Latest / The Road Doc Podcast / Financial Fuel for the Ride

Transcript

Financial Fuel for the Ride · The Road Doc Podcast

0:04
Hello, welcome back Yeah, I would like to tackle this
0:12
episode with my personal experience as well.
0:17
So I'll add everything and I'll give you insights on this
0:20
episode. Financial fuel for the ride.
0:26
So I suggest everyone to grab a cup of your favorite coffee, tea
0:31
or green tea or whatever you like and sit down.
0:36
Stay in a quiet, silent place and hear me out.
0:42
Let's begin. We all talk about freedom,
0:45
right? But truth is, freedom isn't
0:47
free. It always costs, you know, it
0:51
costs fuel and that and that fuel is nothing but your
0:56
finances. Let us talk about money, clarity
0:59
and the right to true independence.
1:03
Alright, let us deep dive into my perspective regarding this.
1:11
Let us go with what is financial fuel.
1:16
Just like fuel determines in a motorcycle how far your bike can
1:20
go, it is the same thing with your financial plan determines
1:25
how far your life can go. That is why I call it financial
1:32
fuel. You get it?
1:36
You compare. Yeah, that is what?
1:39
So it is not about actually luxury.
1:46
It is about, you know, kind of stability, freedom and choice
1:53
actually. And many people make, I know not
1:58
many, most, let's just say most people make mistake living right
2:05
to right. It's kind of, you know, living
2:08
paycheck to paycheck kind of a thing.
2:10
No budgeting, no saving, spending emotionally to escape
2:15
pressure, looking rich but running on empty inside.
2:18
All these things are real. And let me break it down to you
2:24
with my insights here. What I mean living paycheck to
2:29
paycheck in riding sense because people have they don't actually
2:36
make any budget for rides. If you ask me.
2:40
I have a different setup for riding.
2:45
You know, I always take certain point of my finances towards
2:50
riding and invest in that riding part.
2:53
And once is I will also have like little of a target that for
2:59
example, let's just say I want to go somewhere and then I keep
3:04
a target of like 50K or 100K in six months, let's just say.
3:13
So every month I plan certain amount to go into that riding
3:21
budget apart from my regular needs, necessities and all those
3:26
stuff, right. I will keep that a little bit
3:30
there. And once I hit that, then
3:34
definitely I will go for rides and I will always, always,
3:40
always have that different kind of budgeting for riding which is
3:46
not entangled with my regular expenses.
3:50
That is actually very important because I know from the outside
3:54
it all looks fun and good, but if you do not really have a good
3:58
planning and stuff, you will end up broke real quick.
4:01
Because trust me, motorcycling is not a joke.
4:04
It is not an easy thing to do. It is financially draining to
4:10
sometimes more than you expect. Because just imagine you are on
4:15
the road with the motorcycle. Suddenly your motorcycle broke
4:18
down for some reason you we never know.
4:22
And guess what if you do not have any riding budget amount
4:26
for that, you will end up spending more money from your
4:32
basic savings and stuff where you need to sacrifice your
4:36
living expenses. And guess what, that is when you
4:40
people go broke. So do not just follow everything
4:45
and everyone is saying follow your passion for motorcycling
4:49
and all those things, Yes, but there are certain hidden things
4:54
that no one is going to tell you about and I'm going to share
4:58
that. Of course you can follow your
5:00
passion for if you have a passion for motorcycle riding
5:04
and stuff, absolutely yes. Only when you are financially
5:11
good, if you are still in survival mode and if you go for
5:15
all these things, you will go financially broke real quick and
5:20
it will definitely add additional burden for you in the
5:25
long run. We all ride motorcycles to enjoy
5:30
the freedom right and justice. Imagine this, you are on a
5:36
motorcycle ride and you just crafted all your savings into
5:41
that ride and you end up broke and the moment you come back
5:44
home and sit down with yourself and think through then you will
5:49
analyse and realize now you will have more stress than ever
5:55
because you are financially broke.
6:00
So just do not take any decisions in emotions.
