💰 Financial Goals & Money Strategy ​
Build wealth. Create freedom. Multiple income streams. Financial independence.
🎯 Financial Vision ​
🔥 Immediate Goal: Land 1 Lakh+ Per Month Job ​
This is priority #1 for financial stability. Everything else builds from here.
Why 1L+/month Matters ​
Job Hunt Strategy ​
Phase 1: Build Credibility (Jan-Mar 2026)
- [ ] Complete AZ-104 certification
- [ ] Solve 100+ LeetCode problems
- [ ] Contribute to FRP (open source visibility)
- [ ] Build Go projects on GitHub
- [ ] Update resume with recent achievements
- [ ] Optimize LinkedIn profile
Phase 2: Market Preparation (Mar-Apr 2026)
- [ ] Research target companies
- [ ] Startups (higher pay, more responsibility)
- [ ] Product companies (good balance)
- [ ] Consulting (travel, varied work)
- [ ] Study system design
- [ ] Practice behavioral questions
- [ ] Prepare STAR stories from work
- [ ] Get referrals where possible
Phase 3: Active Applications (Apr-Jun 2026)
- [ ] Apply to 10-15 companies per week
- [ ] Target roles:
- DevOps Engineer (Senior level)
- Platform Engineer
- Cloud Engineer
- SRE (Site Reliability Engineer)
- [ ] Salary expectation: 12-15 LPA minimum (1L-1.25L/month)
- [ ] Track applications in spreadsheet
Phase 4: Interview & Negotiate (As offers come)
- [ ] Ace technical rounds (LeetCode pays off here)
- [ ] Ace system design (practice scenarios)
- [ ] Ace behavioral (STAR method)
- [ ] Negotiate offers (never accept first offer)
- [ ] Compare: salary + learning + growth + culture
Target Companies (Examples) ​
| Type | Companies | Salary Range |
|---|---|---|
| Startups | Razorpay, CRED, Slice, etc. | 15-25 LPA |
| Product | Microsoft, Adobe, Atlassian | 18-30 LPA |
| Consulting | Thoughtworks, Hashicorp | 15-22 LPA |
| Cloud-native | Freshworks, Postman, etc. | 15-25 LPA |
Reality Check
Getting a 1L+/month job requires:
- Proven skills (certs, projects, open source)
- Interview skills (LeetCode, system design)
- Market timing (apply when ready)
- Persistence (rejections will happen)
Start prep now. Apply in Q2. Land job by Q3 2026.
💼 Income Stream Diversification ​
Current Income Distribution (2026) ​
Target Income Distribution (2027) ​
Target Income Distribution (2028+) ​
💸 Freelancing Income Plan ​
Target: 50k/month by end of 2027
Service Offerings & Rates ​
| Service | Hourly Rate | Monthly Potential |
|---|---|---|
| Kubernetes Setup & Migration | ₹2,000-3,000 | 40-50k (20 hrs) |
| CI/CD Pipeline Design | ₹1,500-2,500 | 30-40k (20 hrs) |
| Terraform/IaC Development | ₹1,500-2,500 | 30-40k (20 hrs) |
| Cloud Architecture Review | ₹2,500-4,000 | 50-60k (15-20 hrs) |
| Infrastructure Cost Optimization | ₹2,000-3,500 | 40-50k (15-20 hrs) |
Alternative Pricing: Fixed-price projects (e.g., K8s cluster setup: ₹80,000-1,50,000)
Freelancing Timeline ​
Milestones:
- Q2 2026: Setup complete, first client acquired
- Q3 2026: 3 projects completed, ₹20k/month
- Q4 2026: Regular clients, ₹30k/month
- Q1 2027: Established, ₹50k/month
📺 Content & Passive Income ​
Start when: Freelancing is stable (late 2026/early 2027)
Revenue Streams ​
| Stream | Type | Timeline | Potential |
|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube (Manim tutorials) | Ads + Sponsorships | 2027+ | 10-30k/month (at 50k+ subs) |
| Udemy/Own Courses | One-time sales | 2027+ | 5-15k/month |
| Technical Writing | Medium, Dev.to | 2026+ | 2-5k/month |
| GitHub Sponsors | OSS support | 2027+ | 1-5k/month |
💵 Money Management System ​
The 50-30-20 Rule ​
Needs (50%): Rent, food, utilities, transport, insurance Wants (30%): Entertainment, dining out, hobbies, gadgets Savings (20%): Emergency fund, investments, goals
For 1L/month Income ​
| Category | Allocation | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Needs | 50% | ₹50,000 |
| Wants | 30% | ₹30,000 |
| Savings | 20% | ₹20,000 |
For 1.5L/month Income (Job + Freelance) ​
| Category | Allocation | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Needs | 50% | ₹75,000 |
| Wants | 30% | ₹45,000 |
| Savings | 20% | ₹30,000 |
📈 Investment Strategy ​
Phase 1: Build Emergency Fund (Priority) ​
Target: 6 months of expenses in liquid funds
If monthly expenses = ₹50k, emergency fund = ₹3 lakh
- [ ] High-interest savings account
- [ ] Liquid mutual funds
- [ ] Fixed deposits (short-term)
Emergency Fund First
Do NOT invest in stocks/crypto until you have 6 months emergency fund. This is non-negotiable.
