Tuesday, 22 Apr 2008
Over the past few months, I’ve noticed that I’ve started succumbing to what some call ‘lifestyle creep’. My finances are on auto-pilot and doing well so I’ve stopped paying attention. I don’t always take the time to search for a frugal solution and I’ve started spending money on things I previously haven’t.
As of late, I’ve been valuing my time much more than money (and not necessarily wrongly). I was on travel last week and got home late Thursday evening. I was off on Friday and the last thing I wanted to do was clean house. So I didn’t. I paid a housekeeper to come in and do so. I’m also seriously considering having someone come in once a month to clean. Sure, I could do it myself but I really don’t want to and why else do I work if not to have the freedom to decide how to spend my time and energy?
So while, lifestyle creep is always a bad thing, it’s something to be aware of. The key is making well-thought out decisions and not just spending blindly. So while I’m going to keep the housekeeper, I will be sure to plan/shop better in order to avoid buying takeout (an increasing and undesirable trend) instead of preparing food at home.
Have you noticed that you spent more once you got to a comfortable financial place?
April 24th, 2008 at 6:05 pm
Well, I wouldn’t say that I’m in a comfortable financial place, but sometimes you feel like you work everyday, you should enjoy the fruits of your labor. But what makes you more savvy than the rest, is that you know when to say when. Other people turn lifestyle creeps into a way of being.
You should definitely enjoy the fruits of your labor but the key is to do so in moderation. I like to say - you CAN have everything you want, just not all at once.
April 24th, 2008 at 9:45 pm
Heck, I’ve spent when I wasn’t in a comfortable financial place! LOL! As far as using a housekeeper, my wife has been acting the role although she’s out of work due to a back injury. She does a little each day, which does save us $$. Most recently she cleaned our long cluttered laundry room. She calls it her therapy.
But yes, it was lifestyle creep that I believe causes us to go little by little into a deep hole of debt over time. Today I’m trying to keep an eye on that.
Thanks for visiting! It’s great that you’re keeping an eye on the lifestyle creep now. I believe it’s something that we’re all susceptible to. But like GI Joe says, knowing is half the battle