6:04
You know specially when you are planning to write and stuff and
6:08
all these things. Do not take that.
6:11
Give yourself a little bit of time and stuff but never ever do
6:16
riding or anything to impress world or impress anybody else.
6:23
Because I know so many of the young guys look at me and they
6:26
will be like bro you have nice bike, you are going to ride and
6:30
all these things. But trust me guys, I have
6:34
planned it for years to make things happen in such a way that
6:38
they are happening right now. This is not just I woke up and I
6:42
decided to no, no, no. It is a long plan.
6:46
For years I have been saving up for rides everywhere possible
6:52
and reaching that potential to enjoy that freedom without
6:56
thinking about anything. So, yeah, I suggest everybody to
7:02
have a budget for your riding so that you do not face that stress
7:11
after your ride. So most people, you know what
7:17
you, what they do, they spend emotionally to escape pressure.
7:22
That's when they fall into the loophole of this financial
7:25
mistake. Don't do it if you are
7:30
emotionally vulnerable. I would like to say whatever
7:34
that situation is, just sit in silence or just go to nature,
7:42
like very quiet place, just walk, just go to gym, all these
7:48
things. But not for the rights.
7:50
Because when you are emotionally vulnerable, you might take wrong
7:54
decisions and you might end up in accidents.
7:57
We never know because that's the heavy toll that takes.
8:03
And about next thing, some people are trying to look rich
8:11
by going for rights even though they are not capable financial
8:15
at that point of time. Guys, I'm telling you don't do
8:19
that. Nobody cares whether you are
8:22
rich or not. So rich no one cares but your
8:27
wallet does. Because when I go for rights,
8:31
nobody cares who I am, what I am.
8:34
I just tried because I can and I don't have that pinch at the
8:39
point of time by God's grace. So yes.
8:43
So I do not make rides like, yeah, I want to go for ride I
8:47
went. I do go for that, but I do make
8:50
calculated evaluation of everything so that I do not end
8:56
up going broke. Keep that in mind.
9:00
Looking rich is not the highest priority here.
9:03
Having that sense of freedom and you are deliberately making a
9:07
choice to enjoy the ride is actually the thing.
9:11
Keep that in mind guys. And what's the right way to
9:17
build a financial pit stop plan? How to do it?
9:22
Let me break it to you from my experience.
9:25
You know how we have to do that is I'll just make it very
9:29
simplified thing so that it won't be complicated.
9:34
Let's just divide this into four categories, OK #1 Dalia
9:39
essentials, like if you have food, rent, EMI, fuel,
9:44
everything and stuff like that. So keep Dalia Essentials money
9:49
in separate and then safety net kind of emergency funds where
9:55
you can leave it yourself for three to six months at least.
9:59
And even if you have more than that is fine, but that is more
10:04
important. Emergency fund is very important
10:07
guys, trust me, especially when you are coming into motorcycle
10:10
riding and stuff, if you get involved in any accident or
10:14
something goes wrong on the road, definitely nobody is going
10:18
to come and save you. Of course good people will carry
10:22
you to till hospital and they might help you a little bit.
10:26
That's all they can do. But having that sense of
10:31
emergency fund in in a different setup is actually very helpful
10:38
in real life situations. Trust me on that.
10:42
And I will call the next one as freedom fund.
10:45
It is like savings investments for like, you know, if you look
10:51
at my YouTube channel, you also see so many high tech gadgets,
10:56
high tech stuff all around. I use all around things and
11:01
people usually think how this guy is able to afford all these,
11:06
how dude for everything I am planning and doing everything,
11:11
it takes a lot of time to buy that thing.
11:15
It is not like emotionally I just no, I do not because I go
11:22
through series of evolution whether this product is really
11:25
worth my time or not. I really take lots of time to
11:30
finalize these things and once I purchase that thing, I will use
11:36
it to the end of its life. Let me give an example.
