A Gurgaon-based founder has sparked a conversation online after explaining why even a household earning ₹3 lakh a month may not necessarily feel financially secure. He argued that as incomes rise, families often build lifestyles around those earnings, making it increasingly difficult for either partner to step away from work.
Taking to Instagram, Dr Sunny Garg shared a video in which he presented the example of a couple earning ₹1.5 lakh each every month.
‘ ₹3 lakh does not feel like being rich’
"The husband earns ₹1.5 lakh a month, and the wife earns ₹1.5 lakh. Together, they make ₹3 lakh every month. On paper, life should be pretty comfortable. But by the end of the month, they still sometimes wonder, ‘We earn so much, so why does it still not feel like enough?’" Garg said.
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He explained that the household income has to support an entire lifestyle, including " ₹60,000-70,000 for a home loan EMI or rent, ₹25,000-30,000 for school fees, transport and activities, along with a car EMI, maid, cook, nanny, groceries, insurance, expenses for parents, SIPs, weekend outings, Swiggy, Uber and subscriptions."
{{/usCountry}}He explained that the household income has to support an entire lifestyle, including " ₹60,000-70,000 for a home loan EMI or rent, ₹25,000-30,000 for school fees, transport and activities, along with a car EMI, maid, cook, nanny, groceries, insurance, expenses for parents, SIPs, weekend outings, Swiggy, Uber and subscriptions."
{{/usCountry}}"Suddenly, ₹3 lakh does not feel like being rich. It just feels like enough to keep an expensive machine running continuously," he added.
Garg, however, said expenses were only one part of the problem. According to him, the bigger issue begins when a family makes major financial decisions assuming that both incomes will continue indefinitely.
"You chose the house because there were two incomes. You chose the school because there were two incomes. You upgraded the car because there were two incomes. You built your lifestyle around two incomes," he said.
What does financial freedom really mean?
Garg pointed out that the vulnerability becomes apparent when one partner wants to quit a job, change careers or simply take an extended break.
"Suddenly, you realise that even a household earning ₹3 lakh a month may not necessarily be financially free," he said.
He concluded by suggesting a different way of measuring financial independence. "Because perhaps the better question about financial freedom is not how much we earn. It is: if one income stops tomorrow, how long can we continue living our lives comfortably? Maybe wealth is not just about increasing what comes in. It is also about building a life that does not collapse the moment you stop running."
Watch the clip here:
Social media reacts
The post prompted reactions from social media users, many of whom agreed with the argument. One person wrote, "This is actually so true." Another commented, "High income doesn’t always mean financial freedom." A third added, "This is why emergency funds matter." Echoing a similar view, another user said, "Building a lifestyle around two incomes can be risky."
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HT.com has reached out to the user for his comments, and the copy will be updated once his response is received.
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)