Phase 2: Regular Investment (After Emergency Fund) ​
Investment Allocation (of 20% savings):
| Asset | Allocation | Purpose | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mutual Funds (SIP) | 40% | Long-term wealth | Medium |
| Stocks | 30% | Growth + learning | High |
| FD/Debt Funds | 20% | Stability | Low |
| Crypto | 10% | High risk/learning | Very High |
Recommended Mutual Funds (Examples - Do Your Research) ​
- Large Cap: HDFC Top 100, ICICI Pru Bluechip
- Mid Cap: Axis Midcap, Kotak Emerging Equity
- Small Cap: SBI Small Cap (aggressive)
- Index: Nifty 50, Nifty Next 50
- Debt: Liquid funds, short-term debt
SIP Amount: Start with ₹5,000-10,000/month, increase as income grows
🎯 Financial Milestones ​
Year-by-Year Targets ​
2026:
- [ ] Land 1L+/month job
- [ ] Build ₹3L emergency fund
- [ ] Start ₹10k/month SIP
- [ ] Earn first ₹10k from freelancing
2027:
- [ ] Freelancing: ₹50k/month consistent
- [ ] Total income: ₹1.5L/month average
- [ ] Invested: ₹5L+ total
- [ ] 3 income streams active
2028:
- [ ] Masters fund: ₹30-50L saved
- [ ] Total income: ₹2L+/month
- [ ] Net worth: ₹10L+
- [ ] Passive income: ₹10-20k/month
🎓 Masters Education Fund ​
Target: ₹30-50 lakh by 2028
Cost Breakdown (USA Example) ​
| Item | Cost (Approx) |
|---|---|
| Tuition (2 years) | ₹40-60L |
| Living Expenses | ₹20-30L |
| Insurance, etc. | ₹5L |
| Total | ₹65-95L |
Funding Strategy:
- Personal savings: ₹30-50L (from job + freelance + family)
- Education loan: ₹20-40L (if needed)
- Scholarships/RA/TA: Offset costs during Masters
Savings Plan ​
If saving ₹30k/month for 24 months = ₹7.2L If saving ₹40k/month for 30 months = ₹12L
Plus:
- Freelance income saved: ₹10-15L
- Existing savings: ₹5L
- Family contribution: ₹10L (if possible)
Total by 2028: ₹30-40L achievable
📊 Monthly Finance Tracker ​
Income & Expenses Log ​
| Month | Primary Income | Side Income | Total | Expenses | Saved | Invested |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2026 | ||||||
| Feb 2026 | ||||||
| Mar 2026 | ||||||
| Q1 Total |
Net Worth Tracker ​
| Date | Cash | Investments | Debt | Net Worth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2026 | ||||
| Jun 2026 | ||||
| Dec 2026 | ||||
| Jun 2027 |
💡 Money Mindset & Rules ​
Non-Negotiable Rules ​
- Track every rupee - Use app (Money Manager, Walnut, etc.) or spreadsheet
- Pay yourself first - Savings happen on payday, not month-end
- No lifestyle inflation - When salary increases, save the difference
- Debt is enemy - Avoid consumer debt (credit cards, personal loans)
- Emergency fund is sacred - Never touch except real emergencies
- Invest for long term - Don't panic sell, don't try to time market
- Learn continuously - Read about finance, investing, taxes
Money Habits ​
Good:
- Automated SIPs (set and forget)
- Meal prep (saves money + health)
- Used/refurbished electronics when possible
- Free/open-source tools first
- Generic brands for basics
Bad (Avoid):
- Impulse buying
- Subscription creep (cancel unused)
- Eating out daily
- Keeping up with others
- Get-rich-quick schemes
📚 Financial Education Resources ​
Books:
- "The Intelligent Investor" - Benjamin Graham
- "Rich Dad Poor Dad" - Robert Kiyosaki
- "The Psychology of Money" - Morgan Housel
- "Let's Talk Money" - Monika Halan (India-specific)
Subreddits:
- r/IndiaInvestments
- r/FIREIndia
- r/personalfinance
Channels:
- Zerodha Varsity (free investment education)
- CA Rachana Ranade (YouTube - investing basics)
- Freefincal (blog + tools)
✅ Financial Health Checklist ​
Monthly:
- [ ] Track all expenses
- [ ] Review budget vs actual
- [ ] Check SIP deductions
- [ ] Any unnecessary subscriptions to cancel?
Quarterly:
- [ ] Review net worth
- [ ] Rebalance portfolio if needed
- [ ] Tax planning check
- [ ] Are financial goals on track?
Yearly:
- [ ] File taxes (on time)
- [ ] Review insurance coverage
- [ ] Update financial goals
- [ ] Celebrate wins!
The Real Goal
Money is not the end goal. It's a tool for:
- Freedom - Work because you want to, not because you have to
- Security - Take care of yourself and family
- Opportunity - Masters abroad, start a business, take calculated risks
- Impact - Help others, give back, create value
Build wealth to create freedom. Not to impress others or buy things you don't need.