11:41
I have a MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, sorry, I bought it in like
11:45
somewhere in the 2018 when I was in studying Med school Oregon,
11:50
some beginning of Med school. So from that time I bought a
11:56
brand new MacBook Air 28 in Ocean, and this is 2025 and I
12:01
still use that exact same MacBook Air.
12:09
You understand what I'm saying? Yeah, even in 2025, I know it's
12:14
already updated all these things, but it still gets the
12:16
work done. So I don't upgrade like
12:18
everybody does. I don't upgrade unless it's
12:22
really really really really necessary and when I do upgrade,
12:27
I upgrade to the best 1 S yes so and also I will give you one
12:33
more thing. I also use iPad Pro 2020
12:35
version, iPad Pro 11 inch I guess and iPhone 13 Pro Max and
12:48
Airpods Pro and Airpods Max as well.
12:51
So all these I bought somewhere in that timeline and I still use
12:55
it today. I know there are so many new
12:58
iPhones came out. I am big fan of, you know, not
13:02
really, I am big fan of the ecosystem that Apple have built
13:06
over the course of time, not with their software tweaks or
13:10
anything, but the ecosystem is really seamless and it really
13:13
works. So for me, I invested in Apple
13:17
ecosystem over the period of time, not just on one day.
13:21
So yes, I do have a smart home setup completely integrated with
13:26
Apple setup and everything home admin, smart smartlights,
13:30
everything else, yes, of course I do.
13:33
But all these are calculated and carefully curated gadgets and
13:40
everything has its own specific requirement in my life.
13:47
Because I do use tech a lot and to cut away distractions.
13:52
I use my Homepod minis during night time if I forgot anything
13:57
like to check up on my reminders so to avoid less screen time to
14:04
protect my health basically overall health and well-being.
14:07
I use the tech for work for my IT is basically these are the
14:12
tools that help me stay productive as well as be healthy
14:17
at the given point of times. So that is why all these things
14:21
are carefully curated for my personal needs.
14:25
These from the outside people, if anyone looks at it, they will
14:28
be like, oh, you have all the expensive gadgets, all the
14:31
expensive things, all these things.
14:34
No, I have expensive things but all those expensive things
14:39
serves a greater purpose and I am fully satisfied with every
14:43
purchase I have done so far that I can tell you.
14:48
So do not get fooled if I post anything in online, Instagram or
14:52
somewhere. Do not get fooled by looking at
14:54
the gadgets and all those stuff. No, go with your purpose.
14:59
If it aligns then go with the tool that you need.
15:02
That can be Apple product or anything or whatever based on
15:06
what you want to achieve in life and so much and so forth, right?
15:13
So that is how if I want to upgrade anything like for
15:17
example my MacBook Air is gone right now.
15:20
Now I really cannot relay now what I am going to do.
15:25
For example, if I want to buy a new Gen.
15:28
Mac, from now on I will start saving for the new Mac, a
15:34
separate kind of a budgeting for new Mac and it does not involve
15:41
other things. So yes, that is how I focus on
15:46
you get it, you understand. So people now everybody wants to
15:52
become a rider. Now everybody wants to do
15:55
motorcycle riding and all those stuff to two and which is good.
16:01
I am not saying it is bad, but they are doing it not to get
16:04
sense of freedom or being happy. They are running after you know
16:09
views like becoming famous and all those stuff.
16:13
But people listen to me. This is not a competition.
16:18
Everybody has a different life. You know, somebody will shine at
16:22
some point and somebody doesn't. Even though you keep lot of
16:25
efforts, somebody still won't shine, not because they are not
16:30
talented enough because that's not their time yet to shine.
16:34
Keep in that mind your competition should always be
16:38
yourself, not the outside world. Because if you ask me, outside
16:43
world is all about noise. You are you don't know whom you
16:48
are looking at and admiring that person or whatever.
16:52
Looking at their one simple post, Oregon, one single video,
16:56
you will come to conclusion that I want to go there, I want to do
16:59
this. You don't know that that
17:02
person's financial status, you don't know his mental status,
17:06
you don't know what he is going through and all those stuff, why
17:09
he is doing what he is doing, all those stuff.
