A Reddit post by a 24-year-old software professional in Mumbai has struck a chord with India’s middle-class youth, echoing a familiar frustration: even with a solid income and savings, real financial comfort remains distant.

The user, earning ₹25 lakh a year, had planned a Dubai trip to mark his parents’ 40th wedding anniversary. But his father pushed back, questioning the idea of spending ₹4 lakh on a vacation amid economic uncertainty and deeper generational concerns about financial security.

Despite having ₹25 lakh in personal savings and estimating total family savings at ₹1 crore, the young man’s father warned against complacency. He pointed to looming expenses like a ₹40 lakh wedding, the possibility of relocation, and Mumbai’s steep housing costs — with rents for a 2BHK nearing ₹50,000 a month.

More than the numbers, it was a question of outlook. The father reflected on decades of hard work across generations that still hadn’t translated into what society defines as success. He feared that even a stable job could no longer guarantee a secure future, especially with technological shifts like AI threatening job stability.

“Life is tough when you’re building it with your own hands,” the user wrote, capturing the burden of first-generation wealth creation. His post has sparked widespread online discussion, with many resonating with his experience and questioning whether India’s middle class can ever achieve lasting financial freedom without inherited assets.