u/Easy_Check8942

I'm curious if anyone else in India feels like this or if it's just me.

I 25 M started a business at 16. It did well for almost 9 years and supported me through college. Because the business was doing well, I never focused much on building corporate skills. I completed an MBA from a tier-3 college mostly because I wanted to have a degree.

Ironically, around the time I finished my MBA, the business started slowing down. Suddenly I found myself in a strange position. I had a degree that didn't seem to carry much value, very little corporate experience, and a business that wasn't growing the way it used to.

Through a referral, I somehow managed to land a remote job paying ₹65,000 per month. I'm grateful for it because without that referral, I honestly don't know where I'd be today.

The business years weren't wasted though. Even after helping my family and covering expenses, I've managed to save around ₹44 lakh in liquid assets. Living with parents.

On paper, I know that sounds decent.

But mentally, I feel worse than ever.

The future genuinely scares me.

I avoid loans as much as possible. My father has a home loan of around ₹15 lakh, and even that makes me anxious. Meanwhile, I see people taking ₹50 lakh, ₹1 crore, or even ₹2 crore home loans like it's normal.

People tell me I'm doing fine, but I don't feel fine.

I constantly think about:

- What if I lose my job?

- What if my savings aren't enough?

- What if inflation destroys the value of my money?

- What happens when marriage brings more responsibilities?

- What if a medical emergency wipes out years of savings?

I've even started thinking about qualifications like CFA, CMA, or other certifications because I keep wondering if my MBA and current job are enough for the long term.

The worst part is that I've stopped enjoying life.

Instead of looking forward to the future, I spend most of my time worrying about it. I overthink every financial decision. I feel guilty spending money. I keep chasing security, but I never actually feel secure.

I've even reached a point where I'm considering not having children because I genuinely don't know if I can afford the financial and emotional responsibility in today's economy.

So I'm curious:

What's your age, salary, and monthly expenses like?

How much savings do you have before you started feeling financially secure?

What are your future plans?

And most importantly, how do you deal with financial anxiety and the fear of the future?

I'd especially like to hear from people who weren't born into wealth, didn't go to IITs/IIMs, and had to build things on their own.

Is this anxiety normal, or am I worrying too much?

I’m 26 years old, an MBA (Finance and marketing) graduate from a tier-3 college (mostly did it just for the degree because our business was doing well earlier), and currently working in US healthcare operations/processes. I earn decent here. Got into job due to business was slowing down. Its a permanent WFH ROLE

I come from a non-commerce background (Humanities in school), so I don’t have strong accounting fundamentals.

Before this, I was involved in business/family business work, but honestly the business side has been slowing down and feels unstable long term.

Now I want to pivot into finance and build a more secure/professional career path. One big thing for me is having a respected professional qualification attached to my name and building long-term stability.

I’m confused between:

- Indian CMA

- US CMA

- CFA

A few concerns:

- Non-commerce + non-accounting background

- Working full time currently WFH

- Want decent ROI and employability

- Open to India or international opportunities eventually

Which option would realistically make the most sense in my situation? Especially from people who switched fields into finance later.

Would genuinely appreciate honest guidance.

26M, Tier 3 MBA graduate, currently working full-time (Non tech) and earning around 60k/month/WFH. I also help in my family FMCG wholesale business occasionally.

I’ve been thinking about pursuing CMA India, but I come from a non-commerce/non-accounting background, so I’m honestly confused whether it’s realistic for me or not.

A few things about my situation:

- No strong accounting base

- Working full-time already

- Financially stable, so I’m not doing this out of desperation

- Mainly looking for long-term career growth, finance/business knowledge, and a respected qualification

- I don’t want to leave my job for full-time studies

I wanted honest opinions from people already pursuing/completed CMA India:

1. Is starting CMA at 26 too late?

2. How difficult is it for someone without accounting background?

3. Is it manageable alongside a job?

4. How many hours did you study daily while working?

5. Did CMA actually help your salary/career growth?

6. Would you still recommend it in 2026 considering the time investment?

Would really appreciate practical advice instead of motivational answers. Thanks.

I’m 26, single, living with parents in a tier-3 city in India and working a WFH job with around ₹70k in-hand salary.

