'SIP is your EMI into your dreams': What Deepak Shenoy says on spend and save

Deepak Shenoy, CEO at Capitalmind Mutual Fund, in a post on X said learning how to spend wisely may sound odd, but it is essential. Shenoy, whose mutual fund recently launched its first new fund offer (NFO) -- Capitalmind Flexi Cap Fund, said the key is to minimise regret and avoid the nagging thought of “Oh God, I can’t believe I'm spending this much”.

He believes one must spend on what truly gives joy, not on what impresses others.

On the habit of saving, he said: “The SIP is your EMI into your dreams.” An EMI pays for past purchase, while a SIP can fund future goals. By treating a SIP with the same seriousness as an EMI, one steadily invest towards dreams such as travel and retirement.

Shenoy said saving does not always have to be a mutual fund, as it could just as well be a fixed deposit or even a savings account.

What, matters, Shenoy said, is the discipline, regularly setting aside money toward something one wants, knowing that one day, one will spend it all. That discipline too, is a muscle to build, Shenoy said.

On spending, Shenoy noted that for many who grew up in the 80s and 90s with middle-class constraints, the idea of planning to spend on luxuries, be it a pair of Manolo Blahniks or a lavish 10-day cruise, can feel uncomfortable. Due to this, he likened it to a muscle one needs to build.

To this, one X user wrote: "Spending is not the enemy of saving. The real flex is being financially secure and emotionally fulfilled while alive. No one really would care about a rich miser once you’re dead, anyways!."

Shenoy advises starting with the essentials: retirement savings, children’s education, emergency funds, and a house down payment. Once these bases are covered, whatever is left is free to spend—today, if it is for smaller pleasures, or tomorrow, if it is for bigger dreams.

Another X user wrote: "Took me years to realize saving isn't about deprivation, it's about freedom. Balance is the real financial superpower."