For a long time, I thought a higher income would fix my relationship with money. When my income went up, so did my expenses. I didn’t automatically become more careful just because I had more.
That doesn’t mean income isn’t important. When your income isn’t enough to cover basic needs, the problem is very real. But I’ve seen from my own experience that a higher income and better money management aren’t the same thing.
You can earn a thousand euros or three thousand and still have expenses you don’t track. The difference in income is significant; the habit of not knowing where your money is going can remain the same.
That’s why the more important question for me is what I do with what I earn: what I spend, what I can save, and what commitments I take on. This shows up in actual expenses and decisions, not in promises that I’ll be more responsible once I have more.
A higher salary can expand my opportunities, but to take advantage of them I need to understand my own expenses.
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