In this edition of the reader story,  we meet 27-year-old Pretorius. He shares his mistakes, his redefined goals and how he tries to focus on the big picture and keep things simple. About this series: I am grateful to readers for sharing intimate details about their financial lives for the benefit of readers. Some of the…

As regular readers may know, we publish an annual personal finance audit every December – our  2022 audit was posted a few weeks ago. Since 2020 regular readers have been sharing their investment journey and portfolio reviews. Suhas was among the first to do this. He has graciously agreed to share the 3rd update on…

In this edition of the reader story, Gayatri takes us through her personal finance journey, and how she has gradually filled the gaps in her financial planning and is on track to achieving financial freedom. About this series: I am grateful to readers for sharing intimate details about their financial lives for the benefit of readers….

In this edition of the reader story, here is a short account of a person who achieved financial independence and quit his corporate job by age 46. For the last two years, he has been enjoying his FIRE status and working on select assignments. About this series: I am grateful to readers for sharing intimate details…

In this edition of the reader story, Mr Alam provides the most detailed account of his financial journey: From a net worth of Rs. 6000 to auto-pilot goal-based investing. About this series: I am grateful to readers for sharing intimate details about their financial lives for the benefit of readers. Some of the previous editions are…

In this edition of the reader story, 30-year-old Mr Yo (name withheld on request) explains in detail how he has systematically structured his money management and how he tracks his financial goals. This is a follow-up to his previous audit: How I track financial goals without worrying about returns. About this series: I am grateful to…

In this edition of the reader story, we meet Suresh Murugan. In Dec 2019, Suresh shared his first financial audit with us: I met with an accident the day I got married and learned key money lessons. Since then, Suresh’s life has changed for the better significantly. He published an update in Oct 2021: I felt…

In this edition of the reader story, 37-year-old Siva shares his financial journey from scratch in 2014 to a net worth of 18 times annual expenses. About this series: I am grateful to readers for sharing intimate details about their financial lives for the benefit of readers. Some of the previous editions are linked at the bottom…

In May 2021, we carried a reader story by Mr G – My net worth doubled in the last financial year thanks to patient investing! Mr G has kindly consented to provide an update and explain how the following financial year was one in which he achieved “investing nirvana”. About this series: I am grateful to…

We invite readers to share their personal finance journey as guest articles with our community.  Your experience and lessons learned will serve as a great inspiration for the DIY investing community. If you prefer, the article will be published anonymously. We are grateful to readers for sharing intimate details about their financial lives for the…

In this edition of the reader story, we meet Anand Vaidya who had earlier explained how he used RBI Retail Direct to buy govt. bonds and create an income source. In this detailed article, he shares his financial journey from growing up in a low-income household to financial independence. About the author: Anand studied E&C Engg, worked…

In this edition of the reader audit, Arka and Rupali share how they are trying to balance their personal aspirations like travelling and exploring new opportunities with their quest for financial independence. About this series: I am grateful to readers for sharing intimate details about their financial lives for the benefit of readers. Some of the…

In this edition of the reader story, we meet 30-year old Phanindra. He explains how his style of money management changed from buying interesting or apparently useful products to building a robust goal-based investment strategy. This is the 31st such article published here. About this series: I am grateful to readers for sharing intimate details about…

In this edition of the reader story, we meet a DIY investor who has transformed his approach to money management from making random purchases to a focused goal-based portfolio. About this series: I am grateful to readers for sharing intimate details about their financial lives for the benefit of readers. Some of the previous editions are…

In this edition of the reader story, we meet 31-year old GB. When family responsibilities were suddenly thrust on him, as a 24-year old, he realised his family had a five lakh debt to clear. He cleared it, arranged his sister’s marriage and his own marriage with proper planning and no debt. He is now on…