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Young developer here. The "lifestyle inflation is evil" mantra never made sense to me. The definition I usually find is "living better than a college student o

Young developer here. The "lifestyle inflation is evil" mantra never made sense to me. The definition I usually find is "living better than a college student once you are a working professional," so apologies if you mean something different. I was raised to save 15% for retirement, to never carry a credit card balance, to build a 6 month emergency fund, etc. All of these priorities come first. But, after they are funded: I am in software in part because because I like it, but also because it enables the life I want: a decent apartment to myself, a decent car, some international travel, not having to agonize over small day-to-day purchases. I want these things much more than I want early retirement (which is not particularly useful if all I can do with it is sit in a low-cost-of-living-city home and eat Ramen). If you told me I'd be a broke college student forever, I'd probably go into theater. Why should we compromise parts of our life for more money, and then carry that money in our savings accounts perpetually? It really seems like you should either use the money in a way that's important to you, or optimize for free time instead. Silicon Valley as we imagine it might die, and I'm set to absorb a few months. I can't imagine the world will stop wanting code. And if it does, I can change careers like my parents both did in their 40s.

bcg1 11y ago
I don't think he's talking to you. If you are under 40 and are saving for retirement, have no debt, and have 6 months of expenses then you are lightyears ahead of most people in the US and you should call your parents and thank them for teaching you well. I think he's referring to how most people do it - carrying debt, little or no savings, paycheck to paycheck no mater how they make. And when they do get a raise, instead of putting the extra money towards getting on track financially, they just bump up their lifestyle so that they're always living right on the edge of what they can manage.
pc86 11y ago
bcg1 is right - I am largely referring to people very much like the example in the comment I replied to. Also when i think of "lifestyle inflation" it's more geared toward currently working professionals - folks who get a raise and their take-home increases by $800/mo so they go out and buy a car with a $700/mo payment attached to it - and less the transition from student to worker.
dikdik 11y ago
Yes, but you forget the protestant work ethic is strong in America. The more you suffer and the less money you make, the better of a person you are. Fucking-A hiring managers, no one is here to be "the salt of the earth", we're here for a paycheck and some mental stimulation.
beachstartup 11y ago
hn has an outspoken minority actively competing in the cheapskate olympics. everyone's circumstances are different, do what makes sense to you. there's always some penny pinching proselytizer trying to tell other people how to live. i find it better to focus on making more money.
- JimboOmega 11y ago
  My personal favorite are those people who are living in a rent controlled apartment that they split with a partner and pay $700 on. They say "$2k for an apartment? That's way too much! Why don't you move to [place]?" Honestly if you haven't rented an apartment in the last few years, you have no idea. You also have no idea how lucky you are to get that rent control subsidy.
- angelbob 11y ago
  Sure. You just have to be careful with the "make more money" mentality because it eventually leads you out of being a full-time software developer. You can go manager or freelancer, of course.
JimboOmega 11y ago
In San Francisco, anyway, having "a decent apartment to myself" and "a decent car" already seems like a huge extravagance. Median 1BR rent is $3,620, add $300/mo for parking and let's say $300/mo for a car lease, you're at $4,200ish before any sort of food, travel, etc. Even if you're making nominally $120k/year, you need a lot of frugality to make that work. I remember moving to SF and making ~$110k, and renting a ~$2500 studio in a mediocre part of town with no car (I got a motorcycle eventually) and it was difficult to save any money, even if I wasn't bankrupting myself.
- superuser2 11y ago
  There are Oakland studios with parking for closer to $2200.
svhoapres 11y ago
Plan on getting out of software ASAP as age discrimination is rampant in the business.

bcg1 11y ago

I don't think he's talking to you. If you are under 40 and are saving for retirement, have no debt, and have 6 months of expenses then you are lightyears ahead of most people in the US and you should call your parents and thank them for teaching you well. I think he's referring to how most people do it - carrying debt, little or no savings, paycheck to paycheck no mater how they make. And when they do get a raise, instead of putting the extra money towards getting on track financially, they just bump up their lifestyle so that they're always living right on the edge of what they can manage.

pc86 11y ago

bcg1 is right - I am largely referring to people very much like the example in the comment I replied to. Also when i think of "lifestyle inflation" it's more geared toward currently working professionals - folks who get a raise and their take-home increases by $800/mo so they go out and buy a car with a $700/mo payment attached to it - and less the transition from student to worker.

dikdik 11y ago

Yes, but you forget the protestant work ethic is strong in America. The more you suffer and the less money you make, the better of a person you are. Fucking-A hiring managers, no one is here to be "the salt of the earth", we're here for a paycheck and some mental stimulation.

beachstartup 11y ago

hn has an outspoken minority actively competing in the cheapskate olympics. everyone's circumstances are different, do what makes sense to you. there's always some penny pinching proselytizer trying to tell other people how to live. i find it better to focus on making more money.

JimboOmega 11y ago
My personal favorite are those people who are living in a rent controlled apartment that they split with a partner and pay $700 on. They say "$2k for an apartment? That's way too much! Why don't you move to [place]?" Honestly if you haven't rented an apartment in the last few years, you have no idea. You also have no idea how lucky you are to get that rent control subsidy.
angelbob 11y ago
Sure. You just have to be careful with the "make more money" mentality because it eventually leads you out of being a full-time software developer. You can go manager or freelancer, of course.

JimboOmega 11y ago

In San Francisco, anyway, having "a decent apartment to myself" and "a decent car" already seems like a huge extravagance. Median 1BR rent is $3,620, add $300/mo for parking and let's say $300/mo for a car lease, you're at $4,200ish before any sort of food, travel, etc. Even if you're making nominally $120k/year, you need a lot of frugality to make that work. I remember moving to SF and making ~$110k, and renting a ~$2500 studio in a mediocre part of town with no car (I got a motorcycle eventually) and it was difficult to save any money, even if I wasn't bankrupting myself.

superuser2 11y ago
There are Oakland studios with parking for closer to $2200.

svhoapres 11y ago

Plan on getting out of software ASAP as age discrimination is rampant in the business.