Even if you do not understand why it is frustrating everyone can feel it. I mean one they didn't do what they said which is frustrating and also you are "losing" out on making more money.

And if I lend money and charge interest, would that be the same as with government bonds? Would I gain anything there?

I would argue loaning interest or non interest loans to friends is very dicey. Even banks loaning money to people is pretty messed up sometimes. I mean the bank is totally removed from the person and they HAVE to take "distressed" assets from people or the bank goes out of business. Banks go out of business all the time anyways and are mostly propped up by fiat money printing in my opinion.

Sorry at the rant at the end there lol. If you do a post on opportunity costs, I personally would come up with other examples outside of loaning interest to other people.

Good luck!