Your dollar is worth less because the Federal Reserves continues to print and flood the economy with more money. In doing so, they are driving up costs. Most notably is the price of gasoline. While your paycheck stays the same, prices are rising quickly.
The price of gas has never exceeded $3 per gallon during the holidays, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic, but the current regional average is $2.97 -- two cents above the national average -- and could break the $3 barrier.
In some places, gasoline is comfortably over the $3 a gallon threshold. It has hit $3.06 a gallon in Washington DC, and it will probably continue to rise through the holidays.