My parents are not financially dependent on me right now, so I always used to think:

“Why do people struggle to save so much?”

or

“How does a ₹1 lakh salary become less in metros?”

Then from May 13–29, I tracked literally every rupee I spent and honestly it shocked me.

Total spend: around ₹11k in just over 2 weeks.

Breakdown:

- Fuel: ~₹5.5k

- Fast food/eating out: ~₹1.9k

- Car expenses: ~₹1.2k

- Groceries/fruits (occasional family spend): ~₹1k

- Shopping: ~₹900

- Gifts etc: small amounts

And this is WITH:

- living at home

- no rent

- no wife/kids

- no major responsibilities

- parents handling most household expenses

The moment I started tracking, I automatically reduced unnecessary spending too. Before this I probably spent more without realizing.

Now I genuinely understand my father more.

He raised a family of 8, got me and my brother educated in good schools/college/postgrad, managed household expenses for years, and still built some assets. Salaries back then were much lower too.

I used to wonder why he didn’t have “huge savings,” but now I realize family life is basically death by a thousand small expenses.

Honestly, seeing my own numbers has made me slightly scared about marriage/future responsibilities because savings definitely take a hit once real life starts.

Would love to know from others:

- Age

- City

- Salary

- Monthly expenses

- How much you actually save/invest

- Single vs married difference

- Metro vs tier-2/tier-3 comparison

Especially curious how people earning ₹1L–₹2L in metro cities manage rent + lifestyle + savings.

Hey people,

I 26 M don’t know how many people go through this, but I really wanted to rant about myself for a bit.

I’ve made some really bad decisions in life, and now they’re starting to haunt me. Academically, I was never good, and my father wasn’t earning much either. So, while I was still in school, I started a small business at the age of 16, and it’s still running today. Somehow, I managed to save around 45–50 lakhs and even helped support a family of 8.

But now, the business has slowed down a lot. So I entered the corporate world and luckily got a work-from-home job through a referral. I also completed an MBA, but it’s from a tier-3 college. Honestly, I only did it for the sake of having a degree because I was focused on the business.

Now the problem is that if the business completely drops, I only have this job, which pays around 65k. On top of that, I don’t have strong academics, and my MBA is from a low-ranked college.

I kind of regret not studying seriously earlier, but now I genuinely want to work hard and improve my future.

I’m planning to prepare for government exams or professional courses like US CMA, but the timing feels terrible. My parents are also pressuring me for marriage, and I feel completely stuck.

Right now, I’m unable to make a clear decision about my future, and honestly, I’m scared.

I’d really appreciate any advice. Also, how are you all doing in life? Sometimes it feels like everyone else has things figured out except me.

People around me have big businesses and all.. i kinda get scared of the future how will i manage

Hey people,

I 26 M don’t know how many people go through this, but I really wanted to rant about myself for a bit.

I’ve made some really bad decisions in life, and now they’re starting to haunt me. Academically, I was never good, and my father wasn’t earning much either. So, while I was still in school, I started a small business at the age of 16, and it’s still running today. Somehow, I managed to save around 45–50 lakhs and even helped support a family of 8.

But now, the business has slowed down a lot. So I entered the corporate world and luckily got a work-from-home job through a referral. I also completed an MBA, but it’s from a tier-3 college. Honestly, I only did it for the sake of having a degree because I was focused on the business.

Now the problem is that if the business completely drops, I only have this job, which pays around 65k. On top of that, I don’t have strong academics, and my MBA is from a low-ranked college.

I kind of regret not studying seriously earlier, but now I genuinely want to work hard and improve my future.

I’m planning to prepare for government exams or professional courses like US CMA, but the timing feels terrible. My parents are also pressuring me for marriage, and I feel completely stuck.

Right now, I’m unable to make a clear decision about my future, and honestly, I’m scared.

I’d really appreciate any advice. Also, how are you all doing in life? Sometimes it feels like everyone else has things figured out except me.

