Meet a Reader | Sonal, from India
I was delighted when Sonal emailed, offering to answer the reader interview questions. I just think it's so fun to know that the community here is made up of people around the globe!
The internet is a grand thing.
Here's Sonal:
1. Tell us a little about yourself
I am Sonal and I am from Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), India.
It's the heart of India and exactly in the centre of India.
And I completed my education (Bachelor of Engineering) from Bhopal itself.
For my job, I shifted to Mumbai and worked in an IT company and I am currently staying here in a joint family setup with my 4 yr old daughter.
2. How long have you been reading The Frugal Girl?
I think from 2009/2010. One of my company's clients was US-based and I was searching for some frugal tips on that network (VPN) and found The Frugal Girl.
So now I feel that I have been associated with Kristen virtually for the last 11-12 years.
3. How did you get interested in saving money?
When I started my job, I was staying in sharing basis but there was no saving.
Whenever I had to shift house or due to job change (here we won't get the last one month salary if we are on notice period) and joining a new company (again month gap), there was no salary and I had to ask my parents to give me money for 2 months as expenses (rent, food, travelling) were there and I needed money for all those things.
So I thought, "It's time to save money. I can't keep asking my family for money whenever there is no salary for 45/60 days."
I started reading a lot about personal finance and followed lots of blogs (personal finance).
4. What's the "why" behind your money-saving efforts?
FIRE.
I am saving and investing so that I can be financially independent and can leave my job and do what I like a lot.
5. What's your best frugal win?
Having a family who shares similar thoughts.
Doing lots of DIY during the pandemic.
6. What's a dumb money mistake you've made?
Giving money to a family member and thinking the family member will return it is the dumbest mistake of my life.
I don't know when I will get my money back and that amount is quite big. If I ever do get it back, it will help me as a downpayment for my future house.
7. What's one thing you splurge on?
I buy lots of cosmetics but never use them as my skin is extremely sensitive and most of those products don't suit me.
I still buy lots of subscription boxes and half of those items just go in the trash once expired.
8. What's one thing you aren't remotely tempted to splurge on?
Costly and fancy handbags.
As I stay in Mumbai and my office is a walking distance (1 mile) from my home, I generally go by foot.
And in the evening, I buy lots of veggies and fruits from the local market before heading home and for that, backpacks are best.
A market similar to mine, from this Facebook page
And I have only one handbag which I use when I wear any traditional dress.
9. If $1000 was dropped into your lap today, what would you do with it?
I would save it, and will splurge on the interiors of my future house.
my home decorated for my brother's wedding
10. Share a frugal tip with other Frugal Girl readers
A few are:
- Don't waste food
- Always pay bills on time
- Always do grocery shopping with a list.
- Meal prep (I learnt a lot about that in Pandemic)
- Follow 3 R's: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.
11. What are some things that are different about frugal living in India vs. other countries?
I think it's mostly the same, but I think since labor is cheap in India, we don't use machines a lot,; we mostly hire someone and get it done by them.
Like, Cleaning, Dusting, Dishwashing, and Clothes washing.
We do use washing machines for heavy clothes but still, the dishwasher is not much in use.
The concept of cooking large meals and storing it in the freezer and reuse it later is not here.
We store corn, peas in the freezer for year-long usage and prepare tomato ketchup in bulk when tomatoes are a few cents per kg.
We still cook all 3 meals fresh and from scratch daily.
You have stores like Costco, Aldi. We have Dmart, Big Bazaar, Metro, etc. but fresh and local vegetables/fruits are best from those small vendors and I still prefer to buy from them, as we help them to earn money and run their business.
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Sonal, I loved reading about your life in India, and I really love the pictures of your daughter. She's so cute! Thank you so much for sharing with us.
Thank you Sonal, that was really interesting!
I hope your family member pays you back, lending money to family can get very tricky.
@Emma,
Yes , even I hope too. Yes , I have learnt life lessons hard way.
Sonal, this is fascinating! I love that you can walk to work. Thanks for a peek into your frugal life!
@BJS,
Most welcome.
and thanks , you liked it.
Hi Sonal, It is always so note resting to read about lifestyles in different countries.My biggest extravagance has been my grandchildren , only one still at school now ! My favourite economy is sharing things like power tools, sewing machine, etc . If things are only used a couple of times a year, it makes sense to own different things and share! Here in Queensland, Australia, we have had very few COVID losses, I wish good health to you and your family.
@Coral Clarke,
Thanks
Yes , even we share kitchen gadgets which we use like once or twice in year during festivals (Diwali and Holi ) with neighbours/friends as everyone need for 1-2 hours max in whole year.
