Money works differently from technology. You can trade old cash for an amount of new cash with the same face value whenever you want.<p>If I bought a computer for $600 in 1980, it&#x27;s not going to be traded for $600 today. But if I got a $600 check in 1980, I could cash it today for $600. Inflation is what makes this a reasonable thing to do. If money deflated, I wouldn&#x27;t cash my check, I&#x27;d want to hold it for as long as possible. Deflation basically means you collect interest on any cash you have.