People around me have big businesses and all.. i kinda get scared of the future how will i manage

I’m 26 years old and despite saving around ₹45 lakhs already, I constantly feel financially stressed

I come from a middle-class family background. We were never extremely rich, but thankfully my family is also not financially dependent on me. I have my own house and a car too, so on paper things look stable.

But mentally, I still feel stressed all the time. I live very frugally and keep postponing enjoyment because I’m constantly worried about the future.

The main reason here is my friends are very very rich.. and i have struggled to reach at this point.. but as i compare myself with my rich friends i always feel down.. because they have way too much generational wealth. Can travel internationally without thinking.. can study in top colleges abroad without even taking loans. And here i have plan every step..

What’s weird is that 3 years ago I only had around ₹8 lakhs, and at that time my dream was just to somehow reach ₹50 lakhs one day. Now I’m getting close to that number, but instead of feeling secure, I feel even more anxious.

I started a small business at 16. I was never great academically, but still completed BBA + MBA from a tier-3 college.

The business still makes some profit, but it wasn’t enough for the kind of financial security I wanted, so now I’m also doing a WFH corporate job.

The problem is:

I feel stuck in an endless loop.

- Constantly thinking about future risks

- Thinking about starting another business

- Thinking about upskilling for higher-paying jobs

- Regretting not studying harder earlier

- Feeling my degree limits my career growth because it’s from a lower-tier college

Even when I try to relax, my brain keeps thinking:

“What if income stops?”

“What if business fails?”

“What if I fall behind others?”

I barely enjoy the present because I’m always saving for some future disaster in my head.

Has anyone else gone through this phase where financially you’re doing okay on paper, but mentally you still feel behind and insecure?

Do other people here feel the same even after achieving goals they once dreamed of? How do you cope with this mindset and actually start enjoying life a little without feeling guilty or insecure about money?.

This is link to my post about 8 lakhs on reddit 3 years ago

Using a new account now deleted that due to some reasons earlier..

https://www.reddit.com/r/india/s/hbqZSnejVW

I’m from a tier-3 town in Punjab and currently working a corporate job earning decent money. Over the last few years, I’ve managed to save around ₹20–25 lakhs, and I’m seriously considering starting a business instead of just relying on salary long term.

I’m particularly interested in:

- Small-scale manufacturing

- Importing products from China and selling/distributing in India

- Any business with good long-term demand in smaller cities/towns

One thing I’ve noticed is that many products sold locally have huge margins, especially imported items, but I’m struggling to understand how people validate demand before investing heavily in stock or machinery.

I’m also open to investing more capital later if the business model makes sense.

Would love suggestions from people who:

- Started businesses in tier-2/tier-3 cities

- Are into manufacturing/importing

- Know sectors that still have good untapped potential in Punjab or India generally

Not looking for “open a cafe/gym” type suggestions 😅

Interested in practical businesses with scalability and decent margins.

Hello Redditors,

I’m a 26-year-old male with around ₹45 lakhs saved (combined across liquid cash and investments).

I started saving quite early. Around 16–17, I began a small trading business because my father had struggled a lot financially to support our family. That situation pushed me to take responsibility early. Thankfully, the business worked well for about 8 years. I contributed to household expenses and also saved consistently on the side.

I’ve always been conservative with spending — for example, I’ve never bought things like an iPhone even though I could afford it. But I’ve developed a habit of constantly thinking about worst-case scenarios.

Recently, the business has slowed down significantly due to rising competition. Because of that, I transitioned into a corporate job through a referral. I work from home and earn around ₹65,000 per month.

I also have an MBA from a tier-3 college, as my initial plan was to stay fully focused on business rather than academics.

Here’s where I’m struggling:

Even after saving ₹45L, I feel very anxious about the future. I keep thinking about:

*Job uncertainty

*Business instability

*Emergencies

*Long-term financial security

It’s gotten to a point where I’m not really able to enjoy life because I’m always worried about “what if something goes wrong.”

What I’m looking for:

1.Is it possible to build a stable/passive income stream with ₹45–50 lakhs that can give some mental peace?

2.How do you personally deal with financial stress and uncertainty?

3.If you’re comfortable sharing — your age, savings, and mindset toward money?

I’d really appreciate honest advice. I think this is less about the money and more about how to feel secure