Let me be honest — two years ago, I had no clue what I was doing with my money.
I was earning decently, spending without thinking, and saving just whatever was left (which wasn’t much). I thought I was doing okay… until I needed money for an emergency and had nothing in hand. That was my wake-up call.
So in 2025, I decided to finally take control of my finances — no fancy tricks, no extreme sacrifices — just simple changes that anyone can follow.
Here’s exactly what I did, and how you can do it too.
1. I Stopped Ignoring Where My Money Was Going
The first thing I did was track every rupee I spent. And I mean everything.
I downloaded a simple free app called Walnut (there are many similar ones) and manually added each expense — from rent to samosa.
Within a month, I realized:
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I was spending too much on food delivery
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Subscriptions I didn’t use were quietly taking my money every month
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Small online shopping “deals” added up way faster than I thought
👉 Lesson: You can’t fix what you don’t track. Knowing where your money goes is step one.
2. I Created a Budget That Didn’t Feel Like Punishment
I tried budgeting before, but it always felt like a diet — too strict and unrealistic.
This time, I made a rule: 50% for needs, 30% for wants, 20% for savings. But I wasn’t strict about every line. If I overspent one week, I adjusted the next.
I also started putting money into savings as soon as I got paid instead of waiting till the end of the month.
👉 What worked for me: I kept it flexible. I didn’t aim to cut everything — just to be mindful.
3. I Built an Emergency Fund — Slowly but Surely
This was a big one.
I used to think “I’ll start saving once I earn more.” But I realized that emergencies don’t care about timing.
So I opened a separate savings account (with no debit card) and started putting ₹2,000–₹3,000 per month into it.
Over time, it grew into 6 months’ worth of living expenses. I never touched it unless it was a real emergency (and not a new phone launch).
👉 Why it matters: It gave me peace of mind. I wasn’t scared of sudden expenses anymore.
4. I Started Investing – But Only After Learning the Basics
For a long time, I thought investing was only for rich people or experts. But I started small.
I read a few blogs, watched honest YouTube creators (not the hype ones), and began with:
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SIPs in mutual funds through apps like Groww
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A little bit in gold ETFs
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No crypto, no risky stocks — not until I understood them
I didn’t try to time the market or chase high returns. I just stayed consistent.
👉 Real result: My money started growing passively, and I finally understood the power of compounding.
5. I Cut Down My Debt Without Feeling Broke
I had some credit card dues and one small personal loan. It felt heavy.
I made a simple rule: pay more than the minimum every month, even if just a little extra.
At the same time, I stopped using the credit card for things I didn’t really need. It wasn’t easy, but slowly the balance came down.
I also avoided those flashy "Buy Now, Pay Later" schemes that were tempting but dangerous.
👉 Small wins: Every ₹500 extra I paid off felt like a win. Within a year, I was debt-free.
6. I Started Saying No – And It Felt Good
This might sound weird, but learning to say “no” changed my financial life.
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I said no to expensive trips when I couldn’t afford them
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No to pressure from friends who were spending beyond their means
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No to useless gadgets I bought just because they were trending
Instead, I started focusing on what truly mattered to me — not what looked good on Instagram.
👉 Key mindset shift: Saying no to things I didn’t need helped me say yes to things I really wanted (like peace of mind and saving for future goals).
7. I Made My Money Work Even While I Slept
No, I didn’t make crores overnight — but I found small ways to earn passively.
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I listed a skill (writing) on a freelance site and got part-time work
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I started a small blog and learned affiliate marketing
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I put some savings in a short-term fixed deposit for extra interest
All of this didn’t make me rich, but it gave me extra breathing room, which mattered a lot.
👉 What surprised me: Even earning an extra ₹2,000 a month helped me save more and stress less.
8. I Set Simple, Clear Goals — Not Just Vague Dreams
Before, I’d always say, “I want to save more” or “I want to invest.” But vague goals never work.
Now I write them down:
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Save ₹1 lakh by December
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Take a vacation without using a credit card
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Invest ₹5,000 every month no matter what
When I made these goals specific and real, I started making better decisions.
👉 Bonus tip: I put reminders in my phone every month to check in with my progress.
9. I Didn’t Try to Be Perfect – Just Better Than Before
Sometimes I slipped up. I spent too much, missed a payment, or skipped an SIP.
But I didn’t beat myself up. I just got back on track the next month.
That’s what made it work — not giving up when things weren’t perfect.
👉 Real talk: You don’t need to follow a perfect plan. Just keep moving forward.
Final Thoughts: Anyone Can Do This
If I can fix my finances, anyone can.
You don’t need a finance degree or a big salary. All you need is:
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A bit of awareness
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Small consistent steps
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Patience
Money doesn’t have to control you. Once you start understanding it, budgeting and saving start to feel empowering — not restrictive.