₹ 45 lakh salary, ₹ 2.45 lakh monthly income but 'nothing left': Bengaluru techie explains why

A year-old interview with a Bengaluru-based software consultant has resurfaced on social media, sparking a debate on whether a high income is enough to build wealth amid rising family expenses and lifestyle inflation.

The interview, which was originally recorded on YouTube and later shared on X, features software consultant Surya in conversation with mutual fund advisor Anshuman Sharma. In the discussion, Surya spoke candidly about his finances, monthly expenses and the difficulty of growing his investments despite earning an annual salary ₹45 million.

The clip once again caught the attention of social media users, with many weighing in on his spending and financial priorities.

‘I don’t know where my money goes’

Surya, who has lived in Bengaluru for the past 14 years and works as a software consultant, said his annual remuneration is ₹45 million. After taxes, however, his monthly salary is around ₹2.45 million.

Despite his income, he admitted that he often reaches the end of the month when he has little left in his savings.

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“The challenge I’m facing right now is that at the end of the month I don’t know where my money is going. I usually have nothing left at the end of the month,” he said.

He explained that his financial obligations increased significantly after his marriage and the birth of his son.

“After I got married and had a child, expenses caught up and I couldn’t increase the SIP significantly,” he added.

Where does the money go?

During the interview, Surya broke down his monthly expenses.

His biggest expense is the home loan EMI ₹63,000, which mutual fund advisor Anshuman Sharma pointed out was healthy as it was less than 30% of his monthly income.

Apart from EMI, Surya spends approx ₹11,000 every month for his son’s school fees, ₹12,000 on groceries and food while miscellaneous expenses amount to nearly ₹20,000.

Since the interview is about a year old, Surya later clarified a few numbers in the comments of the video after viewers questioned his expenses.

“1. Yes, my son’s tuition was 11k per month (including all expenses). The video is a year old. Now it is 12k per month. But 3l was not entry fees.”

He further explained the cost of admission to the school.

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“2. 80k was entrance fees (non-refundable). 1l was a mandatory deposit which earns 7% interest and can be adjusted in next year’s fees. Another 100k was first year fees. I had to pay about 2.85l at the time of admission to the school. Don’t mistake this for the entire admission fees.”

Surya also responded to criticism regarding the employment of domestic helpers.

“3. Having a maid isn’t a luxury. I don’t complain about my wife at all. I’ve seen some comments about my wife like why does she need a maid if she doesn’t earn.”

I don’t pay a bomb for a maid. Currently 3300. Helps clean the house, dishes.’

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The Internet shares its expenses

The renewed conversation drew sharply divided reactions online.

Some users argued that spending was a bigger problem than family income.

“This thing annoys me the most.

If you are not working or doing housework, what are you contributing to the family?

If she has free time, she can teach the child the basics instead of sending him to a terribly expensive preschool.”

Another questioned the cost of the school, writing:

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“Who pays that much for elementary schools? Even many private technical colleges are cheaper than this.”

Others believed that the interview pointed to poor financial planning rather than the impact of inflation.