how to fight lifestyle creep

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icfrugal1
Posts: 2952
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 12:54 am

how to fight lifestyle creep

Post by icfrugal1 »

http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-f ... eep-2017-6

I know that we KNOW this, but nice to see.

I love it, same house!!!!! , but in real life, we do the best that we can. :D

WE are in our first house, but a lot of that is laziness, I can't even think of moving, we will do what we can to stay here.

It's ours...it's paid for!!!! It's just fine!!!

IC
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MackerelCat
Posts: 7257
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2015 9:44 pm

Re: how to fight lifestyle creep

Post by MackerelCat »

We did not stay in our original house, but did sell it for 50% more than we paid for it. We took a loss on the second house, so our house karma balances out.

We're actually on our third house, but we always chose much less house than the bank said we could afford, and we consciously chose one we could live in easily after retirement.

However, we do the rest: same spouse, same car. We drive cars until they are worn slap out, around 13 years or 14 years. Our only lifestyle creep is that we do have a lot of pets. Three rescue dogs are not frugal, but we think they're worth it.
Mackie
SandiSAHM
Posts: 2263
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 11:46 am
Location: Oklahoma

Re: how to fight lifestyle creep

Post by SandiSAHM »

icfrugal1 wrote:http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-f ... eep-2017-6

I know that we KNOW this, but nice to see.

I love it, same house!!!!! , but in real life, we do the best that we can. :D

WE are in our first house, but a lot of that is laziness, I can't even think of moving, we will do what we can to stay here.

It's ours...it's paid for!!!! It's just fine!!!

IC
I think the advice is sound... for some. Had I stayed in my first house, I would have had no job, as it moved here. First spouse and I moved to accommodate work, I wound up finding much better work at second house. Third house wasn't my choice, first spouse had to have it.

When I got rid of first spouse (it was that or abject misery & no thanks, not for any cost), I had to get rid of his dream house, because it was a big old ugly payment sore, and I wound up with it in the divorce (I wish he'd at least have fought for the house & bought me out of it, but no...). Oh well.

Later, second spouse and I moved again - for his job. This latest move? Also for his (newer) job, to cut his commute from over 400 miles per week down to under 70.

Staying in one house, with one spouse, and one car... the one car part I can totally see if no one wrecks it... The rest of it limits, for today's employed, many many options. Potentially all options. These days you can't depend on one company for decades, there are few to no pensions programs left, 401(k) returns depend on the market... if you aren't willing to move in order to find better-paying work (or any work at all, if your company say, up and moves to China), so you can live better and save more, you could find yourself sitting in one big broke mess come retirement... IF you ever retire.
SandiSAHM
Posts: 2263
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 11:46 am
Location: Oklahoma

Re: how to fight lifestyle creep

Post by SandiSAHM »

MackerelCat wrote:We did not stay in our original house, but did sell it for 50% more than we paid for it.
Boy, yeah, I forgot that. On all but one of my previous five houses, I/we made a killing. Luck of the market & timing, though. Outside of exspouse's dream house, I've never bought huge or for anything near what we qualilfied to buy. Mortgage lenders are crazy.

Pets are a quality of life thing. Ours and theirs. :P
RecoveringDreamer
Posts: 346
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2015 10:00 pm

Re: how to fight lifestyle creep

Post by RecoveringDreamer »

Ooh. Much needed thoughts.

We are in a strange place. In a week and a half, I start a new job. This job will immediately pay much more than I've ever made before, eventually paying about 3x as much as I have usually made (And well over twice as much as we have ever made combined).

We are planning on some upgrades. First, we will get a new(er) car. Our current cars are 17 and 24 years old. My job is a 500-600 mile a week commute (later this year I'll be working 6 days a week) and for my first two years I can't miss/be late more than 5 days total. I need a more reliable car to be safe getting to work. Perhaps the next car will be new since I'll get a pretty steep discount through my work, and plan on driving it til it dies. We plan on buying a newer car which I'll commute with, have DH drive the 17 year old car and keep the 24 year old van as a backup. It was fine to have older/rougher cars when I worked in the city and worst case scenario could take a bus. Now I cannot.

The other upgrade is in housing. We love our current house, but hate the city. We plan to get a small farm near my job. That will shave around 300-350 miles/week off my commute. I've always wanted to get my own farm and will likely spend about twice what we paid for this house. However, this house was half of what we were approved for 5 years ago at 1/2 my starting pay.

Sorry for the ramble. I have just been discussing this with DH today. I'm very worried about falling into the trap of constantly "treating myself because I deserve it" and never getting ahead despite a huge increase in income, and recognizing that certain aspects of our lives aren't working and I need to upgrade.
A Life Beyond Money
Self Sufficiency. Simple Living. Frugality.

www.alifebeyondmoney.blogspot.com
BeckyO
Posts: 926
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 11:32 am

Re: how to fight lifestyle creep

Post by BeckyO »

Congratulations, Recovering. The new job is great news.After the new car , start socknig away some savings. You deserve it : )
BeckyO
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