A starting plan for ₹1 lakh a month
This uses take-home pay and puts rent at 30%. Got a different rent? Type it in and the rest adjusts: wants shrink first, savings last.
| Category | Per month | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | ₹30,000 | 30% |
| Groceries | ₹10,000 | 10% |
| Bills and phone | ₹5,000 | 5% |
| Transport | ₹5,000 | 5% |
| Eating out | ₹12,000 | 12% |
| Shopping | ₹9,000 | 9% |
| Fun and subscriptions | ₹9,000 | 9% |
| Emergency fund | ₹10,000 | 10% |
| Investments | ₹10,000 | 10% |
Lifestyle creep is the real risk
Every raise brings a slightly nicer flat, a slightly better car, more dinners out. None of it feels like much. Then you’re earning ₹1 lakh and saving the same ₹5,000 you saved at ₹40,000. The plan above caps wants at ₹30,000. That’s generous, and it puts a ceiling on the creep.
₹20,000 a month, at least
The plan saves ₹20,000: ₹10,000 to the emergency fund and ₹10,000 to investments. With essentials at ₹50,000, a six-month fund is ₹3 lakh. At ₹10,000 a month that takes two and a half years, so think about sending the full ₹20,000 there until it’s built.
If your rent is below ₹30,000, type it in. Every rupee you don’t spend on rent goes to savings, not wants. On ₹20,000 rent you’d save ₹30,000 a month. Over a year that’s ₹3.6 lakh.
Give big goals their own categories
At this salary you’re probably planning bigger things: a home down payment, a car, a wedding, a course abroad. Give each one a category and a monthly amount. A goal that shares a bank balance with everything else gets spent. A goal with its own number on screen doesn’t.
Don’t forget tax
Make sure the ₹1 lakh you plan with is after tax. If tax is taken from your salary each month, you’re fine. If you freelance or have income on the side, set aside a category for advance tax so March doesn’t surprise you.
Compare with a ₹60k budget to see where the extra ₹40,000 goes.