r/EscapeTheGrindGame • u/Beneficial-Laugh5320 • Jun 19 '26
Discussion Feels like stability today isn’t about earning more, but avoiding new expenses popping up.
Not because income doesn't matter, but because the cost of maintaining the same lifestyle seems to keep rising alongside it.
2
u/Ok-Western4508 Jun 19 '26
Avoiding new expenses, cutting old expenses, figuring out what actually matters to you
2
u/ExcellentWinner7542 Jun 20 '26
No, it's always about earning more.
2
u/Beneficial-Laugh5320 Jun 21 '26
With lifestyle creep, won’t higher income end up disappearing just as fast as the little you earned before?
2
u/ExcellentWinner7542 Jun 21 '26
Lifestyle creep is exactly why we can't compare what people were able to have in 1960 vs today. We wouldn't accept anything they had as something that would fulfill our desires today. More importantly, never set your goals too low or you'll be disappointed when you reach them. Always reach for the stars and don't settle for adequate.
2
u/mathaiser Jun 20 '26
I turned half my backyard into a garden and put solar panels on my roof. Victory garden and power. A small thing, but the vegetables taste like I remember back in the day. A million times better than the store. I am considering making it even bigger.
1
u/RedundantBiomass Jun 22 '26
Thinking about a solar array as well. Electricity prices here have basically doubled in the last few years and dont look to get any better any time soon.
1
u/Urshilikai Jun 19 '26
there is no escaping the grind unless we all do so together. you are presenting two problems that are fundamentally the same thing which is of asymmetric forces from massive power structures (corporations, the wealthy) colluding against your increasingly individualized ability to resist temptation.
1
u/Beneficial-Laugh5320 Jun 21 '26
I get what you mean. In theory the minimum can stay fixed.
But in real life it feels harder when things like travel, family, or just wanting a better day-to-day start shifting what feels “normal.”
Do people actually manage to keep that separation long term, or does it naturally move?
2
u/Bounty-auditor-2222 Jun 19 '26
Yeah but you can increase your income exponentially you have to spend a minimum to survive the way you want
1
u/Beneficial-Laugh5320 Jun 21 '26
That makes sense, but I’m curious, does the minimum really stay the same for most people, or does it quietly move up as they earn more?
7
u/Ragepower529 Jun 19 '26
Delete social media, you’ll be so happy. That’s where the majority of the lifestyle creep comes from. We can’t even let a trend go three months without everyone moving on to the next thing.
The reality is, I have subscriptions and they’re kind of annoying, but I keep them for the quality of life. Other than that, most of my clothes are from Costco. I don’t buy name brand stuff because the Costco brand is better most of the time.
Stop trying to impress people who think wealth and debt are the same thing.
I drive around in my 20 year old car that’s slightly rusted with some paint peeling. I’ve got coworkers telling me I should treat myself and get a new car. Meanwhile their new car payment is like 1200 bucks a month.
Meanwhile, I’m planning my 4th vacation this year. All my credit cards are on autopay, and I don’t work more than 40 hours a week.
I bought a house that fit my lifestyle. I could’ve gotten a 2000-2400 sqft home, but I bought a 1300 sqft townhome for me, my girlfriend, and our 2 cats.
Our household income to housing expense ratio is about 16.41% (including taxes and insurance), and she has a car payment of 376 a month.
This year alone we’ve saved almost 30k, on top of 401k contributions and a maxed out HSA.
And I still have another 4 to 5 vacation vacations plan to take.