<p>For something reliable which does not change its value, it must be an everyday need for survival. Note that value does not mean price. In times of plenty, the price of a staple is lower than in times of low supply. The value of it lies in its ability to keep you alive.</p>

<p>The best index for that is food. You always need food. You can't eat diamonds, gold, or platinum. Computers are nice, but not necessary for survival. Clothing is very important but varies a lot in quality; it would have to be a staple for all people, which doesn't exist (e.g. a pair of jeans.), Housing can be simple or elaborate. So can food, but the basics - a loaf of bread, a gallon of water (if not free), an egg: these things have real and lasting value by which inflation can be measured.</p>

<p>If everything else vanished, we would still need bread, water, protein, etc. That's as basic as it gets in real life.</p>

<p>In science fiction, Oxygen might also be a basic necessity.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-10-16T12:44:07.183Z
@Tomskeleton - You're confusing value with cost. The value is real, and doesn't change. You can't say, "Oh, I don't think I need any water this week."
anongoodnurse
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-10-16T12:47:04.770Z
@Vylix - No; you will always need both to survive. You can't say, I'm short on cash today, so I think I'll skip the oxygen, nor can you say the reverse. Just because they both have value does not mean the value is relative.
anongoodnurse
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-10-16T14:29:42.837Z
The value of something cannot be separated from its opportunity cost. So cost is relevant.
luchonacho
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-10-16T03:17:18.260Z
2017-10-16T03:17:18.260Z
anongoodnurse
<p>You are asking for a "thing" which value is unrelated to the malleable economic and social system to which it belongs. This is impossible, because <strong>the value of anything is a social construct that cannot be disentangled from its context</strong>. Prices are one mechanism in which such valuations are represented and aggregated via markets. As the conditions under which markets operate change, prices will change too. </p>

<p>For example, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantity_theory_of_money" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Quantitative theory of money</a> states that the price of goods and services ($P$) depend on the amount of money ($M$) and goods ($Y$) available in a given time, together with the technological and institutional conditions of society ($v$):</p>

<p>$$ Mv = PQ $$</p>

<p>For changes in any of these variables, prices of things will change.</p>

<p>Another important reason why the value of everything is bound to change relates to the concept of <strong><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opportunity_cost" rel="nofollow noreferrer">opportunity cost</a></strong>. As the social and economic system changes, the opportunity cost of everything changes too. For example, if suddenly the wage you could earn for the same number of hours doubles, the value of all things that you could do with such time (e.g. leisure, voting, studying, etc) changes too. This will affect not only you but other individuals and hence impact market goods and services - and prices.</p>

<p>So the answer is no.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-10-16T14:24:30.400Z
2017-10-16T14:31:16.330Z
2017-10-16T14:31:16.330Z
luchonacho
<p>Currency is represented as an exchange for something valuable, whether it be an object or work. </p>

<p>Prices for objects can change over time, depending on demand and supply, making objects unreliable to measure inflation. Most countries use precious metals to measure or establish currencies, but the prices for metals can also change over time. The amount of work it takes someone to complete a task depends on their physical and mental abilities, in which no two humans are the same.</p>

<p>Is there something that does not change its value that can be used to measure currency inflation?</p>

<currency>
Is there something that does not change its value that can be used to measure currency inflation?
mmm
# Is there something that does not change its value that can be used to measure currency inflation?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-10-16)

Currency is represented as an exchange for something valuable, whether it be an object or work.

Prices for objects can change over time, depending on demand and supply, making objects unreliable to measure inflation. Most countries use precious metals to measure or establish currencies, but the prices for metals can also change over time. The amount of work it takes someone to complete a task depends on their physical and mental abilities, in which no two humans are the same.

Is there something that does not change its value that can be used to measure currency inflation?

**Tags:** currency

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2017-10-16. Score: 2

For something reliable which does not change its value, it must be an everyday need for survival. Note that value does not mean price. In times of plenty, the price of a staple is lower than in times of low supply. The value of it lies in its ability to keep you alive.

The best index for that is food. You always need food. You can't eat diamonds, gold, or platinum. Computers are nice, but not necessary for survival. Clothing is very important but varies a lot in quality; it would have to be a staple for all people, which doesn't exist (e.g. a pair of jeans.), Housing can be simple or elaborate. So can food, but the basics - a loaf of bread, a gallon of water (if not free), an egg: these things have real and lasting value by which inflation can be measured.

If everything else vanished, we would still need bread, water, protein, etc. That's as basic as it gets in real life.

In science fiction, Oxygen might also be a basic necessity.

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: @Tomskeleton - You're confusing value with cost. The value is real, and doesn't change. You can't say, "Oh, I don't think I need any water this week."  
> **username_1**: @Vylix - No; you will always need both to survive. You can't say, I'm short on cash today, so I think I'll skip the oxygen, nor can you say the reverse. Just because they both have value does not mean the value is relative.  
> **username_2**: The value of something cannot be separated from its opportunity cost. So cost is relevant.  

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### Answer by username_2 on 2017-10-16. Score: 0

You are asking for a "thing" which value is unrelated to the malleable economic and social system to which it belongs. This is impossible, because **the value of anything is a social construct that cannot be disentangled from its context**. Prices are one mechanism in which such valuations are represented and aggregated via markets. As the conditions under which markets operate change, prices will change too.

For example, the [Quantitative theory of money](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantity_theory_of_money) states that the price of goods and services ($P$) depend on the amount of money ($M$) and goods ($Y$) available in a given time, together with the technological and institutional conditions of society ($v$):

$$ Mv = PQ $$

For changes in any of these variables, prices of things will change.

Another important reason why the value of everything is bound to change relates to the concept of **[opportunity cost](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opportunity_cost)**. As the social and economic system changes, the opportunity cost of everything changes too. For example, if suddenly the wage you could earn for the same number of hours doubles, the value of all things that you could do with such time (e.g. leisure, voting, studying, etc) changes too. This will affect not only you but other individuals and hence impact market goods and services - and prices.

So the answer is no.


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