May 1, 2026
Simone Biles might be the most decorated gymnast of all time, but even those gold medals didn't prepare her for a $22,000 bill. Her recent TikTok (1) went viral after revealing her tab for hair, makeup, and styling at a recent red carpet event. The grand total: $22,000. "If that's the new norm, y'all can have it," she said. "Y'all will never see me at another event."
Biles said she understood "prices these days have gone up," but asked other influencers and athletes for their input in the comments. "I just need to know if this is normal," she said.
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Her candid reaction cut through because it touched on something many high earners quietly wrestle with: the creeping sense that their "new normal" has become very, very expensive. This is lifestyle creep in action, and it can be hard for people to talk about without feeling guilty.
Lifestyle creep can keep you feeling trapped, even when your salary goes up
Lifestyle creep, also called lifestyle inflation, is what happens when your spending rises alongside your income — often without a conscious decision to spend more. A promotion leads to a nicer apartment, a bonus funds a new car, or maybe that side hustle money disappears into a new streaming service and dining out.
The numbers back this up: in 2024, 32% of adults said their monthly income increased from the prior year, while a higher 37% said their spending increased over the same period (2), according to a Federal Reserve survey. This was the third consecutive year that spending outpaced income growth.
The savings rates tell a similar story. In March of 2026, Americans had an average personal savings rate of 3.6%, compared to 5.1% in January 2025. (3) And here's the counterintuitive part: higher earners aren't immune to this trend. Nearly one in three six-figure earners (4) say they're stretched, struggling or drowning financially — a sign that higher income doesn't guarantee insulation from rising prices.
Simone Biles is worth an estimated $25 million (5), yet she still felt the sting of an unexpected bill. That's the thing about lifestyle creep—your sense of 'normal' expands with your income. Even if you have the assets of a world-class athlete, it's worth asking whether what you're spending makes sense.
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How to avoid the lifestyle creep — even if you don't earn six figures
"Arrested Development" fans likely remember Jessica Walter's iconic line: "It's one banana, Michael, how much could it cost? 10 dollars?" While humorous, that line highlights exactly how lifestyle creep gets the better of us. While there's nothing wrong with small rewards as your income increases, it's important to be intentional about where your money goes.
Here's how to keep lifestyle creep in check:
- Decide on a 'raise rule': When your income goes up, decide in advance how much you'll save and how much you'll spend — say 50% towards lifestyle and 50% to savings.
- Pay attention to fixed costs: It's not the one-time splurges that get you into trouble — it's the ongoing costs like subscription food services, car payments or monthly rent that contribute the most to lifestyle creep.
- Look for hidden fixed costs: Not all fixed costs are obvious at first. For example, if you buy a nicer car outright, you won't have a car payment, but you may find your insurance goes up. Moving to a nicer neighborhood might come with additional parking fees or higher property taxes. Those can add up over time.
- Save the majority of windfalls: Bonuses, inheritances, tax refunds, and other one-time payments won't last forever. Plan to save most of those, so you don't end up with fixed costs you can't actually afford.
- Run an audit: If you think lifestyle creep is already impacting your financial life, compare a few months of bank and credit card statements from this year to before your income rose. Make sure that if you're paying more, it's in areas that feel valuable.
Biles ended her TikTok saying she'd keep herself "right here where it's free." That's probably not a realistic long-term plan for her — or for most of us. But the instinct is worth paying attention to: it's important to occasionally stop and look at where your money is going. While it's okay to spend more on things that matter to you, make sure you aren't wasting funds on things that aren't important.
Article Sources
We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our ethics and guidelines.
TikTok (1); U.S. Federal Reserve (2); U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (3); The Harris Poll (4); Celebrity Net Worth (5)
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Danielle is a personal finance writer whose work has appeared in publications including Motley Fool and Business Insider. She believes financial literacy key to helping people build a life they love. She’s especially passionate about helping families and kids learn smart money habits early.
