An X user has revealed that her friend’s daughter earns between ₹24 to 30 lakh annually, but still struggles to save money at the end of every month.

An X user has revealed that her friend’s daughter earns between ₹24 to 30 lakh annually, but still struggles to save money at the end of every month. Narayani Gurunathan, a recruitment specialist, started a lively debate on lifestyle inflation and cost-of-living when she revealed the daughter’s high salary on social media.“My friend’s daughter who is earning 24–30L per annum, lives paycheck to paycheck,” Gurunathan wrote on X.

Where does the money go?

According to Gurunathan, the case of her friend’s daughter is one example of how living fully in the present can come at the cost of future financial stability.

“At 25 or 30, it’s hard to imagine spending that much. Very hard,” she wrote. However, various expenses like rent, eating out, alcohol, foreign trips etc all add up to make a significant dent in one’s bank balance.

“High rents,frequent travel, alcohol, gadgets, dining out, and branded clothes add up fast. Not to forget EMIs on luxury cars,” she wrote.

Are all these expenses strictly necessary? No.

For Gurunathan – and for many others who responded to her post – foreign trips are an example of unnecessary expenditure. “No savings. Foreign trips become status symbols, more about competing with Instagram posts than personal priorities,” she wrote.