Possible Clues:

• General increase in prices
• Result of a big blow to the economy?
• What has prices (and balloons) going up?
• Economic problem getting increasingly aired?
• Drop in money value
• Blowing up into final shape
• Even having pierced the back of the head, there's swelling
• If you get the wind up you'll pay more for it
• Burning, losing a couple of thousand due to rising prices
• At home carelessly fail to note increase