<prompt> Human: Im in a higher COL area and my current apartment costs 1700month. Ive been living here for 3 years and moved in when I was at a much lower income. Its a very tiny studio with minimal amenities. I also sleep next to a loud refrigerator that sometimes wakes me up at night. Ive always told myself Ill put up with it until my income gets better.After a couple of leaps in my career, Im now making 150k salary. Ive been eyeing some newly built apartments that go for 2300-2500month. They have a large kitchen, dishwasher, in-unit washerdryer, and I will finally have a separate bedroom! The cheaper apartments in my area are older and usually wont have these amenities. I dont go out much, so I spend most of my weekends at home playing video games, watching shows, or cooking. So I feel like having a nicer apartment would be a huge upgrade to my comfort and happiness.Based on the 30 income ratio, I should be able to afford up to a 3750month apartment although this feels ridiculous. Im maxing out my 401k contribution and currently save an additional 2k post-tax each month. I also have 250k in savings. But I know about lifestyle creep and just have trouble justifying spending an extra 600-800month on just rent. I likely would still be able to maintain my savings even with the additional rent costs maybe have to pull back on the post-tax savings a little bit. But the other side of me also rationalizes that Ive been living here for 3 years - cant I just continue doing what Ive been doing?x200B;What should I do, Reddit?? Is this a justifiable lifestyle creep??  <response>: Its not just rent that youd be spending money on. To me, it sounds like a good investment in your health and happiness. Youll sleep better, which will improve your long-term overall health. Youll be more content hanging out in your nicer place, etc. Youll probably be more likely to have friends over. Be prepared for an initial outlay of cash to furnish all this new space. Do it slowly, dont rush out and buy a whole apartment full of crappy cheap stuff. Theres very high quality furniture available at thrift shops, garage sales, and even freecycle. I suggest getting the basics in place, and then live there to see what else you really needwant. Youll probably needwant another tv right away, so add that to your budget, too. 