'I do all the lifting': Man with ₹26 lakh income vents over money, marriage, and mental load

He earns ₹26 lakh a year but saves just ₹15,000 a month. Now his quiet resentment over carrying the full financial burden, while his wife hasn’t worked since their marriage, has gone viral, sparking debate over money, marriage, and modern expectations.

The story, shared by Chartered Accountant Piyali Parashari on LinkedIn, features a Gurugram-based software engineer whose high income is no match for his monthly expenses: ₹40,000 on rent, ₹30,000 on groceries and utilities, ₹16,000 on car EMIs, ₹20,000 sent to parents, and ₹50,000 on his child’s needs. By month’s end, he’s left with just ₹15,000 to save.

But it’s not just about the math. He says he’s drained—not by the job, but by the pressure of being the only one contributing financially.

His wife, who left her MBA incomplete, hasn’t worked in seven years. While he appreciates her role as a mother, he admits he expected some effort toward reskilling, working from home, or pursuing a passion. Instead, he sees “no plan, no ambition, not even a hobby.”

“I’m tired of doing all the heavy lifting—emotionally, financially, mentally,” he told Parashari.

The post touched a nerve, prompting a wider conversation about partnership, financial roles, and communication in marriage. Parashari highlighted three key takeaways:

• High income ≠ Financial security: Lifestyle inflation and fixed costs can devour any salary without structure.
• Partnership needs alignment: Contributions in a household can be financial or emotional, but both partners must agree on goals.
• Talk before committing: Conversations about income expectations, parenting, and roles should happen before marriage—or kids.

As the story continues to circulate online, it’s prompting soul-searching among young professionals facing similar pressures—earning well but feeling stuck, unheard, or unsupported at home.

“Whether you earn ₹6 lakh or ₹26 lakh,” Parashari wrote, “the fundamentals remain the same. Marriage isn’t about dividing roles—it’s about multiplying strength.”