Your first job teaches you more about money than your MBA ever will - expert tells you why

No classroom, degree, or textbook can match the financial education your first paycheck delivers. According to CA Abhishek Walia, it’s not the MBA but the Monday-to-Sunday grind of a salaried life that teaches you the real value of money. It begins the moment you see that Rs 50,000 credit hit your bank account—only to find Rs 4,000 left by the third week. That’s your first crash course in budgeting. You learn that “take-home salary” doesn’t mean “spend-it-all salary.”

Then comes the reality check of rent. That sobering moment when you realise a third of your income is gone before the month has even started. It's not a line item on a balance sheet—it’s a monthly reminder that adulting costs money.

The lessons don’t stop there. The day your SIP date arrives and your bank account’s already empty, panic sets in. It's not about whether investing is right or wrong—it’s about not being broke on the 5th of every month.

There are things no MBA curriculum can teach: the guilt of impulsively swiping your card right after payday, the slow pride of watching a fixed deposit grow over time, or the strange regret that comes from spending Rs 500 on late-night biryani when you know you’ll feel the pinch later.

These aren’t financial theories. They’re lived experiences—complete with emotion, embarrassment, and the occasional Excel spreadsheet fail.

Walia says these are the real money lessons—messy, unpredictable, and entirely yours. If you’re in your 20s and constantly feel like you're making financial mistakes, you’re not alone. You’re not failing. You’re learning.

The smartest move? Don’t ignore the patterns. Watch how you spend, when you spend, and why you spend. Build a system that works for you. And then tweak it, one month at a time.

Personal finance isn’t about perfection; it’s about awareness. Your first job is less about salary growth and more about a money mindset. Whether it’s setting a Rs 5,000 limit for weekends, automating your savings, or just learning to say “no” to that third coffee—every small move counts.

Walia leaves you with a simple challenge: reflect on the biggest financial lesson your first job taught you. Because that moment—that mistake or win—is likely more valuable than anything printed in an MBA textbook.