It’s nice to meet you and be given a little insight to life in India. Although our cultures and lives are different, it amazes me that some of the basics of a frugal life in your country —such as meal planning— are remarkably similar to those in the United States. I wish you the best on your quest towards FIRE.
@Bee,
Thanks, I will definitely ask Kristen ,if I can share my frugal tips with everyone here.Those might me useful and helpful for some of us.I have a very big list of tips 🙂
@Sonal,
I absolutely would love to read your tips. Your whole interview was fascinating and I’m ready for more!
@Johanna,
Thanks , I will ask Kristen , if she will approve , would love to publish my frugal tips with all.
Sure, that would be great! You can email them to me and I can put them into a post.
Hi, Sonal! That photo of your daughter in the green dress is so perfect. Also, I would LOVE to wander that market that you get to walk through every day. Thank you for all the pictures!
@kristin @ going country,
Thanks for your lovely comment.
Those markets not only sell vegetables , fruits .
Also stuff like Spices , handicraft items , Household stuff (like hangers, Clothbrush , buckets ) and raw clothes ( which can be used to make any item at home like cushions and all) in very less price.
Fascinating! Everyone I know who's visited India loved it, and it's definitely on my travel list. And your daughter is the absolute cutest!
@Rose,
Thanks.
Please do visit India once this pandemic is over.
That reminds me: How are things with the pandemic where you live in India? Are you under a lot of restrictions right now?
@Kristen,
Yes , lots of cases were there , lost few friends due to covid.
But now its better , we are vaccinated with 1st dose, second is due in October.
Only essential shops (like Milk , Grocery etc ) were allowed to open for 4 hrs in a day .Now all shops are open from 6 am to 6 pm .
Sonal: I really enjoyed your post and learned a lot, especially about housing. Your daughter is adorable. Great to see what your local market looks like, too. Thank you for sharing your life!
@MB in MN,
Thanks a lot for your lovely comment.
Nice to meet you Sonal! In my job I work with lots is operations staff based in Bangalore. It is interesting to learn about our different housing situations especially since our staff has been working from home for the last 18 months. I hope your family has been able to stay healthy this year!
@Susan,
yes , even I am dong WFH since March 2020.
It was tough initially but its manageable now.
Kristen, thank you for doing your international series. They have all been so interesting. It is good to be reminded that people are the same all over the world.
@Ava,
Thanks for your lovely comment.
I quite enjoyed this Sonal......and I have two questions.
1. What do you do for childcare while you are at work?
2. It sounds like you must change jobs often. Why is this?
Thanks for sharing with us.
@Anne,
1. I stay in joint family setup , so my Mother in Law takes care of her when I am in office. And my office is nearby , so in case of any emergency , I hardly needs 10 minutes to reach home by Auto rickshaw or public transport.
2. No , I am in same company for more than 10 years. its due to client location . If my client changes , office changes , I change my house. Since I used to stay in sharing basis (before marriage) , its easy to shift as I hardly have 2-3 bags to shift.
Loved meeting you Sonal!! Thanks for sharing.
@Jennifer Y.,
Thanks a lot for your comments.
Thank you for your comments, Sonal! I have a family member who has lived in India for several years and he loves the people and the land in his area.
I always find it interesting that in so many places, shopping every day for food is normal, while in so much of the U.S., shopping no more than once a week is normal. I think I assumed that shopping daily meant one wouldn't really plan a menu ahead, but I see I am wrong. That's why I enjoy meeting other readers - I learn so much in addition to getting to "meet" the people. I admire your goal of FIRE.
Thank you for your lovely pictures, too. It's been a pleasure to meet you.
@JD,
I think a lot of the shopping stuff depends on how urban an area you live in. When I first got married, I was surprised at how skimpy my NYC inlaws' fridge and freezer was. Unlike those of us from suburbs (forget about the country), they could just walk downstairs and pick up whatever they felt like for the evening's meal very easily. It didn't involve driving anywhere, so they never bothered planning ahead very much.
Sonal, I have never traveled abroad (for that matter I don't travel much domestically either) It is very interesting to read about your life in India.
Hello Sonal,
Thank you for sharing about your life and your frugal tips. I loved seeing your pictures! That market looks incredible, and your daughter is so cute! India is definitely on our bucket list as a travel destination once the pandemic is over.
Take care,
Beth
That was so interesting! Thank you for sharing, and I hope your family member does wind up paying you back. And your little daughter is so sweet!
