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

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

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

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

'I Don't Know Where My Money Is Going'

Surya, who has lived in Bengaluru for the past 14 years and works as a software consultant, said his annual compensation is ₹45 lakh. However, after taxes, his monthly take-home salary is around ₹2.45 lakh.

Despite the income, he admitted that he often reaches the end of the month with little left to save.

"Right now the challenge that I'm facing is that at the end of the month, I don't know where my money is going. I usually don't have anything left at the end of the month," he said.

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

"After I got married and we had a child, the expenses caught up and I couldn't significantly increase my SIPs," he added.

Where Does The Money Go?

During the interview, Surya broke down his monthly expenses.

His biggest outgoing is a home loan EMI of ₹63,000, which mutual fund advisor Anshuman Sharma pointed out was healthy because it accounted for less than 30% of his monthly income.

Apart from the EMI, Surya spends approximately ₹11,000 every month on 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 several figures in the video's comments after viewers questioned his spending.

"1. Yes, my son's school fees was 11k per month (includes all costs). The video is a year old. Now, its 12k per month. But, 3L was not admission fees."

He further explained the school admission expenses.

"2. 80k was admission fees (non-refundable). 1L was a mandatory deposit which earns 7% interest and is adjustable in next year fees. The other lakh was first year's fees. I had to pay around 2.85L at the time of school admission. Don't mistake it for entire admission fees."

Surya also responded to criticism over employing domestic help.

"3. Having a maid is not a luxury. I have no complaints whatsoever on my wife. Saw some comments against my wife like why does she need a maid when she doesn't earn.

I'm not paying a bomb for the maid. Its 3300 currently. She helps clean the house, utensils."

Internet Divided Over His Spending

The resurfaced interview triggered sharply divided reactions online.

Some users argued that the family's spending choices, rather than income, were the bigger issue.

One user wrote:

"This thing annoys me the most.

If you don't work or do domestic work, what are you even contributing to the family?

If she has free time, she can just teach the kid basic stuff instead of sending him to an uber expensive kindergarten."

Another questioned the cost of schooling, writing:

"Who pays so much for elementary schools? Even many private engineering colleges r cheaper than this."

Others felt the interview highlighted poor financial planning rather than the impact of inflation.