To all the dear sisters, this message is specially for you!

No relationship is as special as a brother-sister bond, and we know you all agree with us. From the every-minute fights to sharing the deepest secrets, from igniting the already furious mom against the accused sibling to guarding for them while they’re out partying at nights, we all love and care for our siblings way more than words can justify for.

Moreover, all the love especially pours out on one single day – the awaited by all the sisters. (for obvious reasons!)

Yes, we’re talking about Raksha Bandhan.

Brothers have always been protective of their sisters, irrespective of whether they’re younger or elder.

They want them to see all the success in their lives and never shed even a single tear. What? Your brother never said this to you? Well, you should know that men are not very vocal about their feelings! And that too to a sister, who always tells his secrets to mom – Never!

To make things easier, we have put together a few finance tips that a brother always wants his sister to know, learn and implement.

Read on, ladies!

1. You should become financially independent.

You might not be thinking about your 60s in your 20s, but you definitely should. Let’s face it – we live in a country where the female sex is expected to stay back at home and take care of the family. However, things are getting better in this front and you should take full advantage of it. Have a career, focus on your goals.

Nobody has seen the future, and if you are financially stable yourself, you can go through whatever the latter phase of life has in stock for you. Do not waste this time by partying with friends, involving in casual relationships or simply not focusing on building your career. We’re not saying to completely forget it all, but you should know where to stop.

2. Start using digital payments platform.

Going cashless is something we all need to learn and implement. You might have seen your brother using Paytm, or Tezz but you prefer to stay away – you think it is too much work and in fact, why worry when you have cash! This is where you’re wrong. You should carry cards and you should definitely register yourself on some digital payments platform.

Think about it – What if you forget your wallet and you acknowledge it after having a full meal at any restaurant? You can ask your brother to do it for you, all it would take is 1000 pleases and a little bribe!

3. Experience living alone.

Girls, in general, tend to stay with their parents to take care of them, until they marry and move under someone else’s roof. Sometimes, they hardly experience what is it like to live and manage your expenses alone. Caring for parents is one thing, but gaining enriching experiences is another. You do not always have to apply for a job in the same city as that of your home town, you can go to a different place for a change.

Living alone gives us some life-changing experiences, which you definitely wouldn’t want to miss out!

4. Learn the art of investing.

The money kept in bank account is money wasted – you have heard your brother say this innumerable time while he is busy investing in one stock after another. You should learn it too. It is confusing, we agree, owing to the huge number of mutual funds and too many options, but there are simpler options too.

You could search for Online Mutual Funds App, which are convenient and hassle free. Apps like Sqrrl decide the best mutual fund for you according to your details and investing capacity, so that’s all you need to do to Save, Invest & Prosper.

Download the app, fill in your details and tell them how much you can invest every week/month (It can be as low as Rs.500/week) and that’s it!

Moreover, you could surprise your brother by telling him you invest too, and then record his priceless expression like a boss!

5. Have an emergency savings account.

You might spend all salary in taking care of your family and yourself, but you now need to rethink. Have a “walk away fund”, that you can use in case of any emergency. Nobody has seen the future, and not having enough funds to face the hurdles is the worst situation one can be in.

It could be anything – medical, personal or fiscal emergency, you should have enough money to tackle the problem and walk out of it without much ado. Begin with saving the amount that your brother gives you this rakhi, what say?

6. Do NOT overspend.

You sometimes wonder why your brother has too much money, despite of the fact that you both earn the same figures. We’ll tell you – his wardrobe is the answer. He has a couple to T-shirts for informal parties, a few shirts for formal meeting and he is done! He wouldn’t consider buying clothes again for a year or two now, but the sisters, well, you know better.

It is okay to not buy a new dress every month, ladies. You can repeat your dresses like a boss because let’s agree- nobody remembers what you wore anyway! Overspending on clothes, shoes, makeup and accessories is a habit all brothers want their sisters to get rid of – and their wish is justified!

7. Learn to voice your opinions.

You might be a fragile princess for your brother, but NOT for the world. Do not let people boss you around. If you feel your pay is not justified – ask for a raise! If you do not want to lend out money to friends or relatives – say No!

(Tip: Lending money to friends and relatives is the best way to damage relations with them.) It is your money – you should decide what to do with it!

Well, these are all the things any brother could teach their sister, and if they forgot, that’s what we are here for! We hope you spend a good time bonding with your siblings this Raksha Bandhan because people come and go – siblings stay for life.

And by the way, thank us later, brothers!