• something_random_tho@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    67
    ·
    edit-2
    1 year ago

    In other words, it’s similar to a tax in that the money you earn today, by the time you spend it, is worth less by design.

    Inflation does has have a positive feature of encouraging investment and spending, rather than hoarding under a mattress. The money is put back into the economy because every day it isn’t, it loses value. If money were getting more valuable over time (called “deflation”), you’re incentivized to treat it like an asset—not a currency—and hold onto it as long as you can (like Bitcoin), rather than reinvest or spend.

    • TawdryPorker@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      32
      ·
      1 year ago

      Yes, this is true but you also have to factor in the marginal propensity to consume, or in plain English, the poorer you are the more of your income you have to spend on necessities like rent or groceries.

      There are always high interest investments available to people with a large amounts of spare cash floating about even when inflation is low.

      If your rent + utilities + food = your income then you ain’t hoarding money even in a deflationary spiral.

        • TawdryPorker@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          9
          ·
          1 year ago

          Always. If inflation runs away, the poor suffer. If we get stuck in a deflationary cycle the poor suffer. Apparently it is impossible to construct an equitable system that works without gross inequality (spoiler: it isn’t but some people love inequality and will do anything to prevent things being distributed more equally.)