Stop blaming your lifestyle: CA points out how with just one change you will be able to save Rs 92 lakh

We often blame luxury cars, fancy holidays, and weekend splurges for draining our savings, but the real culprit might be something else entirely — our short-term mindset. As CA Abhishek Walia, founder of Zactor, pointed out on LinkedIn, most people lose money not because they spend too much, but because they start too late, stop too soon, or expect instant results. The tendency to delay investments, skip SIPs when the month feels tight, or panic-sell when markets dip quietly kills the magic of compounding.

Walia shared how a simple delay can make a massive difference. By giving an example, he wrote that investing Rs 10,000 every month for 20 years at 12% can grow to about Rs 92 lakh. But waiting for five years to start would mean that the number drops to Rs 47.5 lakh, and you lose Rs 45 lakh. Those few “I’ll start next month” moments could end up costing nearly half your future wealth. His message is clear — doing nothing can be the costliest mistake of all.

Apart from doing nothing, inconsistency can also slow you down on your journey to achieve financial freedom.

Building wealth isn’t about chasing quick returns; it’s about showing up consistently. And according to CA Nitin Kaushik, that consistency begins with structure. He suggests applying the 50-30-20 rule — 50% of income for needs, 30% for wants, and 20% for savings and investments. It’s a simple but powerful framework to build money discipline.