The curious case of Personal Finance

Personal finance is great, it’s addictive, and it’s one of the best decisions one would make in their life. It will make you scratch your head, but you will enjoy it, and that is the best part.Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on UnsplashMost of us have grown up watching how important the role of money is and how important a ‘handsome pay’ is. Be it a comfortable life or status in society, having money makes it easier (taking into consideration the only hard-earned money — the one that you legally deserve to have). Unfortunately, from what I have learned in my 20 years of education, managing the money doesn’t even make it to the list, and this just messes up the finances of most people because consumerism is as sure as eggs are eggs but superintending the money that you earn and generating wealth still seem to be a characteristic in short supply.This thought struck me when I paid income tax for the first time in my life, and last I checked, most of my friends and acquaintances were as clueless (and still are) as I was back then. Panicked, I resorted to my parents’ suggestions, who have been dealing with income taxes for almost 40 years. All I got was passe ideas of fixed deposits, post office savings, and some more things on the same lines. They were not all bad and surely helped me, but now it was more than just the taxes. Why? Let’s understand…Most of the Indian middle class is glued to a highly archaic idea of investing, and I am not ready to accept it. The classic saving instruments do work and should never be looked down upon, but your money needs more space, and there is a fair number of safe, secure, and better places…