In India, housewives or young girls are often unaware of how family expenses are managed or how the family’s business is run. Although things are moving towards the brighter side, there are still some places where a woman’s involvement in money matters is not considered important. However, it was different for Arya Anand, a member of The 1% Club.
Arya comes from one of those families that encourages women to be financially aware. In this interview with The 1% Club, Arya shares how her father’s forward-thinking values inspired her to become a better money manager. Edited Excerpts:
Please tell us a little about yourself.
I am Arya, 23 years old, and I graduated from Mount Carmel College, Bengaluru in 2021. I am currently working as an analyst at Schneider Electric. I love singing and making music covers during my free time. I also love traveling; it’s my second favorite thing to do.
Tell us a little about your family and why you chose your current career field.
I come from a middle-class family, and my father has been the sole breadwinner of our family. He always ensured that my brother and I received high-quality education and never put any pressure on us to achieve good marks or be top performers; he always wanted us to be independent financially and settle in life.
As an 18-year-old, I knew I didn’t want to do engineering because I wanted a job, and I knew I could get placed no matter which course I took. My father got me admitted to the best degree college in Bengaluru. I got placed with a high package at the age of 21, and within 2 years I had earned enough to fund myself for my master’s degree.
Could you share how your father’s support helped you walk toward financial independence?
My father has always been a strong pillar of support. In 2016, there was a point where my dad lost his job. It was one of the hardest times for us as a family. He had to borrow money from a friend to pay my school fees. Also, during my college days, I could see my father struggle with finances, and he wouldn’t tell us. Hence, my brother and I have always understood the value of money as we grew up.
In what other ways did your father encourage you to become financially independent?
Though he struggled with money, he ensured that I went on a path of financial independence from an early age. It’s not a specific moment; in fact, several incidents in my life that I witnessed my dad go through made me realize the worth of money.
How do you think your relationship with your father has contributed to your success and achievements so far?
My relationship with my father has been a place where I can be my true self; he has never forced me to do anything that he wants but let me pursue what I love and want to do. I have seen a lot of my friends pursue Btech or MBBS just because their parents forced them into it. And so, this is the best thing about him—that he doesn’t or never has forced his choices onto me, but let me choose my own way and find happiness in the things I do.
How has achieving financial independence impacted your sense of self-confidence?
Having a certain amount of financial independence so far has helped me have more control over my choices and time. And I believe this kind of freedom helps anyone improve their self-confidence.
Also Read – Meet Kritika Bhatia, an Architect Who Started a Coffee Chain With Just Rs 10 Lakh!
What resources from the 1% Club have helped your financial independence journey?
The 1% Club Community helps you learn better. The discussions over the community chat that happen frequently, the posts about trends in the market now, and the learning path created for personal finance mastery and stock market trading have helped me achieve good financial knowledge.
In your opinion, what role do mentorship and support networks play in empowering women to take control of their finances?
I believe money may not buy happiness, but it can definitely buy you freedom. As a woman, I understand how important it is to gain financial knowledge, as this reduces their dependency on someone and gives them more independence. Having a network like The 1% Club Community really helps empower and inspire more women to gain financial knowledge and freedom.
Want to learn the art and science of managing your money? The 1% Club can help. Details here.
Disclaimer: The above content is based on the information provided by Arya Anand. The 1% News doesn’t independently verify non-public data reported by interviewees.
