'Debt free, disciplined & content': CA shares timeless middle-class money lessons to financial peace
One enduring principle, according to him, was simple yet powerful: Buy only what you can pay for in full. Avoiding unnecessary debt, skipping credit cards, and choosing patience over instant gratification, he said, saved millions of households from financial turmoil.
- Nov 3, 2025,
- Updated Nov 3, 2025 9:49 PM IST
In a reflective post on X (formerly Twitter), Chartered Accountant Nitin Kaushik delved into the wisdom ingrained in Indian middle-class households — lessons that, though often dismissed as old-fashioned, remain deeply relevant in today’s fast-paced financial world.
“I grew up hearing my father say, ‘Paise dikhane ke liye nahi, sambhalne ke liye hote hain,’” Kaushik wrote, adding that what once seemed like outdated advice has proven to be the foundation of real wealth — discipline. “Wealth shown is temporary, but wealth grown is permanent,” he explained.
Kaushik noted that the middle-class approach to money was never about showing off — “no flexing cars or watches,” he said — but about seeking financial peace, not EMIs. This philosophy, he added, is what allows many middle-class families to sleep better than those earning ten times more.
One enduring principle, according to him, was simple yet powerful: Buy only what you can pay for in full. Avoiding unnecessary debt, skipping credit cards, and choosing patience over instant gratification, he said, saved millions of households from financial turmoil.
Kaushik also highlighted how traditional investments like gold and land were rooted in emotional and social security rather than pure financial returns. “A few sovereigns of gold meant confidence — not greed,” he said, adding that land ownership symbolized izzat and belonging, not just property value.
While modern times have shifted priorities — with liquidity and cash flow now seen as more valuable than assets — Kaushik believes the essence of these teachings remains unchanged. “These lessons weren’t about making you rich overnight; they were about ensuring you never fall poor again,” he observed.
Concluding his post, Kaushik reminded readers that while earlier generations may not have mastered the stock market, they understood something more powerful: how to live debt-free, content, and steady. “That’s real financial intelligence,” he said.
In a reflective post on X (formerly Twitter), Chartered Accountant Nitin Kaushik delved into the wisdom ingrained in Indian middle-class households — lessons that, though often dismissed as old-fashioned, remain deeply relevant in today’s fast-paced financial world.
“I grew up hearing my father say, ‘Paise dikhane ke liye nahi, sambhalne ke liye hote hain,’” Kaushik wrote, adding that what once seemed like outdated advice has proven to be the foundation of real wealth — discipline. “Wealth shown is temporary, but wealth grown is permanent,” he explained.
Kaushik noted that the middle-class approach to money was never about showing off — “no flexing cars or watches,” he said — but about seeking financial peace, not EMIs. This philosophy, he added, is what allows many middle-class families to sleep better than those earning ten times more.
One enduring principle, according to him, was simple yet powerful: Buy only what you can pay for in full. Avoiding unnecessary debt, skipping credit cards, and choosing patience over instant gratification, he said, saved millions of households from financial turmoil.
Kaushik also highlighted how traditional investments like gold and land were rooted in emotional and social security rather than pure financial returns. “A few sovereigns of gold meant confidence — not greed,” he said, adding that land ownership symbolized izzat and belonging, not just property value.
While modern times have shifted priorities — with liquidity and cash flow now seen as more valuable than assets — Kaushik believes the essence of these teachings remains unchanged. “These lessons weren’t about making you rich overnight; they were about ensuring you never fall poor again,” he observed.
Concluding his post, Kaushik reminded readers that while earlier generations may not have mastered the stock market, they understood something more powerful: how to live debt-free, content, and steady. “That’s real financial intelligence,” he said.