An Indian woman based in the United States has revealed the five things that she does not spend her money on as a “financially responsible adult” and a “working mother.” Shivee Chauhan is a Senior Examiner at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco and a former Wall Street executive who posts on Instagram about life as an immigrant, motherhood and all things money.
In a recent video, she revealed that she and her husband earn a combined income of $250,000 ( ₹2.3 crore) every year. In spite of this, there are some things on which she refuses to splurge.
‘5 things I don’t spend money on’
“These are the five things that I do not spend my money on as a financially responsible adult,” Chauhan said, before listing down the five things.
First, she said, she does not buy multiple luxury bags. “What are you putting in it? Where are you going with it? And what is so important that it requires a $3,000 bag?” she questioned.
The finance professional also had another issue with designer bags — they mostly live on a shelf and rarely see the light of day. (Also read: ₹32 LPA offer in Bengaluru is worth returning home">Indian employee earning $150k in US asks if ₹32 LPA offer in Bengaluru is worth returning home)
Second, she refuses to buy dupes. “Listen, if dupes work for you, that’s great,” she clarified. But for herself, she knows that if she buys a dupe, she will use it a couple of times before buying the original as well.
{{/usCountry}}Second, she refuses to buy dupes. “Listen, if dupes work for you, that’s great,” she clarified. But for herself, she knows that if she buys a dupe, she will use it a couple of times before buying the original as well.
{{/usCountry}}“So now I have spent money twice. Dupes don’t save me money. They are going to cost me more,” she explained.
Grooming and fashion
Shivee Chauhan further revealed that she does not spend money on hair removal services. Instead, she uses an epilator and has been doing so for the last 10 years.
As the fourth thing that she does not spend money on, she named fast fashion. “I have not bought a single item from Zara, H&M or Forever 21 in the last three years. And I genuinely don’t miss it. The quality is not there, the clothes don’t last even one wash,” she explained.
The final thing
Finally, Chauhan said she refuses to spend money on eating at average restaurants. Instead, she prefers to reserve eating out for special occasions.
“This one I feel strongly about. Going out for an incredible meal? Yes. Going out for a special occasion? Yes.
“But buying coffee every single day? And lunch that is just average? That is just no,” she declared.
Chauhan said that she prefers to eat at home where she can track her macros and knows exactly what is going into her food. Not buying coffee every day also ensures that she is generating less waste.
(Also read: Unable to afford rent, US couple moves to hotel, saves $12,000 annually: 'It isn’t luxurious, but it is worth it')