Most people think making more money automatically fixes their financial problems. But if your lifestyle grows as fast as your income, you’ll still feel broke, just at a higher level. These are the rules I follow to make sure raises and lifestyle changes actually improve my life instead of just increasing my expenses. 1. I increase savings before increasing spending. Any time my income goes up, the first move is more savings or investing. Not a nicer lifestyle. 2. I keep my fixed expenses stable.