Why Does Life Feel So Expensive Even When You're Doing Everything Right?

I don't know if it's just me getting older or if life has genuinely become harder over the last few years. The other day I was looking through my bank statement and realized something that bothered me. I'm earning significantly more than I was five years ago, yet I somehow feel more financially stressed than I did back then. When I started working, I had this idea that life would gradually become easier. You work hard, gain experience, earn more money, and eventually reach a point where you're not constantly worried about expenses. I wasn't expecting luxury. I just thought there would be some sense of stability. Instead, it feels like every salary increase gets absorbed almost immediately. Rent is higher. Groceries are more expensive. School fees have gone up. Medical expenses have gone up. Even simple things that never used to require much thought now feel like decisions that need planning. What confuses me is that, on paper, everything looks fine. I have a decent job. I pay my bills. My family is okay. If someone looked at my life from the outside, they'd probably assume I'm doing well. But internally, I feel like I'm constantly doing calculations. If something unexpected happens this month, will it affect my savings? Can I help my parents if they need financial support? Am I saving enough for the future? What happens if I lose my job? A few days ago, I was talking to a friend who earns what we would have considered an excellent salary ten years ago. He said something that has stayed with me since. He laughed and said, "I thought earning more money would solve my problems. Instead, the problems just became more expensive." That line hit me because it feels true for so many people. Almost everyone I know seems tired. Not because they don't want to work, but because they feel like they're working harder than ever without getting the sense of security they expected. The goalposts keep moving. The cost of living keeps rising. The future feels more uncertain than it used to. Maybe that's why so many people feel burnt out right now. It's not necessarily the work itself. It's the feeling that no matter how responsible you are, no matter how carefully you plan, stability always seems just a little further away than it should be. I don't want a luxury lifestyle. I don't need expensive things. I just want to feel confident that if an unexpected expense appears tomorrow, it won't completely throw me off balance. Some days it feels like financial peace of mind has become a luxury in itself. Am I the only one who feels this way?