Lifestyle Creep Trap | Matthew J. Filepp | Growing Money with Sean Trace

In this episode of Growing Money with Sean Trace, I sit down with Matthew Filepp, CFA, CFP®, founder of PB Wealth in Charlotte, North Carolina, to talk about what actually makes financial progress stick, especially for people who are busy, high-achieving, and still feel like their money disappears. 

We get into why fee-only, advice-only financial planning builds real trust, how lifestyle creep quietly turns higher income into long-term stress, and why “what you’re approved for” is not the same thing as “what you can afford” if you want freedom later. Matthew breaks down a simple money checklist, spend less than you earn, build an emergency reserve that fits your real life, and automate investing so you stop relying on willpower. I share my own stories, credit cards, profit-first buckets, pineapple cakes at 3 a.m., and even Muay Thai habit stacking, to show how money is basically the same as fitness, the basics work, but only if you do them consistently. 

If you want less anxiety, fewer money fights, and more control, this conversation is a practical reset on how to build your financial future by design, not by default.