 So if I'm using less diapers altogether, even though they are more expensive at the front. Economist Alberto Cavallo of Harvard Business School says all this shopping around takes time and effort, which is another hidden cost of inflation. What's more, his research found as more people started buying those discount products, their prices jumped even faster than the name brand alternatives. In a recent paper, Cavallo dubbed that cheapflation and says it's particularly hard on poor families who don't have a lot of options.