‘Your salary isn’t the problem’: Advisor lists 4 habits that keep India’s middle class broke

Hardworking, salaried, and still broke? India’s middle class might be stuck not from low incomebut from bad money habits, says Dime founder Chandralekha MR.

In a LinkedIn post, Chandralekha called out four behavioural patterns that quietly trap the Indian middle class in a cycle of survival, not financial growth. “India’s middle class works hard, earns decently, and still struggles to build wealth. Not because of lack of income but because of lack of financial structure,” she wrote.

The typical pattern: salary comes in, bills and EMIs go out, and saving happens if anything is left over. “That’s not financial planning. That’s financial survival,” she added.

Chandralekha argued that most money problems aren’t about math—they’re about behaviour. Among the top culprits:

• Normalising debt: Credit cards and EMIs have become markers of progress, not red flags.
• Lack of buffers: With no emergency fund, one unexpected expense can wipe out years of effort.
• Buying for status: Homes, cars, and gadgets are often bought on credit faster than they’re earned.
• Irregular investing: Following trends instead of a plan leads to poor compounding and panic selling.

“Rich people earn more by following a structure,” she noted. Their formula? Safety > Stability > Freedom. That means saving before spending, clearing debt intentionally, and automating investments to ensure consistency.

“The day when middle class learns to treat systems with the same respect they give to salaries, that’s the day true financial freedom begins.”