Scarcity vs Abundance Mindset: Why Same Salary Feels Different for Different People
A middle-class guide to stop feeling “less” when you actually have “enough.”
Bunny’s School Admission Panic
“Uncle…” Bunny barged into my living room like a man escaping a stampede.
“…School Admission season is going on. One parent is putting their kid in an IB school for ₹5 lakh a year. Another is sending their child to the best school of this town! Meanwhile, I’m just trying to get my Son into the local CBSE school… Am I a bad father?”
I put my chai down and smiled,
“Bunny, this isn’t about your Son’s school or his education. This is about your school of thought.”
The Problem - Life Feels Like a Race You’re Losing
Bunny was running on scarcity mindset fuel - the belief that life is a fixed-size cake:
If someone else’s kid gets a better school, your child’s chances shrink.
If your cousin’s wedding has a bigger buffet, your own marriage menu feels “simple.”
If your office colleague buys a flat in Gurgaon, your Noida 2BHK suddenly feels like a matchbox.
This mindset makes you:
Focus on what you don’t have
Live in constant “What if I fall behind?”
Hoard money “just in case”, instead of using it to grow
Emotionally? Anxiety, jealousy, and that permanent tiredness of competing with invisible people.
My Advise
“Bunny,” I said, “life is not a wedding hall where only 200 people can fit. Life is more like Delhi Metro - if one train is full, another will come within 2-5 minutes.”
Abundance mindset means:
Believing there are enough trains (opportunities)
Celebrating when others get on first - because you know that your train will also come
Looking for ways to grow your own ‘Apple Orchard’ and not guard the last fruit left
The Plan: “3-Steps Mindset Shift (3-SMS)”
Step 1: Change the Questions You Ask
Scarcity question: “Why don’t I have this?”
Abundance question: “How can I get there?”
Example - At a wedding, instead of thinking, “We can’t afford this 5-star hall,” think, “How can I make my 2-star hall feel like a 5-star memory?”
Step 2: Spend Guilt-Free on Priorities, Not Peer Pressure
Middle-class guilt is like an invisible EMI. Remove it.
Invest in things you value.
Step 3: Practise Micro-Generosity
Give tips to the security guard without overthinking. Help your neighbour with online banking.
Sharing creates an “I have enough to give” signal to your brain.
The Benefits - Bunny’s New Middle-Class Wins
Within a month:
Bunny stopped stressing about buying an SUV just because his neighbour upgraded.
He spent on a small family holiday guilt-free instead of saving every rupee.
He started congratulating friends for their wins instead of secretly feeling like their success took something from him.
Transformation - Bunny 2.0 in Delhi Metro
One evening, in a jam-packed Delhi Metro, Bunny saw a man get a seat he was eyeing.
Old Bunny would’ve fumed all the way to Rajiv Chowk.
New Bunny just smiled, leaned against the door, and said, “My turn will come. Until then, enjoy the ride.”
Some more Middle-Class Filters:
Scarcity Mindset
“Life is a fixed cake”
Compete with neighbours
Hoard money & time
Peer pressure spending
Jealousy at weddings
Fear of risks
Avoid change
“Not enough”
Abundance Mindset
“Cake can be baked again”
Learn from neighbours
Share money & time
Priority-based spending
Joy at weddings
Smart, small risks
Open to new ideas
“Plenty of possibilities”
Reader = Hero
If Bunny can shift from “What if I lose my share?” to “How can I grow my share?”, so can you.
It’s not about earning crores - it’s about feeling rich in the train, at the market, and in your own home, because you are the Hero of your own story.
Bunny called me after his Son’s first month at the local CBSE school.
“Uncle, the kid’s happy, I’m happy, and I didn’t have to sell a kidney for fees.”
I laughed,
“Bunny, that’s abundance.”
“You are not small because of your income - You will become small when you think small.”
When did you last catch yourself thinking like scarcity Bunny instead of abundance Bunny? Comment below - we’ll share laughs over Tea.
See you My Hero, every Sunday at 09:15 AM.
Hope this blog adds real value to your long-term investing journey.
If YES, Maybe you treat Uncle with a cup of Tea?
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Any person referred to in this post is purely coincidental. The characters, names, and situations mentioned are for illustrative and educational purposes only and are not intended to represent any real individual.
‘Investing Uncle’ is NISM Series V-A Certified (Mutual Fund Distributor’s Certification Examination) conducted by National Institute of Securities Markets (NISM)
Investing Uncle is not SEBI/AMFI Registered.