What if your salary isn’t very high, but your savings are? That’s the story of a 25-year-old IT professional from Bengaluru who says discipline, not income, helped him build a portfolio of over Rs 20 lakh in just a few years.
Sharing his journey on Reddit, the
“A bit of background. Grew up in Bangalore in an upper middle class family. Got an entry level IT job, fresh out of college. Been working in the same org for almost 3 years now,” he wrote.
His salary started at around Rs 4–5 lakh per annum and gradually rose to Rs 8–9 lakh. While the income growth was steady, it wasn’t extraordinary. What made the difference was how much he chose to save.
Despite a moderate income, he managed to invest most of what he earned.
“I am able to invest around 80-85% consistently every month without controlling my spends too much. I still enjoy and i go on trips regularly on my own dime,” he shared.
Living with his parents helped him keep expenses low, while his main spending remained limited to travel and occasional weekend outings.
Over time, his investments spread across multiple assets.
“Equity Mutual Funds – 2.77L, Direct Stocks – 4.27L, US Stocks – 6.3L, Savings A/c + debt funds – 6.14 EPF – 75k,” he detailed.
His total portfolio now stands at Rs 20.23 lakh. In addition, there is around Rs 9 lakh in PPF in his name, contributed by his parents, which he has kept separate from his own calculations.
For him, the milestone is more about discipline than numbers.
“These numbers might seem small or large to people based on their circumstances, but the purpose of this post was to keep myself accountable and show people that you can save and invest even with a low salary,” he wrote.
He is now preparing for his first job switch and aiming for better opportunities ahead.
“I hit the milestone of 20L portfolio value. But my journey still has a long way to go onwards and upwards,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Reddit user’s journey highlights a simple idea, i.e., you don’t always need a big salary to build wealth. Starting early, keeping expenses in check, and staying consistent can go a long way.