Inflation is when the price of goods rise over time, while the value of the dollar stays the same or weakens. This means that the cost of goods or services continues to increase making it more expensive to make everyday purchases on things such as food or clothing.
The government measures the rate of inflation with the Consumer Price Index. This index measures the costs of set items from month to month and year to year. Inflation generally takes place gradually over a few years, although it may increase suddenly after a recession or depression. Hyperinflation makes it much more difficult to manage your budget and to purchase your goods because the money you earn now has less spending power than it did before inflation.
Inflation is usually caused by too much money being released into the economy by the government to fix a financial problem such as a recession or depression. This money can be printed or it can be given out in the form of loans or incentives to consumers. It is difficult to predict when serious inflation will take place.As you deal with inflation, it is important to follow the same financial principles you would in a recovering or slow economy.
It can be difficult to prepare for inflation because the money you have saved and your investments no longer have the same spending power as they did before the inflation began. In the case of inflation durable goods will increase in cost. One way to prepare for inflation is to store durable goods. You can trade these goods or just have them on hand so you do not need to use the savings you have accumulated until the inflation has ended. Durable goods are products that will last such as canned food, household products, tools and other common supplies.
