What is inflation?

You ask: What inflation?

Caveman trade one shiny shell for one basket berries. Next season, same basket cost two shells. Berries not change — shells worth less. That is inflation: money lose power, prices climb. Why happen? When tribe make many many new shells but berry bushes stay same, more shells chase same berries. Traders raise prices. Also happen when berries get scarce — flood eat bushes, less to buy, prices jump. Money chiefs count prices of many things — meat, hides, firewood — each season, to measure how fast prices climb. Little inflation normal; money chiefs aim for slow steady rise, about two shells more in every hundred each winter. Big fast inflation bad: shells Caveman save under rock buy less and less. Cave wisdom: inflation not prices growing strong — inflation is money growing weak.