How I bought my Volkswagen Virtus GT at 23 years old. My Story and Challenges.

Career and Income Strategy

In 2022, the presenter began as a security-team (red-team) intern at Zoho, earning about ₹20,000 per month—approximately ₹2.4 lakh per year. They concluded that this income would not make a roughly ₹24 lakh sedan attainable in a reasonable timeframe, so they began looking for higher-paying opportunities.

Hike recruited on campus for a remote role paying about ₹20 lakh per year, including bonuses. More than 400 candidates competed for one position. After preparing for two weeks, the presenter was selected for the full-time role and says their take-home income was about ₹1.3 lakh per month.

Career takeaway: Compare compensation and growth prospects with personal goals, and deliberately prepare for high-upside opportunities. The presenter’s experience is a single case, not a guarantee that changing employers will produce similar results.

Saving and Purchase Planning

The presenter estimated that a ₹7–8 lakh down payment would make the car loan’s monthly payments more manageable. Their initial savings were only about ₹50,000–₹60,000. After joining Hike, they saved aggressively—reportedly around ₹1 lakh per month from their ₹1.3 lakh monthly income.

They estimate that saving in cash alone would have taken 7–8 months; they bought the car after roughly 3.5–4 months.

Financing and Operational Hurdle

The first lender, SBI, rejected the loan application, citing the presenter’s recent job change and startup employment as risk factors, despite their income and pay stubs. The presenter approached other banks and eventually obtained approval from another lender.

Practical lesson: A high salary does not ensure loan approval. Recent employment history and a lender’s assessment of job stability can affect access to credit, so it may be useful to compare lenders.

Investment Episode and Caveat

While saving, the presenter invested about ₹1 lakh per month in Zomato shares, citing personal confidence in the company. They recall the share price rising from about ₹48 to above ₹100 over 3–4 months. They say roughly ₹3.7 lakh invested had grown to more than ₹8 lakh, which helped fund the down payment.

This was a favorable, specific outcome—not a reliable savings plan or a recommendation to invest money needed for a near-term purchase. Stock prices can fall, and the video provides no broader risk-management framework.

Ownership, Spending Philosophy, and Lessons

The car became a source of travel and enjoyment, including a trip from Trivandrum to Goa with friends and family. After more than three years, the car had covered 80,000 km. The presenter says their income later increased and the loan payment had fallen to under 10% of monthly income.

The presenter’s personal rule of thumb is to keep a car payment below 25% of monthly income and to consider the purchase only when there are no other major debts or obligations. They note that working remotely and not paying rent made their own budget easier.

Their broader view is that a car can be worth buying for personal enjoyment if it is affordable, while acknowledging it is a depreciating asset. They also argue that a motivating purchase can encourage career effort, but this is their personal rationale rather than a guaranteed financial return.

Key Figures and Timeline

• 2022: Started as a Zoho intern at about ₹20,000/month.
• Hike offer: About ₹20 lakh/year, including bonuses; selected from 400+ candidates after two weeks of preparation.
• Hike income: About ₹1.3 lakh/month.
• Virtus price: Approximately ₹24 lakh.
• Target down payment: ₹7–8 lakh.
• Saving period: About 3.5–4 months; cash-only estimate was 7–8 months.
• After 3+ years: 80,000 km driven; loan payment reportedly under 10% of income.

Presenter/source: The video’s narrator, from the Boywithvirtus channel.