I didn't notice lifestyle inflation happening. That's the thing — it never feels like a choice. It feels like a series of reasonable upgrades.

At 24: studio apartment, $800/month. At 26: one-bedroom, $1,200/month. At 28: nicer one-bedroom, $1,500/month. At 30: two-bedroom for when family visits, $1,900/month. My income went up 60% over that period. My housing costs went up 137%. I could have kept living in a $1,200 apartment at 30 and invested the difference. Instead I have a nicer couch.

This isn't a call to never enjoy your income. It's a reminder to be intentional about it. The upgrades that make you genuinely happier are worth pursuing. The ones you barely notice a week after making them probably aren't.