It’s remarkably easy to have your expenses slowly creep upward in our society. Especially as prices constantly go up in the name of “inflation”.

While “the system” is absolutely at fault for this, lifestyle creep — and changing finances — is very real.

For example, if you can almost afford a house, and your rental is modest, you’re probably not spending all of your take-home. But if you make just a little bit more it might make financial sense to buy a house, stretching your budget to the max. Short term this really hurts, but long term may end up being a savvy decision.

Opting for a hefty mortgage can be risky, but can also pay off in the long run — especially in a place like California where property taxes are basically fixed at time of purchase.