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Learn With Amrut
Author: Amrut (Founder, Learn with Amrut)
Published on: August 6, 2025
Last Updated: August 10, 2025
Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, investment, or tax advice. Please consult a licensed advisor before making any financial decisions.
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Mindset and Money: Why Discipline Feels Like Punishment in a World of Enjoyment
Their silence may be hiding a strategy that secures their future, something many in the middle class never talk about openly.
If you've ever been mocked for being simple, frugal, or too planned this article will speak directly to your middle class love for security and stability.
💔 Real stories, bold reflections, and a question many avoid: Am I wrong, or just early? This is the kind of self-talk most middle class families silently go through when balancing dreams with discipline.
“Mana eva manuṣyāṅāṁ kāraṇaṁ bandha-mokṣayoḥ” – Amritabindu Upanishad
“The mind alone is the cause of bondage and liberation.”
This timeless wisdom from the Upanishads echoes deeply in our personal and financial lives. It reminds us that our money mindset determines whether we move forward with clarity or remain trapped in cycles of emotional and middle class financial stress.
💡 Purpose of earning money? It is not just to survive today. It is to protect our dignity tomorrow. In our human Sandhya Kāla (old age), it is not wise to depend on children for every expense. The money we earn now must become the caretaker of our future self a lesson the middle class mindset often forgets until it’s too late.
This article explores why financially disciplined people are judged harshly by society yet they’re the ones who remain independent in old age. Real stories like Ram & Shyam, middle class overspending habits, and middle class mindset traps show why money discipline and pipeline income methods beat show-off culture. Inspired by ancient Upanishads, middle class financial planning, and modern Indian struggles.
📑 Table of Contents – Middle Class Mindset & Financial Freedom
- 🧹 Why I’m Writing This – Understanding the Middle Class Mindset
- 🌾 The Jatra vs the Job – Work-Life Balance & Financial Discipline
- 📌 Why We Must Stop Burdening Kids Just to Impress Society – Breaking the Social Pressure Cycle
- 🎉 My Son’s Naming Ceremony – A ‘Kanjus’ Move or Smart Money Decision?
- 🚗 The Bike Before Business – Lifestyle Choices vs Financial Planning
- 👣 The Lady Who Built a House, But at What Cost? – Middle Class Financial Struggles
- 🧪 The Ram & Shyam Water Story – Pipeline Income vs Daily Wage Mindset
- 💼 Society vs Strategy: My Comparison Table – Frugal Living vs Show-Off Spending
- 🚰 How to Build a “Ram-Style” Financial Pipeline – Step-by-Step Guide
- 🛠️ What If You Work 9–6? Factory Worker or Jobholder Financial Alternatives
- 🤍 Realization After Age 50 – Why Early Financial Planning Matters
- 🤏 My Financial Rules – Middle Class Money Habits That Bring Peace
- 💼 Most Asked Questions (FAQs) – Financial Wisdom for Middle Class Families
- 📌 Final Thought – Choosing Financial Freedom Over Social Approval
🧹 Why I’m Writing This
Recently, I’ve been reflecting deeply on my financial journey not just in numbers or balance sheets, but in decisions, emotions, and discipline. I’ve written a few articles about how to level up financially, how to plan, invest, and reduce risks.
But some real-life incidents happened recently, right in front of me, that made me pause and question everything.
Am I overthinking about money? Am I sacrificing too much enjoyment in the name of security? Is my financial discipline making me miss out on moments others in the Indian middle class freely enjoy?
These thoughts were not from books or theory they came from watching people around me, their choices, and their happiness.
Let me share these experiences with you, especially if you’ve ever felt torn between frugal living and the desire to match social pressure.
🌾 The Jatra vs the Job
At my workplace, many daily-wage workers also have small agricultural land. Last month, one of them applied for 2 days’ leave. When I asked, he smiled and said:
“Sir, jatra (festival) is happening in my village. Relatives are coming, full enjoyment possible only if I take a few days off.”
He eventually took 8 days of leave, with zero worry about salary cuts. Another worker said:
“Sir, jatre ond sala barutte. Hogbeku enjoy madbeku.”
("Festival comes once, we must go and enjoy.")
It made me pause. Even if I have health issues, I still show up to work, thinking of my long-term financial stability and future planning.
So... am I wrong, or is this the difference between a pipeline income mindset and a spend-now, think-later approach common in middle class mindset?
📌 Why We Must Stop Burdening Kids Just to Impress Society
📌 Why We Must Stop Burdening Kids Just to Impress Society
In many Indian families, especially in the Indian middle class, we think it's our duty to do grand functions naming ceremony, birthday, upanayan not because the child wants it, but to show off to society.
