Bengaluru techie earned Rs 18 LPA, but saved only Rs 3 lakhs: Then his one big decision boosted savings to Rs 90 lakhs

A Bengaluru-based software professional who was earning what many would call a solid salary found himself stuck with very little savings at the end of each year. His story, shared by Abhishek Singh on X, raises the question whether a risky decision can sometimes change one’s financial path. In the post, Abhishek Singh described how his friend was working in Bengaluru and earning around ₹18 lakh per annum. On paper, it looked comfortable. But real life was different.

As he wrote, “My friend was in Bangalore making ~₹18 LPA. Rent + family + flights home, he barely saved ₹3–4L/year.”

Between house rent in Bengaluru, financial responsibilities towards family, and frequent travel back home, most of the income went into regular expenses. By the end of the year, the savings were limited to around ₹3–4 lakh. For someone in the tech industry, this was frustrating. Growth felt slow.

The Decision that changed everything

Things changed when he decided to pursue a Master’s degree in the United States. It was not a small step. The total cost of the two-year MS program came to about $75,000. As mentioned in the post, this included roughly $55,000 in tuition and another $20,000 in living expenses. A major part of this amount was funded through a loan.

After completing the degree, he secured his first job in what was described as a mid-cost-of-living city, not in expensive hubs like San Francisco or New York. His compensation stood at $145,000 base salary along with a bonus of about $15,000.

According to the post, “After taxes he was taking home ~ $8.2k/month.”

Living Like a Student, Clearing the Loan

Instead of upgrading his lifestyle immediately, he kept his expenses low. The post detailed his monthly spending: $1,400 on rent with roommates, $450 on car and insurance, $400 on groceries, and around $600 on other expenses.



He focused on repayment. As shared, “He paid ~$4k/month towards the loan and closed it in ~20 months.” In less than two years, the education loan was fully repaid. This was possible mainly because he avoided lifestyle inflation during the early phase of his career abroad.

From Limited Savings to ₹90 Lakh

Once the loan was closed, his savings rate changed dramatically. The post states, “Now he saves ~$100k/year: maxes 401k ($23k), does ~$3k/month index funds, still spends ~ $4.5k/month all-in.”

By maintaining discipline and continuing a controlled spending pattern, his annual savings touched nearly $100,000. Converted to Indian currency, this comes close to ₹90 lakh a year, depending on exchange rates.

The post ended with a broader point: “If you think MS is always a bad choice, run the math for your case before rejecting it.”