We just finished our first year of “slomadic” living, trying out different parts of the country and different styles of life with urban living in Omaha, Nebraska and beachside living in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. One of the lessons we have learned has been to be careful about making long-term decisions based on things that feel amazing in the short term but quickly become routine.

The ChooseFI community talks a lot about “hedonic adaptation” as one of the biggest hidden obstacles to financial independence. The basic idea is that people quickly adjust to improvements in lifestyle, income, possessions, or comfort. What initially feels luxurious slowly becomes normal, and the emotional boost fades much faster than the bill.

That idea connects directly to lifestyle inflation. As income rises, spending tends to quietly rise along with it. Bigger houses, newer cars, nicer hotels, upgraded neighborhoods, subscriptions, dining out, and premium experiences all start to feel justified because they are now “affordable.” The danger is that expenses expand just as fast as earnings, delaying financial independence indefinitely.

For most of our journey toward FI, Katie and I worked hard to avoid that trap. We tried to frame spending decisions around buying freedom instead of accumulating “stuff.” We were never particularly interested in keeping up with the Joneses, and we scratched our itch for luxury experiences without permanently inflating our lifestyle was through travel hacking using points and miles rather than higher spending.

It gets tougher in a nomadic life, though.  Instead of making one decision to buy a cheer house and then benefiting for years, every relocation gives us another opportunity to overspend.  So our challenge keeps resetting itself every time we move.

When you arrive somewhere new, it is very easy to convince yourself that certain upgrades are absolutely worth it. A slightly nicer neighborhood. A better beach view. A more walkable location. A premium gym. Better weather. More restaurants nearby. And honestly, some of those things really do improve quality of life.

The problem is that emotional adaptation happens quickly.

The ocean view that feels magical the first week may become the thing you barely notice while washing dishes. The rooftop lounge becomes background scenery. The upgraded apartment starts to feel normal instead of special. Financially, that matters because recurring lifestyle costs persist while emotional returns decay.

That does not mean upgrades are bad. Some improvements absolutely create durable satisfaction. Better health, lower stress, walkability, proximity to friends, and environments that align with your values can all be worth paying for. The key lesson for us has simply been to become more intentional about distinguishing between upgrades that create lasting value and upgrades that mainly create temporary excitement.

I think this becomes especially important in retirement and FI planning because permanent fixed expenses compound risk over time. Things like second homes, timeshares, boats, RVs, luxury neighborhoods, and high-maintenance lifestyles may sound exciting initially, but they also create ongoing financial obligations long after the novelty wears off.

Ironically, one of the things we are learning is that flexibility often produces more happiness than permanent escalation.

Temporary access to desirable experiences can outperform ownership both financially and psychologically. Spending a few months living near the beach may deliver much of the same joy as owning beachfront property, but without the taxes, insurance, maintenance, and long-term commitment. Visiting interesting places, rather than permanently upgrading every aspect of life, may actually preserve more appreciation and excitement over time.

At least for me, that has been one of the biggest lessons from year one. Sometimes the sweet spot is not maximizing luxury. It is creating enough flexibility that life continues to feel interesting before adaptation quietly turns everything back into normal