Diwali. Two lakh bonus. Cousin's question.
Why does the bonus money feel different from the salary money? Same person. Same rupees. Same bank account. The brain labels them differently, and the compounding pays the bill for the difference.
200000Rs
Bonus . spent today
TV upgrade. Weekend trip. Treat yourself. Gone by Monday. The brain calls it found money.
VS
60lakh
Same rupees . 30 years . 12 pct
The thirty year invisible bill on the same two lakh deployed at a twelve pct long run. Thirty times the splurge.
The brain calls the bonus rupee found money. The compounding calls it the rupee you never gave back. One Diwali envelope. Thirty years of foregone growth.