Mumbai couple earning ₹2.2 lakh a month says they are 'barely saving any money' despite living in a 1BHK

A Mumbai couple shared their monthly expenses and said they were barely saving despite earning ₹2.2 lakh.

A Mumbai man has sparked a discussion on Reddit after sharing how he and his partner are struggling to save money despite earning ₹2.2 lakh per month collectively. In his post, the man said that the couple lives in a 1 BHK flat in Mumbai, away from their respective parental homes, and often finds themselves running out of money by the end of the month.

A Mumbai couple said rising expenses and frequent travel left them with little savings, prompting reactions online. (Representational image/Gemini AI generated)

Mumbai living costs spark debate

Taking to Reddit, the man wrote: "Me and my partner collectively make ₹2.2 lakh pm. We stay in a 1 BHK, far from our respective parental homes, and are barely saving any money. Help would be appreciated in helping us budget. A breakdown of our expenses is as follows: 44k rent in Mumbai, 5-6k travel to and from office, 5-6k electricity, 8k maid, 20k grocery, gas bill, and household expenses, 60k SIP, 50k hers and 10k mine, 5k medications, and 12-13k going out, mostly obligatory office parties that you have to go to and spend money or contribute towards."

He further explained that, on paper, the couple should be left with around ₹60,000 every month for additional savings. However, their actual experience has been different. "Ideally, after this, we should have approx. 60k towards more savings. However, we constantly find ourselves without any money as the month closes," he added.

The man said that unplanned lifestyle expenses and travel to their hometown often disturb their monthly budget. "Some days it’s clothes for me, other days it’s for her, then a watch, maybe a perfume. But more than this, visiting our hometown, 45k in one trip is gone! We try for train tickets, but my work is such that my leave schedule is finalised at the very last minute, barely one day in advance. That’s towards the basic expenses of travelling. On top of it, stuff for parents and expenses there," he wrote.

Take a look here at the post:

Reddit users share advice

The post, shared with the title "Mumbai is too expensive to live", garnered several reactions from Reddit users, with many advising the couple to track discretionary spending more strictly.

One user wrote, "Your problem is not income, it is leakage. Start tracking every rupee for three months." Another said, "Sixty thousand SIP is already saving. Do not ignore that while calculating your monthly savings." A third user commented, "The rent is high, but the real issue seems to be impulsive shopping and sudden travel expenses."

Another user said, "Make a separate fund only for hometown trips. Otherwise, every visit will disturb your budget." Someone else added, "Office parties are not compulsory. Learn to say no politely." Another commented, "Mumbai is expensive, but this budget can still work if you cap lifestyle purchases." A user also wrote, "Before planning kids, build an emergency fund of at least six months." Another reaction read, "Do not reduce SIP. First reduce random spending and track where the missing money is going."

(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.)