Let me get one thing out of the way first: I didn't do this to go viral, or to become a better version of myself overnight, or because I read some aesthetically pleasing blog that told me to. I did it because I was slipping. Slowly. Quietly. Like when you're on a moving escalator, but it's going down and you're standing still. I'm Kunal. 23. Night shift CAD drafter. I sit in an office from 6:30 PM to 3:30 AM, mostly pretending to work while trying not to lose my mind. When you live like that long enough, the line between boredom and burnout gets real blurry. So I started tracking. Not because I wanted to change the world, but because I needed to feel like I still existed in it. Here's how it went down. The Setup No fancy apps. Just Google Sheets, a Notion dashboard, and a brain running on caffeine and chronic lower back pain. I picked 10 habits to track: Waking up before noon Not smoking Stretching for 15 minutes Drinking 3L of water 20 minutes of reading 1 new ...
I don’t take EMIs. Not for phones. Not for bikes. Not
even for the stuff I’ve wanted for years.
Not because I’m rich.
Not because I’m frugal.
And definitely not because I’m one of those minimalist finance influencers
drinking matcha under a bamboo roof.
It’s something I read once—years ago, somewhere
forgettable—but it stuck to my brain like a moral law:
“If you have to take an EMI for it, it means you can’t afford it.”
And honestly?
I’ve stood by it ever since.
📉 Why EMIs Feel Like
Emotional Debt
Here’s the thing I’ve noticed:
It’s not just the money that EMIs take from you—it’s the joy.
I’ve seen people buy something big on EMI—a phone, a car, a
bike—and for the first few weeks, sure, they’re glowing.
But then?
The newness wears off.
The product becomes just... a thing.
And yet—the payments remain.
Month after month, they’re still paying for something that’s
no longer exciting.
No longer special.
Sometimes, even slightly annoying.
That’s the part that gets me.
⏳ The Joy of Not Having
Something
On the flip side?
When I save for something, it becomes a ritual.
Each saved rupee feels like a step closer.
Each delay builds anticipation.
And by the time I finally get it—I don’t just own the thing.
I own the entire journey to it.
The money’s gone, sure.
But weirdly? I don’t feel the pain of spending it.
Because when you pay all at once, after saving, you’re not
just spending—you’re rewarding yourself.
The moment becomes clean.
No lingering monthly reminders.
No regrets.
Just a memory you paid for with patience.
🏍️ The Dream Bike Dilemma
Recently, I’ve been dreaming about a bike again.
Not just any bike—one of those dream machines from my school
days. A Dominar 400.
Or maybe the Interceptor I’ve obsessed over since I first heard its exhaust
note online at 2AM.
I could technically get one now.
Maybe take a loan. Stretch my 40k/month salary.
Get that instant high of riding out of the showroom, keys in hand, wind in my
face, and debt in my lungs.
But then I think:
- Do
I want this dream to be followed by 24 months of EMI-induced stress?
- Do
I want to resent this bike every time money leaves my account just for
owning it?
- Wouldn’t
I rather ride it guilt-free someday? Paid in full. Mine in every sense?
And the answer is always the same:
Yes. I want the freedom with the thing—not just the thing.
💡 What I’ve Learned
Money teaches you a lot when you’re not trying to spend it
fast.
Here’s what stuck with me:
- Instant
ownership steals long-term joy.
- Waiting
builds value.
- Desire
is a better fuel than debt.
When you don’t have something, it hurts.
But it hurts with purpose.
And when you do get it—finally, fully—it hits different.
On EMI, the happiness is short.
The payments are long.
When you save?
The pain is upfront.
But the joy lasts.
📌 Final Thoughts
I'm not anti-EMI because I'm anti-progress.
I’m just not willing to trade emotional freedom for financial pressure.
Everything I truly want?
I’ll wait for it.
Build toward it.
Own it when I’m ready.
Because nothing I love should come with monthly regret
baked in.
💬 Do you live by a no-EMI
rule too? Or have you found a way to balance it without regret?
Either way, I’m curious. Because for me—saving is a quiet rebellion. And it’s
the only kind I can afford right now.
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