It’s easy for our lifestyles to expand as we get that raise or have an additional income source, but it is a lot more difficult to reverse course and downsize. Our society is used to immediate results and instant gratification but oftentimes when we have inflated our lifestyles beyond our means, we cannot take the easy way out. When we have to slow down or even backup, we easily lose momentum in reaching our financial goals. So being watchful that our lifestyles are manageable is key. As people increase their quality of life, they can inadvertently negatively impact this by the stress in maintaining the lifestyle you have expanded to.