Persuading yourself to be a saver

How to save enough for the future without being a miser

- ASHUTOSH GUPTA

Our Value Research team has expanded rapidly in the last couple of years and a lot more twenty-somethings make up our workforce. Our office's breakout area The Bailout' as we call it - is mostly buzzing with voices of excited youngsters huddled in animated conversations while they sip on their caffeine in windy Delhi mornings.

The other day, as I waited by the coffee machine to have my fill, I overheard this interesting conversation on saving and investing (what else!). Being the month of January, the discussion started with this tall, skinny youngster (who does some great work behind the camera) enquiring the others about the deductions and receipts they were filing with the finance team to save tax. They first chatted and ranted about taxes before the discussion took an interesting turn when this young girl, who joined the research team last year, proudly disclosed that she's been saving and investing more than 50 per cent of her take-home salary. Her statement drew different reactions - some were in awe, some looked at her with disbelief and a few others were simply curious to know where she was investing. But all of a sudden, the latest member of our design team, let's call her Rachna, declared, "Yaar main investing ki itni tension nahi leti. Kya main ameer marne ke liye paise ki bachat karoon?" (I don't make much effort to save. After all, what's the point in living a miserly life to die rich?) There was a momentary silence before the group burst into laughter. As I walked away, I could hear the discussion move to their struggles and successes with saving in their fading voices.