[atwebb]

In your experience, do people really inflate lifestyles like that? Doesn't 5 years at a high income level less mean "more stuff" and more mean "you can save to never work again".

You need to earn 500k for a handful of years, save vigorously, and you're done. Am I missing something?

I have seen both sides up close so I guess it's more a rhetorical question, but it's not pretty when you didn't save that 300k and approach retirement in a changing job market...

[MuffinFlavored]

> You need to earn 500k for a handful of years, save vigorously, and you're done. Am I missing something?

How many people make $500k/yr, but live like they make $80k/yr?

Lifestyle inflation is a real thing. Even if you aren't just accumulating junk, you aren't going to live in a bad neighborhood if you don't have to, right? Might want to start buying organic food, might want to drive a nicer car and wear nicer clothes?

The richer you get, the definition of "nicer" changes.

[granshaw]

I think often its both that wealth changes people, and its often a certain kind of personality that seeks and succeeds in obtaining high-powered, high-income positions.