Money Vichara

The Comfortable Lies We Tell Ourselves About Mutual Funds There is something deeply reassuring about the idea that you are “ doing the right thing ” with your money. For millions of Indian investors, mutual funds have become that comforting choice. Easy to access, well-marketed, and recommended by everyone from your office colleague to your mobile app, mutual funds are now a default setting in the Indian investment mindset. But familiarity often breeds complacency. Somewhere along the way, many of us have stopped questioning how we are investing — and started blindly trusting what we are investing in. The stories we repeat to ourselves — “ SIP is always safe,” “long term guarantees return,” “more funds mean more safety ” — may sound wise, but are often half-truths. And half-truths in investing can be more dangerous than not knowing at all. Let me be clear — I am not against mutual funds. In fact, I am a mutual fund investor myself. But over the years, I have realised that the w...

🌿 The All-Season Garden and What My Mother Taught Me About Balance 🌿 Behind the smoky kitchen of our home in rural Karnataka, there was a small patch of red soil. Nothing grand — just a bit of backyard where firewood was once stacked and cows occasionally passed through. But over time, Abbe (my mother, as we fondly call her in our village dialect) turned it into something truly special. With her quiet hands and an eye for balance, she slowly transformed that space into a garden full of life. Tomatoes, chilies, pudina, coriander — all the essentials for our humble vegetarian meals grew in well-thought-out rows. Near the kitchen doorway, the Tulsi plant stood firm like a sacred guardian, and along the borders, marigolds lit up the space like little lamps during festival time. Jasmine vines crept up the fence, their fragrance lingering on Abbe’s saree. In one corner, a mango tree stood tall — planted the year I was born. The other side had banana saplings , marigolds , hibiscus , sp...

The desire to achieve financial security often clashes with limited awareness of financial products, leading to costly mistakes. Limited disposable income, coupled with the aspiration to secure a better future, makes every rupee count. However, a lack of financial literacy and the abundance of mis-sold financial products often lead to costly mistakes. Here are 10 relatable examples of poor financial choices and the lessons they offer to protect your hard-earned money. Money Vichara: The High Cost of Choosing Wrong: 10 Real-Life Examples of Costly Financial Product Decisions 1. Investing in Ponzi Schemes The Cost: Losing Hard-Earned Savings Sunil, a small-business owner, invested ₹3 lakhs in a “high-return” chit fund. Promised returns of 4% per month never materialized, and the fund disappeared. Lesson: Never invest in schemes that promise guaranteed, high returns. Always verify if the product is registered with regulators like SEBI or RBI. 2. Opting for Traditional Insurance P...

Have you ever wondered why your wallet feels lighter at the end of the month, even when you haven’t made any major purchases? We all want to save more and spend smarter, but sometimes it’s the small, everyday habits that silently drain our wallets. From skipping over hidden costs to letting convenience dictate our choices, these habits can add up to more than we realize.  Are you constantly wondering where your hard-earned money disappears to?  You're not alone. In today's fast-paced world, it's all too easy to fall into financial traps that silently drain our wallets. But what if I told you that your everyday habits could be the culprit? The answer lies in small, everyday habits that quietly nibble away at your money. These habits may seem harmless at first, but over time, they can significantly impact your financial health. Little things like impulse buys or forgotten subscriptions can quietly chip away at our finances without us even noticing. These habits might seem s...

Before you dive into the world of investing, it’s important to ask yourself: Is your financial house in order? Much like building a strong foundation for a house, ensuring your personal finances are in shape is crucial for long-term success. Jumping straight into investments without first securing your financial base can lead to unnecessary stress and poor decision-making. In this post, we’ll explore the essential steps you must take to get your financial house in order before you start investing. Money Vichara: Is Your Financial House in Order? Essential Steps Before Investing! 1. Assess Your Financial Situation: Know Where You Stand Before you can move forward, it’s essential to understand where you currently stand financially. This means taking a hard look at your income, expenses, savings, and debts. Are you living paycheck to paycheck, or do you have a comfortable financial cushion? Reviewing these numbers will help you get a realistic picture of your finances and decide whether y...

Your Journey to Financial Mastery Money is more than just numbers—it’s a tool that shapes our dreams, decisions, and destiny. But mastering personal finance is no easy feat. Many of us feel overwhelmed by questions like, “Am I saving enough?” or “Is investing really for me?” Here’s the best part: mastering your finances doesn’t mean drowning in jargon or needing a fancy MBA. It’s about grasping simple, practical principles, staying consistent, and drawing inspiration from timeless stories. And who better to guide us than one of India’s most inspiring sages—Vishwamitra Rishi? His journey holds lessons that are not just powerful but surprisingly relatable to our financial lives. Vishwamitra’s life is a story of incredible transformation, unshakable resilience, and the determination to achieve the extraordinary. He started as a king, comfortable in the luxuries of life, but chose to embark on a challenging journey of self-discovery, sacrifice, and mastery. His unwavering focus and a...