Are you still 'middle class'?

It’s not about how much money you have, but how you feel about spending it. Back in the day,  the ‘middle class’ had a comfortable life, thanks to government housing and cheap education.  Just that, you didn’t have much cash.

Middle class meant being frugal. You ate out once a year, gallivanted on LTC and were thrilled to bits by a fancy pencil box. Concurrently, you carefully saved and never ‘wasted money’. But then, something happened.

The middle class got rich. Propelled by IIT and IIM degrees into seven-figure pay packages, yet unable to spend with abandon.  Because.  The middle-class mindset is hardwired, it is in our very DNA. Here’s a checklist to assess how madhyam varg you still are:

1.  You routinely stay at 5-stars but still get appalled by the prices in the room service menu.

2.  You are tempted to take home those shampoo and conditioner tubes (even though you never actually use them)

3.  You feel a bit weird when hotel staff bow and offer to serve you.

4.  You can’t help overeating at the breakfast buffet.  

5. Your credit card bill looks scary, even though you have no problem paying it.

6. You are addicted to seeing an amount credited to your account on the 1st of every month. It’s your security blanket.

7. You pay a lot of tax and crib about it but secretly feel quite proud of your honesty.

8. You invest in stocks and mutual funds but still feel safest with FDs.

9. You make it a point to sell your raddi and earn that two hundred rupees.  

10. You open gifts carefully so you can reuse the wrapping paper.

11. You hoard plastic bags because who knows when they might come in handy!

12. Despite all this thoroughly middle class behaviour, your parents think you are a spendthrift.

Scoring (share it in the comments please!)

0-4: You are now part of the nouveau riche, my dear.  air kisses

4-9: You are slowly but surely getting there.

10-12: Shabaash - you are still decidedly middle class.  

P.S. Raddi is piling up, please sell it this week!!