Even when income is just ₹10,000–₹15,000, some parents admit children into elite private schools, saying: “I didn’t get this chance. My son should.” But in reality, it’s often about prestige, not practicality.
Later, when the child doesn’t perform or the fees become unaffordable, frustration builds. > “We sacrificed so much. But he's not even serious.”
But did the child ask for a grand event or a rich school?
If the child gets a good job, all is well. But if he struggles? By the time he's just 38 years old, he’s carrying:
- Loan burdens
- Health issues like BP, sugar, or stress
- Family pressure – marriage, career, comparison
And what happens then? Parents start saying: > “Daughter-in-law is controlling him.” > “My son doesn’t look after us.”
But maybe… we gave him too much emotional debt in childhood, just to protect our image in front of society, a habit deeply rooted in middle class mindset.
Let’s give our kids a peaceful financial foundation not a decorated pressure cooker.
🎉 My Son’s Naming Ceremony – A ‘Kanjus’ Move?
On June 28, I did my second son’s naming ceremony with just 10 people a very simple function. Some neighbours and relatives whispered,
“Amrut is such a miser! He should have celebrated grandly.”
I smiled. Inside, I thought in our Indian middle class mindset, people often confuse frugal living with being stingy. But the truth is different:
If I spend ₹1 lakh on decoration and catering, it’s gone in a single day. But if I invest the same amount for his education or skill development, it can return multiple times over his lifetime.
For me, financial discipline is not about denying joy it’s about securing the future first and celebrating without debt later.
🚗 The Bike Before Business
There was a young man who worked for 2 years, earned decently, and returned home with big dreams. But the first thing he did? Bought a ₹3 lakh bike.
When I asked, “Why such a big spend so quickly?”
He casually replied, “Sir, we earn to enjoy life. Let’s enjoy when we can.”
This is a common middle class money habit spending first, planning later. But one year later, when he wanted to start a business, he didn’t have savings. His mother had to take a gold loan and withdraw PF to help him.
Why did this happen? Because he only looked at the present, ignoring the future. If he had saved instead of buying the bike, he could have started his business without loans or stress.
It’s emotionally understandable, but financially misaligned. The bike gave him short-term joy; savings would have given him long-term freedom.
👣 The Lady Who Built a House, But at What Cost?
A kind lady I know, now around 45, works hard every single day. Her son got a decent job not a luxurious one, but stable. With combined savings and a bank loan, they managed to build a small house together. It was inspiring.
Soon after the house construction, within a year, they held a grand housewarming ceremony. Her son got married again a lavish wedding, arranged through additional loans and relatives’ help.
Exactly one year later, her second son also got married, again with grandeur. In the Indian middle class, such social pressure often outweighs financial reality.
When I asked gently, “Why go for such large expenses again?”
She smiled and said: “Sir, if we don’t do it properly, society will speak badly.”
That moment hit me for society, we spend money. But when financial hardship strikes, will society come forward to help? This is the silent trap of middle class overspending.
🧪 The Ram & Shyam Water Story – Pipeline Income vs Daily Carrying
In a village 60 years ago, there was a water shortage. Everyone walked several kilometers to get water.
Two friends, Ram and Shyam, had a well. Both wanted to earn from it:
- Shyam immediately started carrying water in pots to the village and earned daily.
- Ram spent 6 months planning and building a pipeline system from the well to the village.
Shyam mocked him: “Why are you wasting time? I’m already earning and saving.”
But when Ram finished the pipeline, water started flowing directly to homes. He earned even while sleeping. Over time, Shyam grew old, fell ill, and had no income source without physical work.
Ram had created pipeline income a system that worked for him, even when he didn’t work. Shyam had created only daily struggle.
✅ MBA & Finance Lesson: This story is often used in management and finance classes as an example of asset-building, time leverage, and compounding systems. It shows why building a source of passive income is smarter than relying only on active income.
Today in India, most of us unknowingly live like Shyam, depending only on one job or one skill. But the financially free live like Ram building systems that pay for life.
