When Ajay and Smita bought their first car, they discussed the EMI for hours and the parking for exactly one minute. The EMI was ₹14,500. The parking, they assumed, would simply happen.
It did not. The society charged ₹2,000 a month for a covered spot and a further ₹500 for the privilege of being told the spot was covered. Add fuel, insurance, servicing, tolls and the occasional car wash ordered under emotional pressure, and the real monthly cost crossed ₹26,000.
Smita made a table on a notepad titled “Cost of owning, not buying.” Ajay read it twice, then asked if the car could at least be counted as a family member. Smita said family members don’t need a service every ten thousand kilometres.
They decided to use the car for long trips and weekends, and the metro for office. The savings paid for a better insurance cover and a small emergency fund for repairs.
Ajay now explains to everyone that the price of a car is the first bill, not the last. Smita nods and updates the table, which has grown to include a line called “Ajay’s unplanned detailing.”