Why Cheap Goods Don’t Make Life Easier

When everything gets cheaper, why are we hustling twice as hard?

Photo by Fabian Blank on Unsplash

Humanity’s got productivity down to a science. Machines churn out goods at breakneck speeds, and tech does everything from driving our cars to delivering our food. Costs should be rock-bottom. But somehow, it still feels like we’re barely scraping by. Why? Because while production costs have dropped, the currency we’re using has been steadily hollowed out.

When Money Gets Weak

Here’s the reality: as productivity skyrockets, the cost of goods and services falls to their marginal production cost. Sounds great, right? But the currency itself – our so-called “money” – keeps losing value. Why? Because central banks keep hitting the print button, diluting the currency pool. They’re not adding value; they’re just adding digits. And with each dollar printed, the value of the cash already in your pocket slips a little lower.

Propping Up a Weak Foundation

Governments have a trick to keep the illusion alive: they print more money. It props up wages, keeps stocks from plummeting, and gives the appearance of economic growth. But it’s all smoke and mirrors. Because what really happens? When they flood the market with cash, the gap between productivity…