Investing smartly right now is very hard, it seems that everything is going down the shitter.
The housing market is going to get worse this year due to the unemployment rate. It's going to hit 11% (the official, not the real number which is more like 17%), and thats not a matter of if, but when. Just last month alone 200,000 jobs were lost. So that means even more people will not be able to pay their morgauges. There are more foreclosures in the pipeline than ever in the US housing market. I have a family member in real estate and she said that she has never seen it so bad. The 1st time home buyers credit is to prop up the housing market and the prices are still going down. Just think 8,ooo in free money towards a house and people still can't buy. Plus as home prices go down more people are underwater (owing more money than what your house is worth) So people say screw it and walk away from their houses. Wouldn't you, if you owed 300,000 on a house only worth 220,000? This further continues the downward spiral.
Euros would be a good hedge against inflation, but with currency the interest you accrue can be flat. Maybe European stocks would be a better bet.
The Yen insn't a good bet against inflation, their interest rates are close to 0% just like over here.
On gold, yes it is high right now, but its nowhere near the 1980's high which if adjusted for inflation would be about $2000 in todays dollars.
You could invest in companies that deal with commodities, like oil, steel, mining, these companies would offer some protection if inflation were to hit really hard. But I would only expect to protect my money not make any with these stocks because as things get worse demand for goods go down and when that happens so do the prices. So commodities will only protect you to ascertain degree.
I don't like to be a doomsayer but things are pretty bad right now. And its all because of greedy bankers, wallstreet and a crooked government.