Bengaluru woman says she borrows Rs 30,000 a month amid unemployment
A Bengaluru woman shared a detailed breakdown of her monthly expenses while unemployed, sparking discussion on social media and drawing varied responses from users.
What does unemployment look like beyond job portals and rejection emails? For one Bengaluru woman, it looks like tracking every rupee spent and explaining it publicly. Her recent expense breakdown has since gone viral.
The discussion began after Nikita shared a video on Instagram detailing her January expenses after being out of work for seven months. Titled “January expense breakdown in unemployment”, the clip offers a transparent look at how the 30-year-old has been navigating her finances with limited income.
In the video, Nikita explains that her current financial support comes from a mix of parental help, withdrawals from an emergency fund, and small earnings through LinkedIn consulting. She openly reveals that she borrowed nearly Rs 30,000 from her mother during the month to cover her costs.
Breaking down her expenses, Nikita said her rent alone amounted to Rs 13,000, followed by routine bills including electricity, Wi-Fi, phone recharge, water and gas. Her food-related expenses totalled Rs 8,402, covering groceries as well as eating out. Transport costs added another Rs 4,284 to the monthly outflow.
She also spoke about healthcare-related spending and mentioned that she spent around Rs 5,000 on self-care services, including facials, waxing and massages. Other discretionary expenses included Rs 1,398 on shopping and Rs 1,331 on movies and outings with friends.
Watch the video here:
Despite being unemployed, Nikita said she continued to invest Rs 2,000 in Systematic Investment Plans (SIPs), though she admitted regretting spending Rs 800 on an astrology app, calling January “an expensive month”.
The video quickly drew attention on social media, with users reacting to her honesty. Several people shared similar experiences of unemployment, while others offered practical advice, including suggestions to explore online teaching opportunities as an additional source of income.