Retail prices are up quite a bit over the past year. Gas, for example, is out of control. Medical costs, hotel rates and dairy are all up quite a bit. Small businesses are also expecting to raise prices this year. It means that the value of our paycheck shrinks. You may notice that a dollar just doesn’t pay for what it used to. As a result, we change what we buy and how we buy it. If we notice something has gone way up in price, we may switch to the store brand. The quality of store brands is going to get better too. Just because something is the latest greatest brand of something doesn’t mean it is not a great quality product. Use your money wisely as prices go up. And think about reducing prices cumulatively.