Each time we go to the grocery store and find inflation eroding our purchasing power, we face a tough choice: spend more or purchase less. And inflation isn't only in the grocery aisle. _Home loan rates rise too_, currently **7.03 percent for a 30-year fixed mortgage**. That means buyers have to lower their expectations for their dream home, or wait until rates drop. Sellers struggle as well, as fewer buyers depress home sales. When it comes to your investments, inflation's effects can be more complicated, benefiting some sectors while punishing others.

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Health insurance in the U.S. is expensive, costing the average American $8,951 a year, with a family spending $25,572. You'd think this investment in health coverage would pay off. And yet annually 530,000 Americans file for bankruptcy due to unpaid medical bills, with another 59 percent of filers blaming medical costs as a factor. But here's the shocker: Of those numbers, studies show that 79 percent of these filers had health insurance coverage while they were racking up those extraordinary medical bills.

Saving for **retirement is something only seniors** need to worry about, right? Well, no. Past generations could count on employer-financed retirement programs, personal savings and social security benefits. These days, if an employer offers a 401(k) plan, most contributions come out of your paycheck, not their profits. Social security benefits for future retirees may be reduced by the looming social security deficit. That leaves saving for retirement squarely on your shoulders. And here's where socking away a little something with your very first paycheck can pay off in your retirement years.