Even as inflation continues to go up, some workers have wiggle room in their budgets due to larger wage gains. Millions of workers again saw price increases cut into their paychecks last month as higher gas and oil prices pushed inflation to its highest level in three years. In May, for the second straight month, the cost of living grew faster than wages. The imbalance strains Americans’ budgets, diminishes their spending power and generally keeps their financial mood in the doldrums.