A Reddit post recently went viral in which a middle-class professional shared his 12-year career and financial journey with utmost honesty and detail. In the post, the Redditor talked about his middle-class background and how he started his career with a paltry salary of Rs 7,000 a month. Despite all the challenges, the person went on to buy flats in two big cities — Noida and Bangalore. To buy these properties, he had to take loans worth more than Rs 1 crore. But surprisingly, at the age of 35, he is now nearly debt-free.
This Reddit user’s story is not just a motivation but also a practical money management playbook that every young working professional should read.
A person coming from a humble background, who started his first job in 2013 at a nominal salary, today at the age of 35 owns flats in two big cities and is also nearly debt-free. No high-paid degree, no foreign job. Still, thanks to discipline, timely decisions, and a strong financial mindset, he achieved all this.
This story can become an inspiration for many who want to create wealth even with limited income and aim to get freedom from debt before time.
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Small beginnings, big thinking
When this person started his first job in Noida in 2013, the salary was just Rs 7,000 per month. After some time, he went to Bangalore and did a technical course from CDAC, where he faced rejections from more than 45 companies. But he did not stop learning — and this became the foundation of his future financial journey.
The financial tips he got from a senior HR proved to be a game changer for him: “Consider savings like rent – mandatory every month.” One more advice he received was – “Stay away from credit cards – it is not a loan, it is a trap.”
With this thinking, he started keeping track of every expense, minimising the use of credit cards and staying away from wasteful expenditure.
The first glimpse of financial planning
Savings started with tax-saving FDs, in which he got a good interest of 8.75%. Gradually, he invested in SIPs and stocks as well and in five years, some investments gave returns ranging from 50% to 300%. There were mistakes too, but his habit of learning from each one did not stop him from moving forward.
His investment style gradually became a routine — saving every month, proper use of bonuses and a long-term perspective.
First house: Noida (2018)
By the time he decided to buy a flat in Noida in 2018, he had saved Rs 5 lakh. The new job gave him a joining bonus of Rs 1 lakh and a relocation allowance of Rs 1 lakh. His father helped with the down payment of Rs 7 lakh. He took a loan of around Rs 55–60 lakh for 25 years.
But here too, he set his terms — if he ever defaulted on paying the EMI, he would sell the flat. No emotional backup.
He had a rule of paying 14 EMIs every year (that means 2 extra). He used bonuses and extra payments to finish the loan quickly.
Also, he did not become just an EMI paying machine — he spent time with friends, traveled, partied, and enjoyed life.
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Marriage, return to Bangalore and a second home
In 2021, he got married. In 2023, when his wife was pregnant, she insisted that the child be born in their own home. Keeping this emotional aspect in mind, he found a second home in Bangalore and took a new loan of Rs 40 lakh. Along with this, he also took a car loan of Rs 10 lakh.
During the process of finding a house, he faced illnesses, breaks, but he did not give up. He chose the right property — looking at the balance of location, build quality and price.
Current status: Debt-free, self-reliant
He had a total of three loans — two home loans and one car loan — the amount of which was more than Rs 1 crore. But he has repaid 75–80% of the loan before time. If he wanted, he could have repaid everything today itself, but he has continued with the loan keeping in mind the tax exemption.
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What was the key to his success?
Made discipline a lifestyle: Never considered saving as an avoidable expense. Despite EMIs, the balance of life was not disturbed.
Be careful with credit cards: To avoid impulsive spending, credit cards were used only on important occasions.
Kept account of every rupee: Tracked every expense with a simple Excel sheet, which helped in keeping control over expenses.
Proper use of bonuses: Used the entire bonus or any variable income for loan pre-payment.
14 EMI rule: Paying two extra EMIs every year reduced the loan tenure and reduced the interest burden.
Basic but smart lifestyle: Eating at home, shopping from local markets, smart planning in travel—these are the things that helped him save a lot.
Wise investment in real estate: While buying property, he focused on location, construction quality and appreciation potential.
A lesson for every youth
This story is for millions of youth who think that it is not possible to do something big with a limited income. There was no shortcut here, nor any formula for quick riches. The point is just this — if you earn money and manage it wisely, make discipline a part of your life and think before spending, then even a big dream can come true.
No IIT, no IIM, no big brand job. With just patience, hard work and discipline, an ordinary working person achieved what millions of people today only dream about – a debt-free life and two houses of his own.