💼 Society vs Strategy: My Comparison Table
| Category | What Others Did | What I Did | Outcome & Lesson |
|---|---|---|---|
| Festival Leave | Took 8 days off for celebrations and travel | Showed up to work even with minor health issues | They enjoyed socially; I maintained financial stability and income flow |
| Naming Ceremony | Spent ₹1–2 lakhs on decoration, music, and crowd | Kept it a simple 10-person gathering | Society judged, but I stayed debt-free and stress-free |
| Emergency Expense | No savings borrowed in panic from friends or took high-interest loans | Used an emergency fund that was already planned and saved | Preparedness removed stress and avoided unnecessary debt |
| Salary Use | Spent first on lifestyle and impulse purchases, saved if anything was left | Followed a savings-first approach and lived on the balance | Savings-first builds long-term freedom and financial discipline |
| Loan Decisions | Took personal loans for festivals, weddings, and vacations | Took loans only for assets like property or business investment | Asset-based loans create value; celebration loans create pressure |
🚰 How to Build a “Ram-Style” Financial Pipeline – Step by Step
To build a Ram-style pipeline, you must first change how you think about money. Ram didn’t chase quick income. He built a financial pipeline system a silent, powerful income stream that worked even when he rested. This is how many middle class Indians can move from survival mode to sustainable growth.
Here’s how you can do the same, even on a modest salary:
🧠 Step 1: Understand the Real Value of Money
- Every ₹100 you don’t spend today can multiply into ₹500 or more in the future.
- Avoid the mindset: “What’s the use of saving if I die tomorrow?”
- Instead, ask: “What if I live till 80, and have no strength to earn?”
🪔 Ram respected money, so money respected Ram back.
🛑 Step 2: Break Free From “Shyam Thinking”
- Shyam worked hard daily but never created a system for passive income.
- His earnings depended only on his physical energy when he stopped, money stopped.
- Most middle class spending habits still follow Shyam thinking living day-to-day without building assets.
❗Stop chasing festivals, loans, and show-off purchases without financial backups.
🏗 Step 3: Build a Small System That Earns for You
Start small but steady. Here are practical, low-investment options to start your own asset-based earning pipeline:
| Strategy | What to Do | Long-Term Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 💧 Rental Room or Shed | Build or buy a ₹2–4 lakh shed and rent it | ₹2K–₹8K/month in passive income |
| 📚 Skill-Based Home Class | Start teaching Excel, tailoring, tuition, or any high-demand skill | Word-of-mouth brings recurring students and steady income |
| 💬 WhatsApp Group Affiliate | Share genuine deals and earn small commissions | Extra monthly side income with zero inventory |
| 💻 YouTube/Blog (Content Work) | Create once, earn via ads and affiliate marketing | Compounding income growth over years |
| 🛒 Setup Micro Business | Kirana shop, recharge counter, or homemade snacks business | Hire a helper later, system continues earning without you |
🪙 Focus on what can run without you eventually. That’s a true financial pipeline.
🔒 Step 4: Protect It With Automation and Rules
- Auto-transfer your pipeline income into SIP or FD for long-term growth
- Don’t touch passive earnings for luxury expenses
- Keep an emergency fund to prevent breaking your system in crises
🛡 Build layers: income → savings → reinvestment. This keeps your pipeline strong.
🔁 Step 5: Reinvest Pipeline Earnings into More Pipes
- 🏠 Rent income → invest into another shed or room
- 📲 Affiliate income → provide a better device to expand your group
- 📖 Tuition income → create study materials and reach more students
🚀 This is how compounding works: money earns → that money earns more.
🛠️ What If You Work 9–6? Factory Worker or Jobholder Edition
Not everyone in the middle class has time freedom like freelancers or business owners. Many middle class Indians do 9–6 shifts, especially in factories or private jobs. Does that mean the middle class can’t build financial pipelines?
Not at all! Here are real-world income ideas you can start even with full-time work:
| ⏱️ Time Slot | 💡 Strategy | 🔄 Effort Needed |
|---|---|---|
| Early Morning (Before 8am) |
📦 Milk/Snacks resale near home with newspaper vendor tie-up – a low-cost middle class business idea | 30–45 min daily Family can support |
| Lunch Break | 📲 Share Amazon/Meesho affiliate links on WhatsApp – easy extra income for middle class jobholders | 5–10 min during break |
| Evening (After 7pm) |
📚 Teach 1 subject/home tuitions (Excel, typing, 10th std) – popular side income option for middle class families | 1–2 hours, 3 days a week |
| Weekend | 🎥 Create YouTube Shorts/Blog on your skill (Electrician tips, Cooking, Kannada Quotes) – best middle class passive income path | 2 hours Sunday Slow growth, long-term reward |
| One-time Setup | 🏠 Build a room/shed for rent using PF loan or gold loan – proven passive income for middle class investors | Once built, zero effort – passive income starts |
💬 Remember: You don’t need to leave your job to start a pipeline. Even a middle class family can secure financial stability with one small effort now → permanent support later.
