All the money printing of the last several years is what I think the fed is wrestling with now. Luckily the stock market is taking care of some of that on its own. How much the Fed tightens, how fast... it should be interesting! I love it how the MSM tried to pretend we are not in recession already. Now will be go into stagflation? Yuck.

Yes, sitting on a pile of cash long term is not a wise investment. BUT you have to have it there and accessible especially for your family's welfare. If you lose your job, it allows you breathing space and to roll with the punches because when you are down, that is when things like your AC break. When things are expensive, that cash disappears quicker - hence keep a bigger pile at the ready. Paying off debt quicker, so you own the asset (like a house), is a good thing. There are mortgage payoff calculators out there on the net. Go fiddle with that for a few minutes. Paying yourself (paying down the principle) is better than paying Bank of America. Once you payoff your house, you really start packing away the money. Pay off the credit card each month, ditch the expensive phone plan, ditch the cable TV and all the channels, get yourself a storage of food in your house so your family can survive if things go sideways and you will be a LOT better off than simply lamenting inflation. Roof, food, electric and some cash to keep those things going then savings, investing... Best not to panic. Being prepared can keep you from doing that.