Living in a metro city and keeping a tight grip on expenses is never easy. High rent, daily commute costs, hanging out with friends and the pressure of keeping up a social life all add up, and most people assume that saving more means giving up their comforts. Bengaluru resident Akshay CN challenged that very assumption in an Instagram post. He explained that a person can save a solid amount every month without making any major change to their lifestyle, just by fixing a few everyday habits.
Akshay posted a video on his Instagram handle @bangalore_viral, captioning it about how he cut down his expenses in Bengaluru without compromising on his lifestyle. In the post, he listed 7 simple methods that any salaried person can easily adopt in their day to day life.
Choosing a home near the metro saved on daily travel costs
Akshay's first habit is tied to where he chose to live. Instead of picking an expensive or trendy locality, he prioritised staying close to a metro station. He says that while rent near the metro felt slightly higher at first, it drastically cut his daily spending on petrol, autos and cabs. He was also spared from getting stuck in traffic jams, which reduced mental stress and, over time, led to significant savings. In other words, the seemingly higher rent turned out to be a good deal once the monthly numbers were added up.
He put the brakes on mindless spending in the name of convenience
Quick commerce apps and instant delivery services that promise to deliver items within 10 minutes are hugely popular in Bengaluru. Akshay realised that this very convenience, whether it was unnecessary auto renewing subscriptions or small impulsive online purchases, was slowly wrecking his budget. Ordering something just because it would arrive in minutes was quietly costing him at the end of every month. He then completely stopped burning money every day in the name of convenience.
Unplanned outings turned out to be the costliest habit
According to Akshay, suddenly heading out with friends, going to a pub, or cafe hopping hits the pocket the hardest. He wrote, "Unplanned hangouts drain your bank balance far faster than people expect." This is why he started planning his weekends in advance. Stepping out with a set budget and plan cut down unnecessary spending on its own, while weekend fun stayed intact.
He stopped chasing every new gadget upgrade
Being an IT hub, Bengaluru's work culture carries its own kind of pressure, where seeing people around you buy the newest iPhone or the latest gadgets makes everyone want to do the same. Akshay kept himself away from this peer pressure and stopped upgrading his gadgets just to show off to others. He believes that spending based on actual need is a far smarter call than spending to keep up appearances.
He walked away from a show off lifestyle
Akshay says, "A lot of people here spend money just to look socially updated, not because they genuinely need those things." He completely stopped following this artificial, show off lifestyle trend. The moment he stepped out of that world of appearances, his monthly expenses came down by almost half. This shift shows how much of a difference it makes to focus on real needs instead of copying others.
He cut down eating out and started cooking at home
Ordering food from restaurants every day or eating out repeatedly not only empties the wallet but also harms health. Akshay started cooking at home instead of eating out daily. According to him, this one habit brought a dramatic improvement to both his health and his savings. The money that earlier went into eating out every week now goes straight into his savings.
It's good habits, not a bigger salary, that change your financial picture
Towards the end of his post, Akshay made the most important point of all. He believes that a bigger salary alone does not solve a person's financial troubles. If your spending habits are poor, no amount of income will feel like enough. To survive and build wealth in an expensive city like Bengaluru, having strong financial habits matters far more than a higher salary ever can.
For anyone who keeps complaining about their salary running out every month, these seven habits shared by Akshay are worth trying. None of them demand a big sacrifice or a compromise on lifestyle, just small changes to everyday habits that can open the door to a bumper saving every month.