Sonal, so glad you shared with us! Your daughter's henna is amazing! I haven't had it done in many years but I so love it and may need to seek it out again!
Hi Sonal,
Thank you for sharing about your life, your frugal tips, and the photos. Your daughter is beautiful.
Do you eat mostly vegetables? Eating meat is very common here but I find it can be very expensive if you buy the best quality meat possible so we are eating less of it now. Some of my favorite vegetables are cucumbers, green beans, and sweet potatoes.
@AnnieH,
Thanks for you lovely comments.
I can say I am eggeterian( Vegetables + eggs). I don't eat meat/chicken.
Vegetables cost around (in Mumbai where I stay) - Rs 10 to Rs 50 (included almost all) per kg
Fruits Rs 100 to Rs 300 per kg ( included almost all) .
Hi Sonal,
Thank you for sharing. I enjoyed learning about the housing situation where you live. Very different than things in my part of the states. Your market looks amazing and I love that you have easy access to it for daily shopping.
I would love to shop at the outside market! We have farmer's markets here, but ours tend to be quite expensive and I cannot find most of what I need due to lack of vendors. I do have a question I didn't understand. Why are you not paid the last month or the first month of a job? Do they roll it into your yearly salary or is it back paid? That almost sounds like you work for free for 2 months? I just didn't quite understand how that works. Your little one is adorable!!
@Michelle,
Here , when We resign , generally company stops last 1 month salary.
They release it with full and final settlement.
So it used to take 45-60 days.
And when we joined new company ,normally people take 10-15 days break between joining , So u will get next salary after that month.
We get monthly salary .
I heard in US/Canada , people get salary after every 15 days.
@Sonal, Thank you for sharing your story! I loved the house decoration for your brother's wedding.
Being paid every month, or twice a month, depends on the employer in the U.S.
And I've read multiple articles saying that some U.S. companies are going to switch to paying after every shift. I have to wonder if that might cause some financial problems for some people who are not good at saving; would they manage to put enough in the bank to cover the lump sum of rent or a car payment? The once or twice a month payments do sort of act as forced savings.
I do like the idea of immediate reward for working, though!
@Kristen, Interesting: For me, every-shift payment would be quite an adjustment, as it would seem like small amounts that would be easy to waste.
My last employer before my retirement paid every two weeks and wanted to switch to monthly, simply because it would cost less for HR to run the payroll for a few hundred people only once a month instead of twice. The lower paid hourly employees rebelled, probably in part because the transition to the new timing would have been a hardship for them, with many having little in savings. State law supported the employees deciding how often they would be paid, for reasons still not clear to me.
Hello Sonal,
That picture of your daughter being careful of her fresh henna is so perfect!
I envy your market, especially everything unexpected that you described there when replying to Kristen @ going country. I'd love to hear more about your frugal tips in a future article, especially when it comes to reducing, reusing, and recycling. I find it fascinating that what qualifies for the the three R's can vary wildly from culture to culture, and even from person to person--we've all so much to learn from one another! I look forward to hopefully hearing more from you.
Thank you for doing this series, Kristen! Even when I don't have time to comment, I always enjoy reading about other frugal folks and their journeys.
I love this series and Sonal your contribution was so interesting.
I loved the picture of your daughter in the green dress. The look on her face was priceless.
And the market picture was so colorful. I would love to walk through your market with you and you could help me pick out things, especially the spices.
My daughter and son in law traveled to India before the pandemic. And we loved seeing their pictures when they returned. One of her favorite things was she took a cooking class and loved what they made.
Thanks again for sharing.
Loved reading this! The picture of the market makes me wanna go there!
Wow ,I'm very late on this post as I was very busy from last few days and could not read many posts but it warmed my heart to see a fellow indian although I don't live in india anymore. I found Kristen's blog while searching for some recipe in 2014 I think and love it. Being indian we have always been frugal but it was so exciting to see her doing similar things to save money like using odd ends of bread ,which I saw many people threw ,using envelopes again and many more. I absolutely love your blog Kirsten. Not only for frugal tips but also it kind of taught me how to be more thankful for all God has given to me .
Oh, I'm so glad you enjoyed the interview!
Really enjoyed reading this and hearing about the similarities and differences in frugality as practiced in different places. It does sound like a lot of the same ideas apply. And your daughter is adorable!!
I loved the picture of the street venders. I wish I could just stroll there.
Huh, I must have been on vacation and missed this -- so much fun to read about your life far away and to see your beautiful little girl. I would LOVE to shop in your market! Thanks for sharing this with us and good luck with FIRE!!