When inflation hits, it feels like everything costs more and your money buys less. It’s easy to feel stuck. You save money, but it still loses value over time. Your stocks may also dip, and it gets frustrating. But there’s a way to handle this without losing your cool.

Instead of avoiding the market, investors can use inflation as a chance to rethink where they’re putting their money. While no stock is 100% safe from inflation, some sectors handle it better than others.

Buy These Stocks Before Inflation Wins

Some types of investments tend to hold their ground when prices are rising. Here are a few worth paying attention to:

• Energy stocks: Gas and oil are things people still buy even when prices go up. When oil prices climb, big energy companies usually benefit. We saw this during the Russia-Ukraine conflict, when fuel prices jumped and energy stocks followed.

• Real estate and dividend stocks: Real estate investment trusts (REITs) earn income from rent and usually pay investors consistent dividends. These types of investments can help you earn steady money even when the stock market is shaky.

• Value stocks: These are companies with strong balance sheets and lower price-to-earnings (PE) ratios. Think insurance companies and others that don’t rely on hype to grow. They may not be flashy, but they’re often more stable.

• Inflation-protected bonds: Things like Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS) are built to move with inflation. These can help protect the value of your money when prices rise.

None of these are guaranteed wins. Even inflation-focused funds can lose value. But the goal isn’t to find a perfect stock. It’s to protect your portfolio from getting hit too hard.

Split It Smart

The most reliable way to invest during inflation is to stay diversified. That means spreading your money across different sectors and types of assets. If one part of the market struggles, another might help balance things out.

You don’t need to pick the perfect stock. You just need to avoid betting everything on one idea. Real estate, energy, value stocks, and even some safe bonds can work together to keep you steady.

Inflation can feel like a storm, but with the right tools, you don’t have to get washed away. Keep things simple. Stay balanced. And remember, long-term thinking wins more than panic ever will.