“When I earn more money, things are going to change,” a friend from college told me last night. “I’m going to start investing every cent of my raise. Right now, I just don’t have the spare change.”

At first, I didn’t know how to respond. Have you ever noticed that as your income increases, so does your spending? Her spending has skyrocketed since her penny-pinching days of college because now she has more money. When she earns a raise, I’m guessing her spending will grow even further, and her savings and investing will never begin. Restraining your spending while your income keeps increasing is nearly impossible.

Therefore, as you set sail in the world of salary increases or a spouse entering the workforce, keep yourself on course with your spending.

1. 1. The phenomenal growth in your salary during your 20’s cannot continue to expand forever. Income dramatically increases only during the first years of a career.
2. 2. Use these years to establish a launch pad of financial security. You’ll sleep a lot better in your 30’s if you challenge every dime the way you did before the big raise. Set a budget and allocate your dollars before the spouse gets a job or you get a raise and the money multiplies. Be strict with yourself.