Looking rich vs Being secure: How these small habits matter before that big house, Rs 1 cr in expenses

Financial freedom is often described as a finish line. A crore in savings. A house without a loan. A better car. A higher salary. The assumption is simple: once a certain number is reached, freedom automatically follows.  

But this framing misses a quieter truth. Financial freedom rarely arrives with a big milestone or a one-time decision. It builds slowly, through daily behaviour, long before bank balances look impressive.  

The shift toward financial freedom usually begins at a subtle moment — when spending decisions stop being influenced by comparison. As chartered accountant and finance educator CA Nitin Kaushik points out, freedom begins when money is no longer spent to match what others post online, but to strengthen long-term security.  

The emotional reward also changes. Short-term excitement from “looking rich” gives way to long-term peace from becoming financially stable. Kaushik describes this as a move from instant dopamine to lasting calm — a transition that often goes unnoticed until it’s well underway.  

Ratios that quietly signal control  

According to Kaushik, one of the clearest indicators of this mindset shift appears in personal financial ratios. When monthly EMIs fall below roughly 25-30% of income and investments consistently rise above the 20-30% mark, the balance of power changes.  

At this stage, more money flows toward ownership and assets rather than liabilities. This invisible shift, he notes, is where control truly begins — even if outward lifestyle changes remain minimal.  

As a result, small financial choices start to feel bigger. A ₹5,000 SIP can carry more emotional weight than a ₹5,000 dinner. Not because spending stops being enjoyable, but because watching money grow quietly becomes more satisfying than spending it publicly.  

Why freedom is built through boring consistency  

Kaushik emphasises that financial freedom is rarely the result of dramatic moves or viral money hacks. Instead, it is built through what he calls “painfully boring consistency”:  

• Spending grows slower than income  
• Investments run on autopilot  
• Money is tracked even on lazy days  
• “Quick-profit” illusions are avoided  
• Backup income skills are developed while nobody is watching  

There is little excitement in this process. But over time, discipline compounds far more reliably than motivation.  

Single reversal that changes outcomes  

Among the habits Kaushik highlights, one stands out as transformative: reversing the order of saving and spending.  

Moving from “I’ll save what’s left after spending” to “I’ll spend what’s left after investing” may sound like a small shift, but it can change entire life trajectories. Systems begin to replace willpower, and consistency replaces motivation.  

Money, in this framework, becomes a tool — not a leash. Kaushik is clear that true financial freedom does not mean unlimited spending or luxury without limits. Instead, it looks quieter and more grounded. “That calm is the real luxury,” Kaushik notes — not cars, brands or lifestyle posts. Financial freedom does not wait at ₹1 crore, arrive at a certain age, or magically unlock at retirement. It begins the day money stops controlling emotions and habits begin controlling money.