Are You Suffering from Lifestyle Creep? How to Avoid Self-Generated Inflation

It is an interesting fact that as your income grows, spending typically increases as well. Often, as your income increases, you spend more money without even noticing it—it’s another kind of inflation that adds up to lost saving opportunities.

When the Joneses come home with that brand new car, it’s easy to get the urge to go out and buy a newer, nicer car yourself.

That urge to keep up with the Joneses can easily snowball out of control; buying more, bigger, and “better stuff.” Studies suggest that when we feel like we can’t maintain the same standard of living as our peers, it makes us unhappy.

Maybe the Smiths next door just remodeled their kitchen, and you decide it’s time to update your home too. Is this something that makes financial sense?

If you consider spending $50,000 for “better stuff”, instead, take a look at how saving, rather than spending, that money could affect your long-term savings picture.

In 20 years, that $50,000 could more than triple to over $160,000, if invested at a hypothetical 6%.

It’s not easy to forgo items that provide immediate gratification and provide you with a more comfortable lifestyle tomorrow. When getting a raise, it’s very easy to imagine what you could do with the extra money. Your options may include: investing it, saving it, and avoiding spending unless it is necessary.

To help you live comfortably when it comes time for retirement, consider an increase to your before or after-tax retirement accounts when you receive a raise to grow your wealth. This decision will help you ultimately gain additional financial security for your future.

Lifestyle inflation can be the enemy of wealth accumulation.

Aldrich Wealth helps clients protect and grow their financial assets for the future by helping them make smart financial decisions today. If you would like assistance in determining your retirement or financial planning needs, please reach out to us today!