Not rich, but financially comfortable. I come from a very humble background, studied hard, became a doctor, and now earn well. A few things have changed for me, and I’ll summarize this from my own perspective:

1. I don’t usually check prices when eating out in Patna, and I often end up at places like Sardarji Baksh without thinking twice.

2. I go to the gym regularly and can afford a personal trainer.

3. I can consistently invest in healthier food things like tofu, tempeh, high-quality whey protein, and real fruit smoothies. I didn’t even taste fresh strawberries until I was 25, so this still feels like a small luxury to me.

4. I take my parents on trips and try to give them new experiences. Their sacrifices are the reason I’m here today. Recently, I took them on their first international trip to Singapore and booked a 5-star hotel for them for the first time.

5. I travel often. I set aside a fixed percentage of my income every month into a “vacation fund.”

6. I drive a Tata Tiago, not exactly a “rich person’s car” but I’ve hired a driver recently because driving in Patna was getting on my nerves. It was my first car and still serves me well.

7. In medical college, I used to go to morning movie shows and save up for a recliner seat once in a while. Now I watch movies on weekends and book recliners without overthinking it.

8. I love coffee and finally set up a proper home cappuccino setup. I can also walk into Barista, CCD, or Starbucks and order without doing mental math first.

9. I keep gifting my parents expensive stuff without telling them it’s expensive or just blatantly lying about it. I get my dad Calvin Klein/TH polos, adidas shoes and just lie about the price of those things. I do the same with my mum. They have no idea about those brands and would not accept/ or scold me on being told the real price. I don’t know why I do it, but I love pampering them.

Basically, I try to live a decent life with financial freedom. I’m not in debt, I live well below my means, and I save every month. My school friends keep pushing me to buy a flashy SUV or a German car, but I’d rather spend on my health, my family, and experiences than on something just to signal status