Indian Middle-class Families: 10 Common Practices

Indian middle-class families are known for avarice. They are never satisfied with what they have, but will use what they have till its last breath (or more!) They love saving and are highly ‘jugaadu.’

If you’ve ever been a member of an Indian middle-class family, this one’s for you. Here we have some miserly but adorable practices that are common among the middle-class families of India:

1. SQUEEZE, SLIM, ROLE AND REPEAT

Squeeze, slim, and role is the main mantra of Indian middle-class families. Rumour has it, toothpastes here last longer than the teeth! They will use it till every last paisa spent on it is made worth. First, they will squeeze it. After this, when the poor fat tube is made slim, and is no more squeezable, they role it, and give it one last squeeze (or three more) until they’re finally assured of its futility thence.

Warning: Toothpastes are the main victims of this assault. Shaving creams, and any form of material (preferably creams) in tubes may go through this torture as well. Beware.

2. KICK IT OUT!

Punching bags? Nah. Indian middle-class families don’t require punching bags to punch out their frustration. They have scooters to kick. Angry? Let’s try kickstarting our almost dead but still (barely) functional scooter!

(Psst.. just between us middle-class people- these types of scooters can outlive up to 3 generations of one family!)

3. HAND-ME-DOWNS

Younger siblings get absolutely nothing freshly bought. They use hand-me-down t-shirts, books, phones, shoes, bags, and everything but lingerie. Trust me, it is as painful to be the younger sibling in a middle-class family as seeing someone pour milk into the bowl before filling it with cereal! They should already consider doing the latter a crime. (Don’t judge me because if you pour your milk before the cereal, I ALREADY JUDGE YOU!)

4. THE CYCLE OF CLOTHES

As I mentioned before, all clothes of the elder sibling are passed down to the younger sibling. But, hey, nothing in an Indian middle-class family is as short lived as this. After this, they keep some of the clothes for Holi. The rest, they will make a rag out of. And, still the ones that are left will be given to our raddiwalas (ragmen) and will be exchanged for buckets or utensils, or for money. Sometimes, these activities can be carried out in a complete chain. Hand it down – Holi – Rag – Ragmen.

5. NUTELLA IS MORE VALUABLE THAN YOU MAY KNOW

You will always find a jar of Nutella, a plastic bottle of Bournvita or dabbas of sweets (for example- metal celebration box of Cadbury) in the house of a middle-class family. The only difference? These jars will contain anything but the commodity it previously contained. A jar of Nutella may have aachar stored inside it. A plastic bottle of Bournvita will have sugar stored inside it, and dabbas of sweets will consist of homemade sweets or are just being saved for future use.

6. GIFTS ARE ACCEPTED, BUT NEVER OPENED.

When middle-class families receive gifts, they never intend to open it. They directly pass it on to someone else on another occasion. This saves their money on spending on gifts. In fact, they will not rip out the gift wrappers. They will take a good 5-10 minutes to unwrap it cautiously, and save the same for future use. If you are friends with such a family, there is a high possibility of them giving you the same gift you gave them last year on Diwali with the gift wrapper changed (or not.)

7. A SPECIAL SET OF EVERYTHING FOR THE GUESTS

There is always a cabinet in the middle-class families of India which is full of expensive or valuable stuff. However, a member of that family can only admire it. He can also wait for guests to arrive to be able to see those stuff in use. The cabinet can be full of expensive plates, glasses, and blankets that are never touched. Some may also consist of chocolates or ice creams reserved only for the guests. For you, there are various different cheaper companies offering ‘almost’ the same chocolates or ice creams.

8. PACK LIKE THERE IS NO GET- AT- ABLES

Indian middle-class families are always packed for every type of situation when out on a trip.

They carry plenty of homemade food for traveling so that they don’t have to get off the train to buy anything. And, since you don’t get off the train, there is no possibility of missing one!

Sudden change in climate? Don’t worry, our Indian middle-class families will also be packed with raincoats for a vacation in May! They always have an extra, and an unneeded!

Pro tip: They also steal bathroom stuff from the hotels they stay in. You never know when a little bottle of shower gel may come handy!

9. BEST SHOPPING PARTNERS

Each member of an Indian middle-class family by genes is a pinchpenny. They will not pay one extra rupee for something that has a cheaper substitute. If you are out shopping, take them with you. Miraculously, they know when, where, and how you can get a cheaper substitute for anything in this whole wide world. They may even end up getting you extra stuff without having to spend anything. Like when they go for vegetable shopping, you will always notice them take free green chilies with coriander. It is time-consuming, sure. But, as often as not, spending time is saving money!

10. ABUNDANT BAGS

In an Indian middle-class family, you will always find one big plastic bag consisting of many other types of bags of different sizes inside it. These families know better than throwing away used bags. Next time they go out shopping, they don’t have to pay extra for bags like most. Very often, you will find bags divided with respect to quality and brands. They will use the cheapest quality of bags until it is worn out, then switch to bags with labels. Such bags are also used for putting gifts in.

If you ask me, Indian middle-class families know of an art most snobbish families wave off as miserly. This art bonds them and helps them save for the future. We all know the phrase ‘precaution is cure,’ but are we acknowledged with it?