17:11
So everybody has different unique perspective on why they
17:16
write and how they write for what they write.
17:19
I admire you all. You want to come into writing,
17:22
yes, but don't come to this for wrong reasons.
17:27
Just because you ride that does not mean you will become famous.
17:31
Just because you do podcasting, that does not mean you will
17:34
become famous. All there should be a purpose
17:41
for what you are doing and why you are doing something because
17:44
riding to me is a different thing.
17:49
I do, I do and I share my thoughts on a different purpose
17:54
to help someone who are in confused state or who just who
17:58
are looking for some suggestions or something.
18:02
That is the reason why I do all these things because this is the
18:06
guys. If I do not get happiness from
18:09
what I am doing, I do not do it. That is my core thing of
18:13
everything I do. If I get happiness from what I
18:17
am doing, I definitely will do it.
18:21
If I do not, then I would not simple.
18:25
Now let us just say I will even give you even more good example
18:31
for a month. I have recently done this ride
18:37
from Nellore to Bangalore and then Bangalore to Kerala,
18:41
Wayanad, OK. And it's been almost I have done
18:46
it in May, last weeks of May 2025.
18:50
Now it's already July, it's been like June, July, 2 months and I
18:55
did not go for any ride so far. You know why?
18:59
Because I did not feel to ride. It might sound funny for so many
19:04
people, but that's true. I only ride whenever I really
19:10
feel like I just have completed one ride.
19:13
I am already fully satisfied. This is the truth whether you
19:17
believe or not. After going for one single ride,
19:21
I am feeling fully satisfied and I am happy and I am.
19:26
I am just me. That's it.
19:28
Now I am not planning any rides anytime soon.
19:32
Maybe one ride in September or October maybe, I don't know.
19:38
Maybe that's the thing. That's the thing I don't force
19:43
myself to do because now I have to ride.
19:46
Because now I have to focus on my subscribers.
19:49
Now I have to focus on the views.
19:51
All these things, all these things, I don't care to be
19:54
honest. I just share my thoughts.
19:57
I just share my perspective. I just share it might be a
20:01
different version or different way we can take or we can see.
20:05
That's all. Whether you care, you don't
20:07
care. I don't care.
20:09
I hope at least one person listens to this or watches my
20:15
stuff, realises that I do it just because it's fun and I do
20:21
it just because. I'm happy and stuff.
20:25
And also on the other hand, it also helps fellow riders and
20:29
fellow people in some way or possible to, you know, make a
20:35
good choice based on my experience at least.
20:39
Because let's just say I have in my experience recently, I have
20:44
seen very much teenagers and people in their early 20s, they
20:49
want to start riding and stuff. Rashmika is, this is not for
20:53
everyone. This will drain you a lot
20:57
because riding for 405 hundred kilometers is not a joke.
21:02
Physically, mentally, emotionally, financially.
21:06
If you are really, really, really, really, really have that
21:10
passion for motorcycles, you will not understand the thing
21:14
what I am saying. Keep that in mind.
21:17
This is only for people who really have that core level
21:21
passion. No matter what they feel, they
21:24
get that pleasure. They are the only ones who can
21:29
enjoy this or else. Even if you try this after doing
21:33
few writes, you will get drained emotionally, mentally,
21:37
financially and then you will stop.
21:39
You will have that negative perception.
21:41
So before you want to start or do something, just have that
21:48
backup in your mind. Just what I said, you know, it
21:53
will definitely drain you. Like I will talk about the next
21:57
thing. Legacy fuel, call it.
22:02
It means money saved for kind of a very big dream.
22:08
You know, like, for example, if I want to go to abroad, let's
22:13
just say I usually travel abroad and yeah.
22:17
And if I want to write there and stuff like that, you know,
22:21
definitely I will call that a legacy fuel for that reason,
22:24
because those are experiences that stay with us no matter what
22:29
for those kind of things. Yeah, definitely.
