Smart Money
Money Advice It is important to have
money because it brings a certain
degree of independence. Money is a
great way to support one’s dreams, she
says. Pooja compares life and
work to a game where money
is the score. “There’s no
fun playing a game if you
are not monitoring the
score.” Apart from this,
she believes that women
must know their worth and
seek value. “It is important
for women to know their
worth. When women
negotiate hard, they are often
called demanding but nobody
finds this attribute odd in a man.
Women must learn to ask for
what they believe they deserve.”Big Purchase “My first big
purchase was a BMW 5-Series
in Bluestone Silver. I drive it
whenever I get the time. Owning
the car has been a dream come
true,” Pooja gushes.Money Mistake In the initial
years, Pooja says she lost
money in stocks as she did
not understand it at all but
now her mother has helped
her recoup some of the losses
because she is now very good
at it.Next Big Purchase A house in
Mumbai is everyone’s dream and
so is true for Pooja as well. She says:
“Sometime soon I hope to buy a
home of my own in Bandra.”Women’s Day Message Women,
says this 25-year-old, must believe
in themselves. She says: “I think a
lot of women must start believing in
themselves. It is okay to have dreams for
yourself. If you believe in yourself the
universe will align itself and make
it happen.”N
obody knows
how to stretch
the rupee better
than the Indian housewife.
In an exclusive interview
with Malini Bhupta on the
eve of Women’s Day, actor
Pooja Hegde, who made her
Bolly wood debut in the
film Mohenjodaro, says
that money lessons for
her began at the tender
age of 10. Her mother,
Lata Hegde, told her that
if she walked half the
distance to school, then
she would be able to save
`2 every time she took the
rickshaw. Lessons in money
started early for her thanks to
her mother and Pooja even now
ensures that she gets more bang for her
bucks. She says: “The important thing
my mother taught me is to value money
and the importance of saving. This is a
fundamental part of who I am today.” So
even though she spulrges on swanky cars,
Pooja saves 10 per cent of her income without
fail. For someone who claims that she doesn’t
understand money too well, Pooja knows the
importance of asset allocation. She puts a portion
of her regular savings in low-risk instruments
like bonds and lets her mother Lata invest the
rest in more risky instruments such as stocks.
Photo: AvinAsh gowArikerMoney
Wisdom