My status at now

 I, too, am one of the three, having started my career alongside Mr. Rao and Mr. Ram. My journey began in 1988 when I started working in Hyderabad. Back then, I led a simple, modest life, cooking my own meals and focusing on the essentials.

During my tenure at Engine Valves Ltd, I contributed ₹50,000 to my father for house construction, foregoing my share in the property and giving it to my brother. In 1991, I bought a 2400-square-foot plot of land in Anantapur for ₹12,000, which is now worth nearly ₹60 lakhs.

In 1996, I moved to ICF, withdrawing my PF from the previous company. With that, I bought 1800 square feet of land in Egattur (near Tiruvallur) for ₹20,000, which is now valued at ₹10 lakhs.

I have always believed in empowering women, and this belief guided my approach to family life. After marriage, I encouraged my wife to pursue a government job. My concept was simple—one child, one government job. In October 2000, my first daughter was born, and soon after, my wife secured a government job. Encouraged by this success, we went for our second child, and in May 2006, my second daughter was born.

In 2002, I, along with three other ICF supervisors, invested in a piece of land and built a two-bedroom house at Kolathur, measuring 990 square feet, at a cost of ₹6 lakhs(now it cost around 75 lacs). We managed to clear the loan within 10 years.

In 2012, we took on a second property, an individual two-floor house spanning 1200 square feet in Thirumullaiyvoyil, for ₹40 lakhs. We paid off this loan in just 9 years, and it now generates a passive income of ₹20,000 a month.

Throughout this period, I invested in my children's education, with my elder daughter’s coaching from 7th class to 12th class (Fiitjee) costing nearly ₹5 lakhs. Later, I spent ₹35 lakhs on her MBA at IIM. My wife, who was transferred twice—once to Bangalore and then to Hyderabad—was a constant support through it all.

As of now, our mutual funds amount to ₹23 lakhs, shares stand at ₹5.5 lakhs, my wife’s PF is ₹25 lakhs, and we have gold worth ₹15 lakhs. My own PF is around ₹7 lakhs. Together, we have been able to build a solid foundation for the future, with both of us holding pensionable jobs.

Looking at the positions of my two friends, I can say that, while I’m not wealthy, I am in a relatively good financial position. This success is a result of financial discipline and a consistent focus on savings. Even today, I do not own a car( it is depreciation assest) ; instead, I continue to use my 17-year-old two-wheeler.

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