When people think about financial pressure, they usually think about EMIs. A home loan, a car loan or a personal loan — these are the obvious monthly deductions that families plan around. They are visible, predictable and easy to track. But the real pressure often comes from something less obvious: the “silent EMIs” of everyday life.
These are not loans from banks. Yet they behave exactly like debt, i.e., fixed expenses you cannot easily escape.
“People track visible EMIs. Home loan: Rs 40,000. Car loan: Rs 15,000. Total visible EMI: Rs 55,000. Clear. Documented. Measurable,” says CA Abhishek Walia, founder, Zactor Money. “But real pressure rarely comes from these. It comes from what I call silent EMIs.”
These are not loans taken from a bank, but regular lifestyle costs that quietly become permanent and difficult to reduce.
THE HIDDEN EXPENSES THAT DON’T LOOK LIKE DEBT
To explain this, Walia shares a simple example. Imagine someone earning Rs 1.2 lakh per month in hand. On paper, their loan EMIs may seem manageable. But their monthly spending does not stop there.
There are regular costs such as housing maintenance, school fees, insurance premiums, subscriptions, and lifestyle spending. Individually, these may seem reasonable. But together, they can add up to a large fixed amount.
According to Walia, these silent commitments can easily reach around Rs 47,000 per month in such a case.
“No loan statement. No EMI reminder. No credit score impact. But it behaves exactly like debt,” he says.
Unlike a bank loan, these expenses do not have a defined end date. Yet they must be paid every month, leaving little room for adjustment.
WHEN MOST OF YOUR SALARY IS ALREADY COMMITTED
When visible EMIs and silent EMIs are combined, the picture becomes clearer. For example, Walia shares, visible EMIs of Rs 55,000 and silent EMIs of Rs 47,000 bring the total committed amount to Rs 1.02 lakh. That means nearly 85% of the person’s monthly income is already locked into fixed expenses.
In other words, hidden debt can slowly take away your financial freedom. It increases stress and makes decisions harder. Over time, it quietly determines how much freedom you truly have.
A SIMPLE QUESTION BEFORE COMMITTING MONEY
Many people make financial decisions based only on whether they can afford them today. But Walia says it is equally important to think about whether those decisions can be reversed later.
“That’s why before taking on any new financial obligation, I ask clients one simple question: ‘How reversible is this decision?,” he says.
If your income falls or your life situation changes, can you reduce that expense? Can you pause it without major disruption?
These questions become important when making long-term commitments such as moving into a more expensive home or taking on recurring lifestyle costs. If the answer is no, it may become a long-term financial burden.
FINANCIAL STRESS BUILDS GRADUALLY
Major financial problems rarely come from a single decision. Instead, they develop slowly through multiple small choices that increase monthly obligations. Over time, these silent EMIs reduce financial freedom and increase dependence on steady income.
“And the less room you have to move, the heavier every month starts to feel,” he adds.
The message is simple, i.e., before upgrading your lifestyle or committing to new monthly expenses, think not just about whether you can afford them today, but whether you can live without them tomorrow.
