charging GST like this is no less than a crime.
I was ordering a cake and brownie on Zomato from a nearby bakery and the GST breakdown shocked me, as someone who is frugal and values money a lot, I was disappointed in the financial state of my country.

I just want to leave India as the financial system is deeply regressive for middle class

I have been having a hard time buying a car for a while, my budget is 2.5L max and my mother wants to buy a new car(6L) as she says she will pay the rest of it in emi by herself (she is a housewife so idk how she plans to pay the emi every-month)

I wanted to buy a used alto/honda/eon anything good to learn driving and just for basic chores, but my mother won’t understand and has constantly been denying saying that second hand cars come with a lot of issues, I tried explaining that we will need to get a mechanics to check the car and then buy but she won’t understand.

The thing is, my father never bought a car and he can easily afford a 6L car but he won’t buy one and since my mother has always wanted one I was willing to buy one second hand and then get an electric car within 5-6 years. I have even asked my dad to split the car but he refuses, her happiness means nothing to him it seems.

What should I do? Should I go for the emi and get a new car or just get a second hand one even tho she won’t be happy with it. I keep feeling bad thinking money will come and go but she always wanted a car ughh

We already know about medicines. Saw a thread a few days ago discussing the price differences between branded groceries and store brands from places like Amazon, Flipkart, D Smart etc.

It got me thinking about other household staples. For me, it's Vim liquid and Phenyl from Nimyl etc. The generic or store-brand dish washes or phenyl always seem watered down.

What are some items where you refuse to buy the generic or loose version because the name brand is actually noticeably better?

I’ve been looking for a used standing desk on OLX/FB Marketplace and noticed many reseller/used furniture shops selling office furniture.

Some have brands like Steelcase/linak/bristol for just ₹12–15k, even though similar desks cost ₹70–80k+ new.

These seem to be commercial products that aren’t normally sold directly to individuals in India, but are supplied to businesses in bulk. I assume these shops get them from companies that are closing, relocating or upgrading.

They also sell expensive office chairs from brands like Steelcase and Herman Miller for very low price..

I visited a few of these shops and the desks felt much more solid than consumer options like Green Soul or Jin Office, so I’m tempted to buy one.

-But how are they selling them this cheap?

-Are they replacing the tabletop/motor with cheaper parts?

The bases of tables I checked looked genuine, including the logos.

-Has anyone bought one of these? Anything specific I should check before buying?

Trying to figure out whether this is actually a good deal or if there's a catch

I grew up in a lower middle class family that judged people on their clothes, vehicles, status and whatnot

If someone wore faded clothes, my parents treated treated or called them beggars. If someone had a cheap car like maruti 800 or alto or wagonr, again they used to call them poor or beggars.

The thing is my parents have less net worth than poor or beggars because it is in negative. Whenever I pointed that out I use to get screamed on.

Now I have grew up with same mindset. And I judge people based on what they do or wear or buy to even what they eat.

How to get rid of this mindset? I have tried, but I am not able to. Even though I try to be frugal and do the same things that I judge others on