Lifestyle Inflation Detector
Enter spending and income then and now to see the drift.
Spending growth above inflation
β
Enter values above
Spending growth
β
Income growth
β
Savings rate then
β
Savings rate now
β
Extra spending per month
β
Worked example
With the default inputs shown below, this calculator returns the following results:
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Monthly spending then ($) | 3000 |
| Monthly spending now ($) | 4200 |
| Monthly income then ($) | 5000 |
| Monthly income now ($) | 6500 |
| CPI inflation over the period (%) | 12 |
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Spending growth above inflation | 28.00% |
| Spending growth | 40.00% |
| Income growth | 30.00% |
| Savings rate then | 40.00% |
| Savings rate now | 35.38% |
| Extra spending per month | $840.00 |
Values shown are produced by this page in your browser; change any input to update them.
How to use the Lifestyle Inflation Detector
- Monthly spending then ($) β default 3000
- Monthly spending now ($) β default 4200
- Monthly income then ($) β default 5000
- Monthly income now ($) β default 6500
- CPI inflation over the period (%) β default 12
- Press Calculate to update the results instantly.
Frequently asked questions
The tendency for spending to rise with income, so that a pay rise disappears into a bigger flat, a newer car or more eating out rather than into savings.
No. Spending should rise with inflation, and some quality-of-life upgrades are the point of earning more. The problem is when spending grows faster than income.
At least 15β20% of income for a comfortable retirement, and much higher if you want to retire early. The key signal is whether the rate is rising or falling over time.