What If I Had Started SIP at 21? A 37-Year-Old's Regret Amid Market Volatility and Salary Struggles

Table of Contents

What if I had started SIP at 21?”

This one question hits me every time the market rises or falls. I’m 37 now. Middle class. Still stuck in the same loop of EMI, rent, groceries, and praying that the salary credits on time. And then I see charts on Instagram — “If you started SIP at 21, you’d have 1.2 Cr by 37!”

Great. Thanks for the math. Now what?

Back then at 21, SIP sounded like some boring old uncle’s advice. We were too cool, too broke, or both. And now? I feel like I’ve failed in life just because I didn’t start early. I see my mutual fund app now, and the graph looks more like a heartbeat during a panic attack — thanks to the market crash.

I don’t even blame the market. I blame the years I wasted thinking ₹500 SIP wouldn’t matter. But ₹500 a month from age 21 to 37 is ₹96,000 invested — and with compounding, it could be over ₹2.5–3 lakhs depending on returns. And ₹1,000 per month? That’s a lakh invested. Easily worth ₹5–6 lakhs by now.

And it’s not just about missed returns. It’s about missed financial confidence.
At 37, with a kid, aging parents, and a job that gives 4% hike when inflation is at 6%, I can’t afford mistakes.

Middle-class life doesn’t give you backup plans.

One hospital bill, one layoff, and you’re wiped out. SIP was never just about returns. It was about discipline, security, hope — all things I didn’t realize when I was younger.

The market today is shaky. Global news, elections, layoffs — it’s chaos. But you know what’s worse? Entering this chaos without a cushion. I’m starting my SIP now, yes — even at 37. But deep down, that regret stings: what if I had started SIP at 21?

But here’s the thing.

Regret is real, but regret won’t pay the bills. Starting now is still better than waiting till 40. And if you’re reading this, maybe you’re 27, 30, or even 45. Doesn’t matter. Start anyway. Market will fall, rise, fall again. But your consistency? That’s what builds wealth.

I lost 16 years, yes. But I’m not losing 16 more.