🤍 Realization After Age 50
Now, when many middle class people cross age 50, they start complaining:
“I worked so hard. But now my son doesn’t care. My daughter isn’t supporting me.”
But the question is did they spend wisely when they had the chance? Many in the middle class never planned for retirement, focusing only on lifestyle spending.
If they had saved, invested, and created backup income systems, they wouldn’t be dependent. They wouldn’t feel abandoned in old age.
Yes, a good son or daughter will take care. But if they themselves are financially struggling, how can they?
Financial independence in old age is not about blame it’s about choices made earlier, especially for the middle class who rely on fixed salaries.
🤏 My Financial Rules (Still Judged, But I’m at Peace)
Over the years, I’ve developed a simple but strict financial system for my middle class life. Some still call me ‘kanjoos’. But I sleep peacefully, because I’ve built protection around my family’s future.
- 💰 Salary comes → 1st debit = Investment (locked, no access)
- 🆘 Emergency Fund → always ready
- 🏫 School fees → via RD
- 📊 Home Budget → what’s left, not what’s desired
- 🎉 During ceremonies → skip luxury, celebrate with peace, not pressure
Because peace tomorrow is my celebration today – the ultimate middle class success story.
Whether poor, middle class, or wealthy, our mindset shapes our financial future:
- Poor mindset: Lives in survival mode money comes in, goes out, nothing saved.
- Middle-class mindset: Earns more but spends more debt grows faster than assets.
- Wealth mindset: Builds assets that earn even when they rest.
The question to ask yourself is simple: Which story are you living and which one do you want to write next?
💼 Most Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. How does money tell a story about whether someone is poor, middle class, or wealthy?
Money always tells a story your story. For some, it’s about constant struggle and survival; for others, it’s about security but no growth; and for a few, it’s about building assets that give freedom. The poor mindset spends everything as soon as it comes in. The middle class often saves but also piles up liabilities. The rich mindset builds assets that keep earning even when they’re not working.
Q2. Why do many middle class families end up financially stressed after retirement?
The middle class trap is comfort mixed with hidden risks. Higher salaries create a feeling of safety, but car loans, mortgages, and social expenses eat into real savings. Without early pipeline income, many end up dependent on their children or pensions. Shifting focus from only saving to building income-generating assets is the way out.
Q3. Is spending everything on children a safe retirement plan?
In India, parents often believe children will take care of them later. But if the children face job loss, EMIs, or other obligations, they may not be able to help. The rich mindset doesn’t leave the future to chance it builds independent income sources, health cover, and reserves so old age is lived with dignity, not dependence.
Q4. Why not just enjoy life now? We don’t know about tomorrow.
Enjoying the present is important, but ignoring the future is risky. Life may be uncertain, but living to 80 without savings is a bigger problem. The poor mindset ignores this. The middle class delays investing. The rich mindset balances enjoyment today with building assets for tomorrow, ensuring peace of mind at every stage of life.
Q5. What exactly is pipeline income in the Indian middle class context?
Pipeline income is money that flows regularly without daily effort. It’s not a get-rich-quick idea it’s a long-term safety net. In India, this could be rent from a small shop, tuition classes, digital content, affiliate marketing, or a side business managed by a helper. Even the poor mindset can break free by starting a small pipeline; the middle class can grow it; the rich mindset keeps multiplying it.
Q6. Should I invest before or after my monthly expenses?
Always invest before expenses. This is how you shift from poor or middle class thinking to a wealth-building mindset. Set up automatic SIPs or RDs on salary day. This habit forces you to live within the remaining budget and lets your money start working for you instead of disappearing in bills and impulsive spending.
🧠 Must-Reads for Financial Mindset
💡 Earned 18 Years, Saved Nothing
A shocking real story of a man who earned for decades but didn’t save — and what lessons we must learn from it.
📎 Read Now
📉 Why Middle Class Fails
Deep dive into mindset traps and spending patterns that block wealth creation for India’s middle-income families.
📎 Read Now📌 Final Thought
Yes, I may seem kanjoos to some.
Yes, others may appear to enjoy more than I do today.
But I choose to enjoy peace of mind tomorrow, not just moments today.
I believe freedom is the best luxury and I want to earn it, not borrow it. In life, money tells a story — your story. The poor mindset spends everything, the middle-class mindset saves but stays stuck in liabilities, and the wealth mindset builds assets that give independence.
“Pipeline mindset is not about being stingy it’s about being strategically silent today, to let money speak for you tomorrow.”
💡 Don't call a disciplined person boring. One day, you might wish you had their system.
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