Why do you earn? To put food on the table, for the roof over the head. Of course, also on what kind of food and what kind of roof and tiles you want your money to buy. Lifestyle costs are an important part of the urban mass affluent life and need to be sustained beyond your working years. The income you bring home has three big goals: managing household costs, the future, and unforeseen circumstances.
Getting the mix right between living today and saving for the future is the subject matter of a full financial plan. But there are some rules of thumb that can tell you if you are on the right track. Mint spoke to financial planners to understand some ball park ratios that will tell you if you are doing okay.