Expenses increasing on par with wages, but without increased satisfaction.
”Lifestyle Creep” refers to the slow-but-sure sliding expectations for normal/acceptable over time as you gain increasing means. The net result of this is that your proclivity to spend matches pace with your increased ability to earn wages. Thanks to Hedonic Adaptation (Hedonic Treadmill) you also don’t appreciate the new standard of living. Ultimately, you never build up a net worth, and never get any more “satisfied”.
Avoiding Lifestyle Creep is financial advice often heard from the FIRE crowd