A 22-year-old man from Mumbai has sparked a discussion on Reddit after sharing that he wants to begin retirement planning from the first day of his career instead of waiting until his 30s or 40s.
In his post, the Reddit user said he is about to start a job in Mumbai with a monthly salary of around ₹1 lakh. However, after factoring in rent, living expenses and family responsibilities, he expects to save around ₹20,000 every month.
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“I’m about to start a job in Mumbai with a salary of around ₹1 lakh per month, and I’m trying to think seriously about retirement planning from day one instead of waiting until my 30s or 40s,” he wrote.
Breaking down his expected monthly budget, he said his rent would be around ₹30,000 due to personal requirements, while food, transport, utilities and other living expenses would cost nearly ₹20,000. He also plans to send around ₹30,000 home to support his family.
{{/usCountry}}Breaking down his expected monthly budget, he said his rent would be around ₹30,000 due to personal requirements, while food, transport, utilities and other living expenses would cost nearly ₹20,000. He also plans to send around ₹30,000 home to support his family.
{{/usCountry}}“That leaves me with roughly ₹20,000 per month that I can save and invest,” he added.
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‘Mumbai is expensive’
The man said that while he understands saving ₹20,000 a month is still a good position to be in, the amount does not feel enough when he thinks about inflation, Mumbai’s high cost of living and long term financial independence.
“Saving ₹20,000 a month does not feel like much when I think about needing financial independence decades down the line,” he wrote.
He asked Reddit users how they would allocate the amount, how much should go towards retirement specific investments and how much should be kept for short term goals. He also wondered whether it was more important to focus on increasing his income in the initial years rather than overthinking investment optimisation.
The post was shared with the title, “Retirement planning for a 22 year old!”
Take a look here at the post:
Reddit users share advice
Several users advised him to first build a financial safety net before aggressively investing. One user wrote, “You could save the entire ₹20,000 each month until you build an emergency fund of ₹5 lakh to cover any unexpected expenses. Alternatively, you could save ₹18,000 per month towards the emergency fund and invest the remaining ₹2,000 in a SIP, allowing you to start investing while still building your financial safety net.”
Another user suggested that the man should focus on career growth. “Focus on upskilling and increasing your income throughout your career. In the long run, that is likely to deliver far better results than spending excessive time trying to optimise investments or micromanage your portfolio,” the user wrote, adding that consistent investing matters, but earning potential would have a bigger impact.
A third user advised him to consider insurance early. “I would advise you to purchase a term insurance plan with an increasing sum assured, along with a Personal Accident (PA) policy of around ₹10 lakh. At your age, the premium for a term plan will be relatively low,” the user said.
Another Reddit user said, “Since you are about to start your job, prioritise getting health insurance and term insurance. Before making any major investments, build an emergency fund that can cover at least six months of expenses. Saving and investing ₹20,000 a month is a good start, especially at 22, and you can build a substantial net worth over time.”
(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.)