<p><pre><code>  &gt; &quot;Stagnating&quot; doesn&#x27;t mean &quot;going down&quot;
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inflation means that today&#x27;s $1 can buy less than yesterday&#x27;s $1. If your wages are not increasing at least at the rate of inflation then you are steadily getting poorer. After all, 50 years ago you could buy a house in my neighbourhood for about $60k, now it&#x27;s at about $500k (without any significant changes to demographic&#x2F;gentrification pushing prices up).