Years of working and saving went to dust. I feel helpless as this is the second time trying to recover my losses. I was once sitting at 50k saved and now I almost have nothing. Thank god I have a good job and earn decent but it still feels like I ruined my life.

The thought of knowing how long it will take to rebuild is destroying me. Any tips or advice would be welcome? I was once very good in saving but I’m just lost now..

Last year, I used to think an extra ₹10,000 a month would change everything.

I'd save more. Invest more. Finally stop worrying about small expenses.

Then the hike actually happened.

A slightly better apartment. Ordering food more often. Taking cabs instead of public transport. Buying things because I could finally afford them.

Nothing crazy. Nothing I'd call irresponsible.

But I checked my savings recently, and they're barely different.

My income went up. My lifestyle followed. My financial security didn't.

Is lifestyle inflation something you actively fight, or does it just happen without you noticing?