Hard to say no, soiree!

Youngsters today clearly love to party (or so it seems). Enter any club post 9 pm and you will find yourself surrounded by 20-somethings chattering loudly and looking like they are having a whale of a time. But is that really the case, or just a cover up? Or a simple case of peer pressure of living the high life?

For youngsters who don’t live with family in the city and have to manage expenses on their own, situations can get a little tricky. “My friends and I meet up almost every week, despite our busy schedules.”

There are new pubs opening around town everyday. We hang out at some of the most popular places in town so it’s not hard on our pockets. I barely have any money left to spend at the end of the month because of how much I spend during the week. And every time I go out, I end up spending not less than Rs 2,000 which makes it difficult for me because I live in a PG and have to manage my own finances. Most of my friends are from the city, and I know they will not understand the problems I face so rather than trying to explain it to them, it’s easier to just go with the flow” Reshmi Mitra, a 22-year-old marketing employee.  
But it’s not only youngsters who live in PGs who experience such situations. A lot of people who want to save, still can’t because they don’t know how to explain it.

“I go out with my friends every week, mostly because I want to, but also as I end up meeting them even when I don’t feel like it as they keep pestering me and teasing me. I have lost track of how much I’ve been spending. But, it’s not easy to say no to your friends as it is important to maintain relationships. Also, coming up with a reason is difficult. It’s embarrassing to say things like ‘I can’t spend so much money’ or ‘I’m trying to save up and hence need to spend less,’ and things like that as then they’ll say things like ‘dude you’re still young you don’t need to save up now’ and they basically won’t understand since everybody goes through different circumstances,” says Suraj, a sales employee.  

These metro-dwelling 20-somethings spend a major part of their salaries, trying to keep up with the lifestyle they believe is essential. “I know people who blow up their salaries in days on menial things like ‘makeovers’ and have to survive on the minimum for the rest of the month. I have a friend who consumes alcohol every single day. It’s crazy. He and his room-mates all have well-paying jobs and visit expensive nightclubs on weekends but also purchase alcohol and sip it like water during dinner. I have tried to talk them out of it but they refuse to listen.

After looking at the situations they are in, I have decided to manage my finances and taken conscious effort to start saving money by opening RD’s and FD’s,” says Emunah Cornelius, a 23-year-old content writer.