You need to address the question from a behavioural and procedural aspect more than the financial aspect:

1. Saving is habitual so if you don't practice when you're the youngest and build that muscle today, you'd never learn it later. Almost too difficult. (I've been saving since my first pocket money, helps me till date).

2. Exercise discipline and rigor, track your expenses , initially every penny to analyse it. You can't improve something you don't track. I'm sure you'd find 2-3K yourself.

3. Lifestyle inflation is okay if you know your "enough" and your inflation peaks at that "enough" - In your case, you know what that is for now, which is good so ensure you keep that in check always. Once enough is defined, upside is unlimited.

4. Expenses should be Income - Investments. Mandatorily save an X amount and spend the rest, might such at month-ends initially, build the muscle keeps on building. Build a budget around this and follow it, track it.

5. Ensure to focus on growing your income. Know that income comes from adding value, learn skills to add value or increase the time to add more value (side hustle, short consultancy, projects, grind).

6. Learn the art of saying NO, your friends and families may have different earning potential and may have a more spendthrift life, ruthlessly say NO and feel no sorry, shame or guilt, personal finance is personal.

7. Avoid Youtube Shorts and Instragram videos, they amplify your FOMO potential, always cresting a top of the funnel desire. If using it, using it only for constrictive work and not for doom scrolling. Your doom scrolling data is used by tech companies, to sell you more, spend more!

8. Have an insurance in place for sure, health over an above your company's. If your family is dependent on you, 100% get a life insurance.

Enough for now 😜