'How to Be a Millionaire?'
How to Be a Millionaire ?
(In 2005 Currency)
If you live in a hostel, you’ve probably noticed a glitch in the Matrix. Freshmen year, my ten-rupee note was a VIP pass. It could buy me a samosa, a cup of chai, and still leave me with enough change to feel like a minor landlord. Fast forward to now, and that same ten-rupee note barely gets me the "vibes" of a samosa. The potato filling is gone, the crust is thinner, and the chai cup has shrunk to the size of a thimble.
Welcome to adulthood, where your money doesn't just sit in your wallet, it slowly evaporates.
We all have that one favorite shop outside the university gate. Two years ago, the "Special Maggi" was loaded with veggies and cheese. Today? It looks like the veggies went on an unannounced strike. The price hasn't changed, but the "soul" of the Maggi has left the building.
In the world of grown-ups, they call this staying "competitive," but in our world, it’s just heartbreaking. It’s the universe’s way of telling you that the value of your savings isn't about the number printed on the bill; it’s about how much "stuff" that bill can actually bring into your life. If you’ve been saving 500 rupees under your mattress since 2005, congratulations you haven't saved a fortune; you’ve just watched your purchasing power go on a crash diet.
It’s not just us students. Watch the elders in your family during wedding season. My aunt used to talk about buying gold like she was picking up groceries. Now, every time the gold rates are mentioned on the news, the collective gasp in the living room is louder than a pressure cooker whistle.
Whether it's the price of a liter of petrol for your scooty or the skyrocketing cost of a decent silk saree, the message is clear: Everything is running a marathon, and your cash is trying to keep up in flip-flops. If you aren't growing your money faster than the grocery store is raising its prices, you’re technically moving backward while standing still.
Even our hostel life isn't safe. Remember when "going out for a treat" meant a decent meal and a movie? Now, a "treat" is basically a coffee and a shared plate of fries because your monthly budget decided to give up by the 15th of the month.
Society tells us to "save for a rainy day," but they forget to mention that the price of umbrellas is going up every time it clouds over. This is why just saving is the old-school way. The new-school way? Making sure your money is out there working a second job (through investments) so it can afford the expensive umbrellas of the future.
So, what’s the move? Do we cry over our hollow samosas? Not quite.
Welcome to adulthood, where your money doesn't just sit in your wallet, it slowly evaporates.
We all have that one favorite shop outside the university gate. Two years ago, the "Special Maggi" was loaded with veggies and cheese. Today? It looks like the veggies went on an unannounced strike. The price hasn't changed, but the "soul" of the Maggi has left the building.
In the world of grown-ups, they call this staying "competitive," but in our world, it’s just heartbreaking. It’s the universe’s way of telling you that the value of your savings isn't about the number printed on the bill; it’s about how much "stuff" that bill can actually bring into your life. If you’ve been saving 500 rupees under your mattress since 2005, congratulations you haven't saved a fortune; you’ve just watched your purchasing power go on a crash diet.
It’s not just us students. Watch the elders in your family during wedding season. My aunt used to talk about buying gold like she was picking up groceries. Now, every time the gold rates are mentioned on the news, the collective gasp in the living room is louder than a pressure cooker whistle.
Whether it's the price of a liter of petrol for your scooty or the skyrocketing cost of a decent silk saree, the message is clear: Everything is running a marathon, and your cash is trying to keep up in flip-flops. If you aren't growing your money faster than the grocery store is raising its prices, you’re technically moving backward while standing still.
Even our hostel life isn't safe. Remember when "going out for a treat" meant a decent meal and a movie? Now, a "treat" is basically a coffee and a shared plate of fries because your monthly budget decided to give up by the 15th of the month.
Society tells us to "save for a rainy day," but they forget to mention that the price of umbrellas is going up every time it clouds over. This is why just saving is the old-school way. The new-school way? Making sure your money is out there working a second job (through investments) so it can afford the expensive umbrellas of the future.
So, what’s the move? Do we cry over our hollow samosas? Not quite.
The trick to adulting is realizing that cash is a "melting ice cube." If you just hold it, it disappears. But if you use that water to grow a plant (or a portfolio), you might actually have something to show for it.
Next time you see a price tag that makes your eyes water, don’t just blame the shopkeeper. Understand that the world is getting more expensive by design. The only way to win is to make sure your financial growth has more "hustle" than the market’s prices.
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