Two doctors who were students together met after a long time. One was practicing in a lower middle class locality, had a great reputation for helping people, and of course not much money. The other doctor was a senior in a big international hospital chain and had the finest things of the world.

The rich doctor looked at his classmate and said “If you were working in our hospital you would not have to live just on daal and chawal”.

The other doc turned to him and said “If you learnt how to live on daal and chawal you would not have to work at this mnc hospital”.

Each one of us has to decide what one wants. Lots of money, lots of things, but tremendous work, time, ethics, morals pressure or a lot of time to smell the flowers. I guess it is in the medical profession that you see the highest standard deviation in income. I see doctors HAPPY charging Rs. 100 or even less – I am talking of specialists like pediatricians and even one cardiologist – practicing general medicine doing that. And I have seen doctors earning a few lakhs a month. Of course, to each his own.

Frugality is EMPOWERING.

I know many people see frugality as sacrifice. As a compromise – but I see many professionals trapped in big organisations and not knowing what to do. They are riding a tiger. Some of them are happy but worried, some of them feel trapped into a lifestyle that is gone beyond their control. Many of them still have a story..’I wish I had done this…or I wish I had done that…’ but today lack the energy, time and guts to try something new. Simplicity can be very powering and good fun.

The doctor in an MNC is just an example. Getting stressed, depressed, and constantly worrying about the pink slip is today the sign of a top corporate executive. How many of them can really simplify their lives and start living like their parents or others of that generation did?

One senior executive was in the airport wondering whether he was going or coming. He was expected to travel almost 20 days a month and the company did not respect his weekends or his personal time. He could not even find time to wonder whether it was worth doing all this.

I also see on the other side doctors who are more than satisfied with their income – and who are being lured (unsuccessfully) by big branded hospitals. There is nothing to say which one is better – both have their advantages and disadvantages. I meet doctors on both sides of the argument – those saying why a bigger hospital is better and those doctors who say a smaller hospital is better.

Now you take the case of a person in employment vs. a guy in his personal business. Again the truth is both sides of the story are good or bad depending upon your point of view….again it is simplicity and frugality which wins. I know one CEO of a big mnc earning about Rs. 4 crores a year. His expenses are about Rs. 12L a year. Now compare him to people earning Rs. 2 crores and spending 1.9crs. Who do YOU think is more empowered?