Bengaluru woman checks August expenses, stunned by Rs 1.8 lakh total: ‘Is this normal?’

A monthly expense check can sometimes raise more questions than answers. One Bengaluru woman found herself doing exactly that after going through her spending for August. What began as a look at her own finances soon turned into an online conversation about how differently people manage their money.The discussion brought out very different experiences. Some users felt the amount was reasonable, while others said they manage their monthly needs with a much smaller budget. A few also questioned what had been counted in the total.

She checked her August spending

Trisha Sidhwani, who lives in HSR, checked her expenses on September 3 to see how much she had spent during the previous month.“It’s 3rd September. I wanted to see my monthly expenses, so I saw them for the month of August,” Sidhwani said in a clip.The total shown was Rs 1.8 lakh.ID@undefined Caption not available.ID@undefined Caption not available.ID@undefined Caption not available.ID@undefined Caption not available.She then asked others about their own spending, saying, “This is how much I spent. Is this normal? I live in Bangalore, in HSR. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. But yeah, how much do you guys spend?”

Some commenters did not find it unusual

The response was mixed, with several users saying they considered the spending normal.One commenter looked at the figure from an income perspective and said, “My question is how much are y‘ll earning to be spending that much. I need to switch jobs ASAP.”Others were more direct.“It’s normal,” one user said.Another commented, “Seems pretty normal for those who live in Bangalore.”An HSR resident added, “Ya it’s normal. I’m also in HSR.”Some users also shared screenshots of their own monthly expenses. A few claimed that their spending had crossed Rs 3 lakh.

A few users questioned the calculation

Not everyone was ready to judge the amount without knowing what was included in it.One commenter said the figure could contain transactions that were not regular expenses, writing, “That’s not the correct way to check monthly expenses. It also includes money transferred to different self accounts, any investment etc not only expenses.”The comment suggested that a complete breakup would give a clearer picture of the actual spending.

Some said their budget is far lower

Other commenters shared figures that were nowhere near the amount discussed in the post.One person claimed to spend around Rs 15,000 a month while living in a 1BHK.Another wrote, “15K max I spend! 1RK me rehta hun! Bangalore isn’t that expensive as you folks are portraying! You might be spending beyond basic needs!”The difference between the figures shared by users highlighted how varied individual monthly budgets can be.

The comments also turned personal

The discussion eventually moved beyond housing and everyday expenses, with one user asking, “Is your expense more than your earning?”Another commenter reacted to the range of spending figures in the discussion with a joke: “Am I the only one who felt gareeb after watching this and reading comments here?”Disclaimer: This article is based on a social media post and the reactions shared by users in its comments. The views expressed by commenters are their own.Thumb image: Instagram