From 2018 to the end of 2024, the cost of living has shot up by 36.8%. If you spent $50,000 a year in 2018, you’d need $68,400 today to maintain the same lifestyle. And if we narrow it down to just the last three years? Prices have risen by 21.3% since 2021—that’s a lot of extra cash just to keep up. So, while Congress debates, vetoes, and reintroduces plans that may or may not ever see the light of day, here’s how to take control of your own money, stretch your dollars further, and ensure you’re running your household better than DC runs the country.