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How Lifestyle Inflation Affects Car Choices
How lifestyle inflation affects car choices in the US—income rises but spending rises too; use affordability so you don't over-borrow.
AutoPremo Team
January 31, 2026
1 min read
Lifestyle inflation in the U.S.: income rises but spending rises too—so you may "afford" a more expensive car without actually having more room in your budget. Use autopremo.com affordability calculator and total cost of ownership. Use autopremo.com.
TL;DR Lifestyle inflation = spending rises with income—don't assume you can afford more car. Use autopremo.com affordability to see what you can afford; stick to that budget. Use autopremo.com.Use Affordability
Enter current income and expenses—use autopremo.com affordability calculator to see max payment and OTD. Don't stretch because income went up. Get your numbers at autopremo.com.
Bottom Line
Lifestyle inflation = don't assume more income = more car. Use autopremo.com affordability so you don't over-borrow.