The Income Lab | Smart Money Tips for Middle-Class Indians

Are you tired of living paycheck to paycheck, despite earning a decent salary? You’re not alone. In today’s fast-paced economy, most Indian middle-class earners feel financially stuck — not because they lack income, but because they lack a plan . In this blog, I’ll walk you through a 4-step money transformation framework that helped me go from being chronically broke to saving over ₹1,00,000 in just 6 months — without budgeting apps, side hustles, or complex investment strategies. 🧠 Step 1: Fix Your Financial Mindset Before you touch your salary, touch your thoughts. If your first reaction to money is “I don’t earn enough” , then no amount will ever feel enough. I used to believe saving money meant sacrificing happiness — until I discovered The ₹10,000 Mindset , a concept I covered in a previous blog that explains why your relationship with money determines how much you keep. Related: The ₹10,000 Mindset: Why What You Think About Money Is Keeping You Broke ✅ Action: For the next...

Netflix: ₹649/month Spotify: ₹119/month YouTube Premium: ₹129/month Zomato Gold, Disney+, Hotstar, Amazon Prime, cloud storage, fitness apps… None of these feel expensive. But together? They’re draining your bank account faster than you realize. Welcome to the ₹99 Trap — a silent financial killer most Indians ignore. 💸 What Is the ₹99 Trap? It’s the false comfort of low-cost monthly subscriptions that add up quietly in the background. It feels affordable. It feels harmless. But when you subscribe to 7–8 services, you’re easily paying: ₹2,000–₹3,000/month ₹24,000–₹36,000/year And that’s without using half of them consistently. 🧠 Why It's So Dangerous Set and Forget : Auto-debits mean you don’t feel the spending Low Entry Cost : ₹99 feels like nothing — so you don’t question it FOMO : Everyone around you is subscribed, so you feel left out “Free Trial” Trap : You forget to cancel, but they keep charging You’re bleeding cash monthly — withou...