I built my wealth through years of saving, investing, and discipline, but I will never forget that my father’s gift played a vital role in securing my financial stability.
When I look back at my journey, I see that wealth management is not luck, it is science and discipline. I began my career in 2008 with a salary of Rs. 75,000. At the time, my father, who had served as the head of Sri Lanka’s Epidemiology Department for 25 years, earned Rs. 85,000. From the very beginning, I knew that if I did not control my spending, I would never be able to grow financially.
I used every opportunity wisely. In 2009, Standard Chartered Bank gave me my first credit card. I made a promise to myself that I would never pay a cent in interest. To this day, I have never paid interest on my cards because I learned to keep my expenses below my monthly income. I used credit cards for benefits, discounts, and interest-free credit, not as an excuse to spend on food, drink, or parties. That discipline alone saved me from destroying my wealth.
By 2010, my salary rose to Rs. 120,000. I could have easily wasted it, but instead, I took a loan and bought land in 2012. It was the smartest decision of my life. I put all my savings into that loan, and by 2020, it was fully paid off. In 2018, when my income finally exceeded Rs. 500,000, I bought my first vehicle. Until then, I managed without one because I knew that vehicles lose value over time.
Every month, I saved at least 20% of my income. I invested in education too, completing CIMA and CFA, because knowledge is the foundation of financial growth. If I had put my savings into unnecessary luxuries, I would not have built a strong balance sheet. Professionals in Sri Lanka often make this mistake, living beyond their income and taking loans they cannot afford. I refused to follow that path.
Of course, I must acknowledge my father’s support. After serving the World Health Organization for more than a decade, he had a significant income in dollars. He gifted his savings to me and my brother during his lifetime, not after. My brother invested his share, while I chose to save mine for the future of my children. That gift forms part of the $153,499 wealth I hold today. Without my father’s discipline and foresight, my journey would not have been the same.
My family lived simply, but we did not deprive ourselves. Every three months we planned a trip, but we stayed within our means. To me, this balance between living and saving is the true art of wealth management. I can proudly say today that I am debt-free, I pay my taxes honestly – Rs. 5 million in 2023 alone – and my balance sheet is clean.
Wealth is not built by eating, drinking, and spending carelessly. It is built by saving, investing, and planning scientifically. This is why any bank today is willing to give me a loan, not because of politics, but because I have shown discipline. My message is simple: if I could do it with a modest start, anyone in Sri Lanka can build a strong financial foundation with patience, consistency, and knowledge.
