By age 30, an average corporate employee gets trapped. Not because they're financially illiterate, but to show the world, “I am doing well for myself.”
It starts at 22. MBA loan: ₹20 lakhs. “Investment in yourself,“ everyone says. Fair enough. Education is important. ₹25,000 monthly EMI for 12 years.
Age 24, first job, decent salary. Time for a car. Not a ₹7 lakh car that’d fit the budget. A ₹12 lakh car that fits the image. “Yaar, office mein kya impression hoga?“ Another ₹19,000 monthly EMI for 7 years.
Age 28, marriage talks begin. First question from prospective families: “Does he own a house?“ Not “Is he a good person?“ Property ownership has become character verification. So another trip to the bank. Home loan: ₹50 lakhs. Another ₹45,000 monthly EMI for 20 years.
Age 30, wedding planning. Can't have a simple ceremony because “log kya kahenge?“ ₹15 lakh of personal loan for the wedding. They use their own savings, and then parents contribute on top. Another ₹35,000 monthly EMI for 5 years.
Total monthly EMIs: ₹1,24,000. Take-home salary: ₹1,49,000. Congratulations, you're left with ₹25,000 to live your entire life.
What no one tells you is that EMIs don't just deduct money. They deduct peace of mind. The price of looking 'settled' is waking up unsettled every morning.
Each loan isn't taken for necessity. It's taken to prove a point. The MBA was for career growth, fine. But the car, house, and wedding? Trapped.
Parents have evolved from “Beta, save money“ to “Beta has taken a home loan“ – announcing it like an achievement. The ‘we suffered so you shouldn't’ mentality now means parents funding down payments with their own retirement savings.
The real tragedy is how predictable this cycle has become. Twenty-two-year-old MBA students already know they'll take a car loan at 24, home loan at 29, wedding loan at 30. It's not a financial decision anymore. It's a social checklist.
I know people who can't quit their job to start something of their own because “EMIs toh pay karne padenge.“ The career prison is real.
Our parents saved for years before buying anything. They prioritized security over status. They bought what they could afford. We buy what we want people to think we can afford. They had patience. We have credit scores.
Banks love this psychology. They don't sell loans anymore. They sell “solutions“ and have become “dream enablers.“ “Own your dream home now.“ “Make your wedding dreams come true.“ All on borrowed money.
We don't own these things. They own us. They decide where we work, how long we work, and when we can breathe.
It starts at 22. MBA loan: ₹20 lakhs. “Investment in yourself,“ everyone says. Fair enough. Education is important. ₹25,000 monthly EMI for 12 years.
Age 24, first job, decent salary. Time for a car. Not a ₹7 lakh car that’d fit the budget. A ₹12 lakh car that fits the image. “Yaar, office mein kya impression hoga?“ Another ₹19,000 monthly EMI for 7 years.
Age 28, marriage talks begin. First question from prospective families: “Does he own a house?“ Not “Is he a good person?“ Property ownership has become character verification. So another trip to the bank. Home loan: ₹50 lakhs. Another ₹45,000 monthly EMI for 20 years.
Age 30, wedding planning. Can't have a simple ceremony because “log kya kahenge?“ ₹15 lakh of personal loan for the wedding. They use their own savings, and then parents contribute on top. Another ₹35,000 monthly EMI for 5 years.
Total monthly EMIs: ₹1,24,000. Take-home salary: ₹1,49,000. Congratulations, you're left with ₹25,000 to live your entire life.
What no one tells you is that EMIs don't just deduct money. They deduct peace of mind. The price of looking 'settled' is waking up unsettled every morning.
Each loan isn't taken for necessity. It's taken to prove a point. The MBA was for career growth, fine. But the car, house, and wedding? Trapped.
Parents have evolved from “Beta, save money“ to “Beta has taken a home loan“ – announcing it like an achievement. The ‘we suffered so you shouldn't’ mentality now means parents funding down payments with their own retirement savings.
The real tragedy is how predictable this cycle has become. Twenty-two-year-old MBA students already know they'll take a car loan at 24, home loan at 29, wedding loan at 30. It's not a financial decision anymore. It's a social checklist.
I know people who can't quit their job to start something of their own because “EMIs toh pay karne padenge.“ The career prison is real.
Our parents saved for years before buying anything. They prioritized security over status. They bought what they could afford. We buy what we want people to think we can afford. They had patience. We have credit scores.
Banks love this psychology. They don't sell loans anymore. They sell “solutions“ and have become “dream enablers.“ “Own your dream home now.“ “Make your wedding dreams come true.“ All on borrowed money.
We don't own these things. They own us. They decide where we work, how long we work, and when we can breathe.
