Living standards and expenses tend to creep up incrementally over time. I used to think $800 rent was expensive and then $1200 and then mortgages or $1,300 and $2,200 and $4,500 later moneys just become something that you keep multiplying and homes something that you upsize or obtain more of and rent out to create a retirement fund. If need be I could live off 40k, as long as I didn’t have any of these large mortgages of course. Would just take readjusting my life style but not all that long ago I was making $35,000 salary and $52,000 salary basically enough to live without nice vacations or beautiful homes... I don’t do cars, quickly depreciating assets are for dummies