A woman on a $100k-a-year salary says she's had to "downgrade" her lifestyle due to the cost-of-living crisis - by giving up the gym and forgoing meals out. "

Natalie Fischer, 25, and her husband, Keldon, 30, both worked in the tech industry and each earn six-figure salaries - with a combined $200k between them.

As the pair started to earn more money Natalie says they experienced "lifestyle creep" - where they would increase their spending in line with their increased salaries."

They would eat out more with friends and go on luxury holidays to Rome, Mexico and Alaska.

The pair used to have outgoings of $2,378 for their modest two-bed apartment in Seattle, Washington, US, and would spend $1,163 on bills, $200 on groceries, $300 on eating out - totalling a $4,000 average spend each month.

In August 2023, Natalie and Keldon got married after saving $20k for their special day - prompting them to continue being careful with their spending in 2024.

In a bid to curb their spending, the pair have cancelled their $208 gym memberships, Natalie has stopped getting monthly manicures and pedicures which would set her back $100 and they will only go out for food once a week.

Natalie, 25, a content creator, from Seattle, Washington, US, said: "I consider me and my husband to be middle class."

"We live in the greater Seattle area and we both had nine to five jobs in the tech industry."

"We're both earning over $100k and as we started to earn more money we treated ourselves a lot more."

"A big reason we have decided to downgrade our lifestyle is because we didn't know where our money was going."

As the couple's salaries increased, they experienced what they called "lifestyle creep" - where they wouldn't think twice about spending more because they were able to. "

Natalie said: "Just five years ago we were broke college students."

"As we started to earn more money we treated ourselves more."

"We weren't too concerned about spending money going out, getting my hair done or going travelling."

The pair would each spend $208-a-month each on gym memberships and they would eat out two to three times a week - at $60 a pop on average each time.

Natalie would also get a manicure and pedicure once a month - costing $100 every time.

After spending $20k on their wedding, the couple realised they needed to start saving and have decided to downgrade their lifestyle.

Natalie said: "Last year was a bit of an anomaly for us - me and my husband got married which cost a lot of money."

"We travelled a lot and we did a lot of general spending so we didn't put as much away on savings."

"We are trying to cut back on these unessential expenses."

Natalie and Keldon are trying to save $200 each and want to use their savings for a travel fund to visit Guam, Philippines and Japan.

Since the start of 2024, the couple have not eaten out once and cooked more at home.

They have cancelled their gym membership and decided to start running and will cancel credit cards with annual fees.

Natalie said: "I noticed it was getting very hard to track how much we were spending when we would go out."

"I was living beyond my needs."

"I want to greatly increase the savings we have and I feel like we spend way too much so I am trying to balance it this year."

"I know we have experienced lifestyle creep - that is a big reason to why I wanted to downgrade my lifestyle and track where every dollar is going."

The couple's monthly spending in 2023
- Mortgage: $2,378
- Bills: $1,163
- Gym membership: $416
- Food: $524
-Eating out: $300
- Clothes shopping: $430
- Socialising: $105
- Savings: $0
Total: $4,601

The couple's monthly spend aims for 2024
-

Mortgage: $2,378
- Bills: $753
- Gym membership: $0
- Food: $227
- Eating out: $0
- Clothes shopping: $10
- Socialising: $0
- Savings: $400
Total: $3,368

ENDS