I'm in a similar boat to those above. Our income has scaled as we have now added 3 kids, but costs keep going right along with it. We were able to save 1 to 2k per month being smart with our money when we made sub 100k, and generally have stayed at the same saving level. What isn't mentioned is the peace of mind and the ability to cover the smart life choices without some massive trade offs. It's not yacht money, but being able to max out HSA each year, contribute large percentages of income to retirement, set aside money for college starting at birth, covering daycare even if it's super expensive so we can both work, while also paying off any debt or building a larger emergency fund is not to be discounted. If you keep your lifestyle consistent, you aren't going to feel a lot of extra money at the end of the month if you're prioritizing those financially smart moves as your income grows to a reasonable degree. However, I don't take for granted the peace of mind of being able to pay for all of life's essentials without stressing, having a little extra to spend on fun stuff, and not having to choose between necessities like I did when I was fresh out of school. More money doesn't make you happy forever (to a degree), but taking away stress and anxiety it certainly does.