The Know Daily - Wednesday 22 July 2026

_{Read in 4m 13s ∙ Listening to Myles Smith ∙}

After 40 years of dedicated conservation work, Australia's cute lil stripey marsupial, the numbat, is no longer classed as endangered 👏 The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) – the global authority on the conservation status of wildlife – has removed it from its endangered list after its population rebounded from ~300 in the late 1970s to ~3,000 today.

💸 Lifestyle creep

It’s that moment when you finally get a pay rise, only to realise a few months later that your spending seems to have quietly grown alongside it.

Tell me more.
Lifestyle creep is what happens when your spending rises as your income does. Maybe you start ordering takeaway a little more often, upgrade your phone, buy slightly nicer clothes or say yes to more things with friends. None of these choices are necessarily a problem – in fact, being able to enjoy a higher income is one of the reasons people work towards earning more. Lifestyle creep is simply the idea that our idea of “normal” can change as our circumstances do.

Why does it happen?
A higher income can give you more room to spend, but it can also make previously expensive things feel more affordable. A coffee here, a subscription there or an extra online order might not seem significant on its own, but over time enough small changes can become part of your regular routine. As The Cut reports, shopping has also become increasingly woven into everyday life, with social media, entertainment and online retail all happening in the same place.

So, is it generally a bad thing?
Nope. Lifestyle creep can also mean being able to do things you couldn't afford before: going on holiday, eating out more, moving somewhere you like or spending more on hobbies. The question is less about whether your spending increases and more about whether your new spending reflects what you actually value. A pay rise doesn't have to mean saving every extra penny – but it also doesn't have to disappear without you noticing.

How do you manage it?
A useful approach is to decide what you actually want your extra income to do before it gets absorbed into everyday spending. A few things that might help:
🎯 Choose your upgrades. If you want to spend more, think about the things that genuinely make a difference to you.
🔍 Check in occasionally. Looking at your spending can help you spot where your money is going, without needing to track every single purchase.
💰 Give some extra money a purpose. Put it towards bigger goals like savings, a holiday, a house deposit, paying off debt or simply a ‘fun’ fund.
✨ Leave room for enjoyment. Managing your money doesn't have to mean cutting out every little treat. The point is to make sure your spending reflects the life you actually want to live.

🚕 A British flying taxi company is planning to launch passenger flights by 2029, with the UK government also exploring a military version of the aircraft.

• The bigger story: Vertical Aerospace has received a further £10m in government funding, taking total UK state investment in the project to £48m. The company says its electric aircraft could eventually offer quieter, zero-direct-emission flights, while a hybrid version with a longer range could have military uses. The aircraft still needs regulatory approval, but Vertical is aiming to begin carrying four passengers in its Valo aircraft in three years time.

💁‍♀️ A record number of women have been appointed for Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s cabinet, accounting for 50% of his top team.

🥾 Six countries are included in a new hiking trail that’s equivalent in length to climbing Everest nine times. Note to self: pack lots of socks!

🚬 Spain has banned smoking on terraces and beaches as part of a wider strategy to reduce tobacco consumption.

🦢 AI-generated animal footage is altering how we see wildlife, researchers have said as they call for tighter regulations on AI content. 

🌘 A solar eclipse – when the moon covers the sun – is due to take place soon. These are the best spots in the UK to view it.

☕ We found an adaptogenic coffee brand worth knowing – and they’re offering The Know readers 20% off. Better-for-your-brain coffee? Yes, please. Use code THEKNOW when you check out.

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Trivia answer: B) There’s been record output from this renewable energy source for two consecutive months this year as Europe steps up its climate action efforts.

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