CA shares one simple money hack that could grow into crores before emotions kick in

Building wealth isn’t about chasing the perfect stock tip or timing the market. CA Nitin Kaushik shared on X that the smartest money decisions happen long before emotions take over. The moment your salary hits the account, your brain starts allocating it for spending, upgrades, or “just this once” treats. By automating your finances, you remove temptation, create discipline, and let your money grow silently, giving time the heavy lifting. Small steps repeated consistently often outperform clever one-time moves.

Kaushik emphasises that instead of relying on monthly self-discipline, automating the first 20–30% of income into tools like SIPs, index funds, debt prepayments, and an emergency buffer creates compounding power. The CA claims that, for example, investing Rs 15,000 every month at an approximate 10% annual return for 25 years can grow into around Rs 1.9 crore, showing how consistency outweighs brilliance. Money that is never consciously “seen” is rarely missed, and lifestyles adjust surprisingly quickly when automation is in place.

The approach isn’t about making huge sacrifices every month—it’s about one clear, repeated decision. By setting it once and letting it run, investors can focus on long-term growth while avoiding emotional spending traps. According to Kaushik, this method turns a simple habit into a powerful wealth-building engine, proving that patience and planning are often more effective than short-term cleverness.

Managing savings

CA Nitin Kaushik shared a lesson on long-term wealth using a salary example from 2018. A young professional received a Rs 12 lakh annual bonus and spent most on lifestyle upgrades—gadgets, vacations, and a car down payment. Fast forward 6–7 years, and that same amount, if invested in a diversified equity fund across large- and mid-cap stocks, could have grown to over Rs 45 lakh. Kaushik highlights the emotional cost: short-term pleasures fade, but loans and EMIs linger. He stresses that financial regret often comes not from bad investments but from money that never had a chance to grow.