An Indian couple with two young children has achieved a significant milestone in their Financial Independence, Retire Early (FIRE) journey, announcing that their net worth has now touched ₹5 crore. The couple, both in their mid-30s, shared their experience in a detailed Reddit post, outlining their disciplined approach to savings, investments, and lifestyle changes that helped them build wealth despite a modest background.
From Modest Beginnings to Financial Freedom
The 36-year-old husband and 37-year-old wife, both MBAs from a premier institute, revealed that they came from a lower-middle-class family where education was prioritized despite financial struggles. “They wouldn’t mind skipping meals but made sure we (my brother and me) studied in good schools,” the Reddit post read.
The husband started working at 22 and managed to save ₹5 lakh by the age of 25. However, most of it was spent on funding his MBA. He candidly admitted mistakes early on, including living lavishly after his degree and spending heavily on a “lavish wedding” just to impress relatives. After marriage, the couple began their life with about ₹1.2 crore in loans, including education and housing loans.
Turning Point During COVID and Debt Clearance
The couple’s financial turnaround began during the COVID-19 pandemic, when they discovered the FIRE movement and began focusing on financial discipline. “Cleared the loans methodically by the time 2021 (32 years). Then started the investment journey with mutual funds and gold bonds (past 4 years),” the post stated.
In the last few years, they diversified into real estate and stocks, benefiting from the real estate boom of 2022. Their current portfolio includes real estate worth about ₹3.5 crore (excluding their primary home), ₹1 crore in stocks, ₹25 lakh in mutual funds, and around ₹40 lakh in provident funds, PPF, and other savings schemes. This brings their total net worth to nearly ₹5 crore.
Future Plans and Regrets
The couple aims to eventually build a net worth of ₹10 crore for retirement, along with a personal home and ₹2 crore set aside for each child. Despite professional opportunities abroad, they chose to stay close to their parents. They also shared a personal note: “Had my second kid despite friends and family (siblings) saying that the kid will add to the financial burden. We love kids and need to enjoy life too.”
Their only regret was not learning about financial planning early enough. “Even after studying well at top-tier colleges and doing an MBA, I was clueless about personal finance. Started my journey very late. I wish we are all taught or introduced about these things sooner in life,” the post concluded.
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