Your expenses will rise to meet the level of your income.

A very smart man once told me that your expenses will rise to meet the level of your income.  I thought he had no self control but he was right.

I had just started a new job with a big increase in salary.  I got there and there was another person doing the same thing but he had gotten there a couple of months earlier.   We were talking about the job and how much better things were given how much more money we were making and he provide this insight.

I thoughtI am married and have children and he is a bachelor.  He is just out parting all of the time.  But after a few months I noticed that my spending was rising to my income.   It just snuck in there without me noticing..  I became more comfortable with my finances so I was not watching them as close.

the moral of the story:  The more comfortable you are with where you are at, the more effort you have to put into watching things.  Complacency sneaks up on you.