<prompt> Human: I just got my Real Estate brokers license in June of 2012 and things have been going amazingly well. Im 26 and going from living with 3 roommates, making 4600month to looking for my own place and making 20-22kmonth. Im used to living frugally, I still eat Top Ramen for two or three meals a week... the problem is that now Im constantly getting the urge to blow my money on a new computer, a new TV, new guitars etc etc... Any tips on controlling lifestyle inflation? Im probably going to go a little over and drop 1600month on a nice place to live but in Seattle, thats not too bad.  <response>: Wow, youre making a lot of money, so congratulations! With a high income like that, you shouldnt have to eat ramen all the time, or feel terrible buying new products that appeal to you. However, they should fit into a monthly budget that you are able to successfully live within.That way, when youre looking to buy a new computer you can determine if youve recently spent a bunch of money on shopping, or if this is a purchase you actually want to make. Mint and YNAB are both solid budgeting tools.In terms of monthly spending: as you know better than me, real estate is a highly cyclical job. Plenty of agents who made hundreds of thousands in 2006 made very little in 2008. So you should plan for a budget based on a running average of yearly salaries over the past few years, and put your extra income into a savings account that you dont plan on touching; that way, when the next housing bust comes, youll be prepared. More so than most jobs, youll need a solid emergency fund since your income is highly dependent on a healthy economy. 