₹500 a Month. 18 Years. Here's What Happens.
Less than a family dinner out. Here's the math on what it becomes.
₹500 a month is less than a family dinner out. One OTT subscription. For most urban Indian families, it's genuinely affordable. So what does it become?
At 12% average annual return (equity mutual fund):
- ₹500/month → ~₹3.7 lakh at 18
- ₹1,000/month → ~₹7.5 lakh at 18
- ₹2,000/month → ~₹15 lakh at 18
- ₹5,000/month → ~₹37 lakh at 18
What does ₹37 lakh mean for an 18-year-old?
College without a loan. A 20s spent building, not repaying.
A head start most of their peers won't have.
The delay cost
Starting ₹1,000/month at birth → ~₹7.5 lakh. Starting the same SIP at age 5 → ~₹4.5 lakh.
₹3 lakh gone. Same amount invested. Just started later.
Compounding rewards time above everything else. The earlier you start, the more it works for you.
You don't need to start big. You just need to start.