To celebrate Diwali this year, IWB thought it would be nice to hear stories of working women who are on their way to attain financial independence. If you are seeking a professional guidance on managing your money in a better way and becoming the Lakshmi of your life, our campaign Lakshmi’s Money Diary might just help you! 

We asked 5 Indian women to maintain a journal and record their everyday expenses for a week. After 7 days, our Finance Expert Priyanka Bhatia, co-founder Women on Wealth & WOW Money Gym, will study their spending habits and saving rituals in order to counsel them. Priyanka will reveal exactly what stops these women from becoming financially self-sufficient and how they can fix the problem.

But before we understand the limiting beliefs that hold most Indian women back, let’s introduce you to these working women who’re a part of our campaign.

Anita D’souza, a teacher at a govt. school in Mumbai

Age: 33

Salary: Rs. 39,000/- per month

Monthly Expenses (gas, electricity, miscellaneous): Rs. 10,000/- per month

Phone: Rs. 500/- per month

Transport: Rs. 1000/- per month

Babysitter: Rs. 2500/- per month

Child’s school conveyance: Rs. 1000/- per month

Monthly saving: Rs. 10,000/- per month

Introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a government servant and have been living in Mumbai for quite some time now. My husband is based in a different city because of his job and our 6-year-old daughter lives with me.

How do you think our campaign ‘Money Diary’ will bring a positive change to your life?

To be honest, I am very attentive when it comes to spending and saving. But there’s one thing I’d like Priyanka to advise me on. I want to learn ways in which I can make the future of my daughter financially secure.

What strategy do you follow to make sure you are saving a particular amount monthly?

I put a certain percentage of my salary into the Recurring Deposit account and that, I think, is one smart way people in every salary bracket must try.

(Recurring Deposit is a special kind of Term Deposit offered by banks in India which help people with regular incomes to deposit a fixed amount every month into their Recurring Deposit account and earn interest at the rate applicable to Fixed Deposits. Minimum Period of RD is 6 months and a maximum is 10 years.)

Do you take care of the house rent, etc.?

A long time ago, my husband had bought a house where my daughter and I currently stay. In this way, I save on the rent. We’ve another flat that’s put on a lease, so that adds up to the income. 

Lastly, would you like to share any money saving trick(s) with our women readers?

I’ve recently taken on to online shopping. I buy most of my daily use items and luxury goods from the online stores and believe me it’s helped me save a lot. Every time you click on an item, you think twice if you really need it. Even if you end up placing the order for an unwanted item, you can always cancel it and get a cashback. The best part is you get to see the billing amount before checking out and can remove the blind buys. There is no shame attached to it as there is no shopkeeper watching you do that at the last moment. *laughs*

Anita, who’s already a wise spender, is maintaining a money diary every day. Let’s see how Priyanka’s counseling make things better for her.

Click to read the stories of other participants Kruti Jhaveri, Yashita Ratra, Lavvanya Iyer.