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Indian woman in New York shares ‘basic money rules’ she and her husband follow while earning over $500,000
An Indian woman shared money rules she follows with her husband while earning over $500k in New York.
An Indian woman living in New York City has sparked conversation online after sharing the simple financial principles she follows with her husband while earning more than $500,000 a year.
The woman, identified as Alisha Beotra, posted a video on Instagram explaining the money rules that guide their spending, saving and investing decisions.
In the video, she says: “My husband and I make over $500,000 living in New York City, and here are some of the basic money rules that he and I follow.”
‘Pay yourself first’ philosophy
According to Beotra, their first rule is prioritising savings before spending. She explains that they automatically move money into investments every month as soon as their salary arrives.
"Number one, every month we pay ourselves first. So every month, as soon as our paycheck hits our bank account, we automatically transfer anywhere between $3,500 to $5,000 in our brokerage accounts, and then take care of all our other expenses," she says in the video.
Another principle she highlights is focusing on time rather than status spending. She explains that the couple prefers spending money on things that save time or help them grow professionally instead of buying luxury items simply to impress others.
"Number two, we pay for time and not flexes. So if there's anything that's going to help us get our time back and cost less than our hourly income, and we can use that time to upskill ourselves or just to make more money, we're going to take it. But you will likely not see us spending on unnecessary designer flexes just to impress people who don't really care."
Spending on utility and learning
Beotra adds that they are comfortable spending significant amounts on practical purchases that improve their daily life. She gives the example of a premium office chair they bought for work.
"And just like that, point number three, you're going to see us drop $1,000 or more on things that are utility purchases, but not necessarily things that are flashy. And one small example of that is this Herman Miller chair that I have put a picture of, which we spent about $1,400 or $1,500 on last year. And it's worth it. We sit in it almost every day."
She also mentions that they actively use credit cards to maximise travel rewards and frequently invest in learning new skills to stay competitive in a rapidly changing world.
"Number four, we are definitely not afraid of credit cards and use them to spend on every single thing so that we can maximize our points and pay for flights and hotels whenever we can."
"And lastly, number five, you will always see us investing in getting an edge. And what I mean by that is Abhilash spending $3,000 or $4,000 on a course that teaches him investing, even though he already has a CFA charter and has an MBA. Or both of us, for example, spending $200 each on a Claude code subscription. Because yes, it's totally worth it. And more importantly, we don't want to be irrelevant in the future."
Internet reacts
The clip has so far garnered more than 61,000 views and several reactions online. Many viewers related to the couple’s focus on learning and staying relevant.
One user wrote, "Spent on AI subscription a month ago best decision ever." Another commented, "This sounds so cool." A third added, "I follow this to stay relevant," while another user questioned the approach and said, "What’s the point when you don’t have enough money to waste on luxuries."
HT.com has reached out to the user for her comments, and the copy will be updated once her 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.)
