Your father earned far less but built more wealth. Bengaluru CA explains how they turned their money into assets

A bigger salary is often seen as the ultimate marker of financial success. Yet many high earners today find themselves struggling to save, invest, or build long-term wealth despite bringing home far more money than previous generations ever did. According to Bengaluru-based chartered accountant Meenal Goel, the difference may not be income at all. Instead, it could come down to how money is used. In a recent social media post, she reflected on her father's financial journey and highlighted why many parents built stronger financial foundations despite earning significantly less.

Sharing her thoughts online, Goel wrote, "Your father was probably better with money than you," adding that this was true despite many parents earning only a fraction of what their children make today. The realization, she explained, came after looking at an old salary slip belonging to her father. His income, she noted, was nowhere close to the salaries many professionals earn now. Yet he managed to achieve milestones that remain difficult for many modern earners.

As Goel pointed out, her father was able to buy a house, raise a family, save consistently and eventually retire with assets. These accomplishments, she suggested, were achieved without the kind of salaries that are common in many urban jobs today. She contrasted this with the reality faced by many people earning between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 2 lakh a month. Despite higher incomes, many still struggle to accumulate wealth at the same pace.



According to Goel, the reason is that "the game changed." She explained that salary growth today often brings a bigger EMI, a better phone, additional subscriptions and a series of lifestyle upgrades. Instead of increasing net worth, higher earnings frequently lead to higher spending.



"For our parents, income growth usually became asset growth," she wrote. In contrast, for many people today, "income growth becomes expense growth." To underline the point, Goel observed that someone earning Rs 30,000 a month two decades ago may have created more wealth than a person earning Rs 1,50,000 today.


"The problem isn't income," she stressed. "It's where the income goes."

Ending her message on a personal note, Goel reminded readers that parents worked hard to give their children better opportunities. "They have raised us to be the best in the world," she wrote, encouraging people to use their money wisely and make financial decisions that create lasting value.