A colleague quit her job, went for a holiday abroad, and recounted tales of her adventures one day on a brief visit to office before she left to pursue higher education. After her departure, another co-worker remarked with some wonderment how such a thing would have been outlandish when he was younger. Because then, the idea was to get a job, hold on to it for dear life and put aside as much money as possible for a ‘secure’ future. But as Bob Dylan sang back in 1964, the times are changing, and the youth today has very different ideas of what to do with their hard earned money.
For design educator Arathi Cherian, checking out the newest restaurants in town and catching up on the latest movies is money well spent. Arathi, who lives with her sister, says she eats out at least three to five times a week. “I have to try all the new restaurants and most of my money is spent on such recreation. Another chunk is pocketed by Uber and autorickshaw drivers while the rest is distributed for rent and other such uninteresting things,” says Arathi. “It’s not that I don’t intend to have savings, I just haven’t got around to that yet,” she adds with a laugh.
At the same time, a game developer, who wishes to remain anonymous, invests almost 90 per cent of the considerable amount he earns from his work for international clients, back into his own upcoming game project. “We’re working on a large scale production that involves some complex technologies, and are hoping to release it by next year. Since this kind of work essentially requires a large budget, I take whatever I get from my other projects and pump it into this one,” he says.
But the most common theme that unites the young and the free is a desire to see the world. Fuelled by colourful pictures on Facebook and Instagram, finding picturesque and far-flung locales, packing a bag and taking off is all the rage now. “You see so many young tourists from abroad coming to visit India, but the reverse is still not happening much,” opines software engineer Rahul Nair. “With a little bit of planning and some research for cheap travel and accommodation, making a trip abroad or to other parts of the country is not difficult. The most important thing is to have the willpower to put aside money with a specific goal in mind. If that can be done, that’s half the problem solved.”
That is not to say that everyone has grand plans in mind for their money, as some still subscribe to the idea of saving up to ensure they have enough for a rainy day. Thomas George, a recent MBA graduate who now works at a financial consultancy, enjoys the peace of mind that money in the bank gives him. “I try and put aside something every month so that I don’t have to panic when the need arises. Of course that might mean skimping and struggling a little at the end of the month, but the reward is well worth it in my opinion. It gives me the freedom to make decisions with the knowledge that I have a financial safety net,” he says.
Rahul also says his father is among those who could not fathom to have such a mentality when he was younger, but that he is supportive of his son’s ambitions. “Not many people from the previous generation had the freedom to use their resources as we do, but they realise that nowadays, we have different ideas about what we want.”
For Shruti Pillai, a communications professional, travelling is an experience she is willing to sacrifice some comforts for. “I read a lot of blogs on how people save up money and travel across India and the world, and that got me to start putting aside a sum every month as well. The idea is to plan budget trips whenever possible. For me, each trip is a different experience, and it becomes even more special when you fund it yourself,” she says.
Their intentions are many, and far removed from what was the norm a few years ago, but today’s youth know what they want and do not hesitate to work towards their goals. It’s been half a century since Bob Dylan sang his song, but the times, they have indeed changed, for the better.
