Growing up in a middle-class household is an economic reality driven by 'money management habits' that are both frugal and wise. While many try to hide it or overcome it with growing wealth, only a few own up to and understand it for what it is, a lifelong masterclass on financial literacy.
In a widely resonant LinkedIn post, HealthKart founder and CEO, Sameer Maheshwari reflected on how his middle-class upbringing shaped not just his values, but also his lifelong relationship with money that is a combination of frugality, resilience, gratitude, and above all, discipline.
His post struck a nerve with many Indians across different age groups, prompting a flood of comments from professionals across sectors. What emerged was more than nostalgia. It is a compelling portrait of an entire generation's unwritten guide to personal finance which is shaped by scarcity, strengthened by shared values, and polished through repeated practice.
Save First, Spend Later: The First Rule We Never Questioned
Before budgeting apps and financial planners entered the picture, the middle class followed a default rule: always save first. Not because someone told them to but because they had no choice. Salaries used to be modest but needs were many, and the buffer between comfort and crisis was often razor-thin. So families instinctively built habits that modern financial experts now prescribe as 'delayed gratification', prioritising savings, and avoiding debt unless absolutely necessary.
As Maheshwari wrote, "You never spend ahead of yourself." That simple belief is ingrained through experience and it has created generations of value-conscious spenders.
"Rs 10 pocket money felt like a mini salary. And god, the thrill of stretching it over a whole week. It made me value every rupee, even today," a user commented.
Minimalism as a Way of Life, Not a Lifestyle Trend
Today, minimalism is largely romanticised as an aesthetic choice. For the middle class, it was survival and a way to make best of all the resources they had.
Comments recalled festive shopping as a rare, celebrated event, not a monthly affair. School bags lasted years, shoes were passed down between siblings, and broken gadgets were fixed, not replaced.
One user summed it up poignantly: "We didn't just use things. We preserved them." Another reflected, "Frugality was not taught, it was lived. And now I question every impulse buy like it is a courtroom trial."
This attitude of resourcefulness or jugaad in simple terms translates into sharper decision-making skills in most aspects of life, from business, career settings to way of life. It's not uncommon to hear professionals say they still check five websites before making a purchase, not out of compulsion, but because that middle-class OS still runs quietly in the background.
Setting Financial Boundaries
If one looks closely, middle-class households are also often keen on setting financial boundaries. Whether it is saying "no" to overspending with friends, hesitating before ordering food delivery multiple days in a row, turning the lights off when not needed, or the quiet guilt of buying something unnecessary, these were not signs of deprivation but mindfulness that comes with an internalised discipline.
In the age of social media-fuelled comparison and instant gratification, this old-school caution can seem out of place. But as many pointed out, it also builds resilience, the kind that anchors you in a world constantly pushing you to spend more, faster.
More Gratitude and Less Entitlement
A user recalled on Maheshwari's post how even today a Rs 100 note tucked inside a Diwali gift card carries more emotional weight than a salary credit. The comment reflects something that most financial advisors stress on: emotional grounding in money decisions. It is the gratitude for what you have, earn and save that acts as a natural guardrail against reckless spending.
It also explains why so many people from middle-class backgrounds struggle with indulgences. As Maheshwari put it, even when one can afford expensive shoes, the urge to compare prices, hunt for discounts, and justify the purchase lingers. The indulgence, he says, is often "exploratory" - tried once, weighed against expectations, and often abandoned in favour of simpler, familiar choices.
Avoiding Risks and Practising Restraint is a Double-edged Sword
The conversation on the middle class and their frugal money management habits is not entirely one-sided, and in its favour.
Several users raised an important counterpoint: did growing up in a middle-class household make them too risk averse? With little to zero safety net, many felt their upbringing taught them how to survive but not how to take quantum leaps. Pursuits like entrepreneurship, career breaks or high-risk investments often felt out of reach for them, not due to lack of ambition but the perennial' fear of loss'.
Maheshwari, an entrepreneur himself, responded to this thoughtfully: risk is highest when there is nothing to lose, but breaking out becomes harder once you have built even a modest base, because the cost of failure feels too steep. This tension, between striving and securing, is a uniquely middle-class dilemma, especially now that many have moved up the economic ladder but carry their caution with them.
Passing It On, Or Not?
Perhaps the most emotionally charged thread revolved around parenting. Many professionals, who came from a humble middle-class background, confessed to struggling with how much to pass on. Having grown up with limits, they now find themselves offering their children a world without constraints and wondering if something essential is being lost in the process.
As one user wrote, "The wants of 'our' age have become the needs of theirs." The absence of hardship is a privilege, but also a blind spot. Teaching value in the absence of a 'scarcity mindset' is proving to be a complex challenge for some modern parents.
A Blueprint in Disguise?
Sameer Maheshwari's post opened a chorus of responses and drew something powerful: the positive aspects of the Indian middle-class mindset that often get overlooked in grand narratives of wealth and poverty.
From what is visible, the Indian middle-class didn't just learn to survive on less but they also turned it into a set of practices that can build lasting wealth combined with emotional and financial intelligence.
