New Delhi, Oct. 13 -- For young earners in their early 30s, building wealth can sometimes feel like a choice between enjoying life today and securing the future. Social media often reinforces the idea that financial success means aggressive saving, cutting back on everything from dining out to holidays, or finding the next big investment opportunity. It does not have to be that way.

Wealth creation is less about extreme frugality and more about building the right financial habits early. The biggest advantage is not necessarily a high salary, but the number of years available for money to grow.

Consider two investors who invest Rs.5,000 every month and earn an assumed annualised return of 12%. If one starts at 25 and the other at 35, the...