22:33
You can have a separate budgeting for that and you can
22:37
enjoy your life. I am not saying not to enjoy
22:40
your life, people. All I am saying is enjoy your
22:44
life but not going broke. Enjoy your life by carefully
22:52
planning everything so that you won't be in that emotional or
22:57
financial loop later on. Because after once you come back
23:02
home, you should feel happy. You should not sit there and
23:05
look at your finances and checking OK how much I am in
23:08
debt now? How much are they?
23:09
No, no, no, no, no, don't. That's why I'm saying not
23:16
everybody needs to be millionaire or billionaire guys.
23:19
We all fall into that loophole of, you know, like that's what
23:23
social media says, that what this guy says, that what he
23:26
says, you focus on you, you alone.
23:30
What is that you want in life? What is that you want to achieve
23:35
in life? Because money only follows once
23:39
you are fully aligned with your own purpose in life.
23:43
Once you know who you are and what you are about to achieve or
23:48
what your goals, dreams and everything else.
23:51
So based on that, you decide what you want to become.
23:56
And that is when Malik follows, not the other way around.
24:02
So you just need to stop running on empty and fill your tank with
24:10
clarity. Ride with purpose and remember
24:14
this is most important guys, money is in the goal here.
24:18
Freedom is especially when it comes to riding motorcycle
24:22
riding because if you have that block in your mind that you are
24:29
solely riding to make money and stuff like that, trust me you
24:34
will have negative impression on everything.
24:38
It does not work that way because you cannot work for
24:42
money your entire life even if you think you can but guess me.
24:50
But trust me riding will stop in your life at some point for
24:55
sure. Unexpectedly or expectedly, you
24:58
will take longer breaks of from riding, like an year or two.
25:02
You never know that all these things happen because this is
25:06
life. Riding becomes part of life, not
25:10
completely your life. And for some people they are
25:13
exceptions as well. It becomes their complete life.
25:16
But if you closely look at them as well, they do not actually
25:20
ride forever. They do ride whenever they feel,
25:24
whenever they feel that urge to go for a ride and all those
25:28
stuff. Not every year, not every day,
25:30
not every month, only whenever they feel like they want to
25:34
ride. That's a whole different
25:36
dynamics of people. Some people are trying to choose
25:41
this as carrier. No, absolutely not.
25:45
Please don't do that because even I am a rider, I am a
25:50
doctor, but I don't choose riding entirely as my
25:56
profession. I do enjoy riding every now and
25:59
then, Absolutely yes, I go for rides, yes, absolutely all these
26:04
are true. But I don't want to make this as
26:06
a riding, as complete profession.
26:09
No, it's a 5050 thing. See, without medicine, riding
26:17
makes no sense in my life. This is the honest truth.
26:20
Because there is medicine in my life.
26:25
That's why there is a balance in my life as a riding came along.
26:30
Now I took. A break from medicine at this
26:33
point of time, now riding doesn't make any sense to you
26:37
know, I have a Dominor sitting in my parking for two months,
26:40
just idle. It's only going around.
26:44
The city. That's it.
26:46
See. That's how.
26:49
That's how. Things are, I am just telling
26:51
you guys. Riding is really fun.
26:54
And everything. But soon enough you will feel.
26:58
You don't feel that you know that urge to ride or you don't
27:03
feel that thing that I wanna ride, You wanna do something.
27:09
No, you won't feel that after sometime.
27:12
Because riding makes only sense when you are trying to do
27:17
something and you need to go for a spin, for some freedom, some
27:22
clarity from the regular chaos and everything.
27:25
Once you remove your regular chaos, riding won't serve any
27:29
purpose. That's what I feel.
27:32
Because no one wants to deliberately hurt themselves
27:36
riding those many kilometers and stuff, right?
27:38
Unless they have some sort of purpose to do it.
27:41
So because riding really gets boring real quick.
27:46
Yeah, like think through how many locations you can go and
27:52
visit on your motorcycle in a year, write it down and make a
27:56
budget. And then you will realize after
27:59
going for two rides or three rides, you will realize for most
28:04
of us, maybe yearly, one or two rides is more than enough.
28:10
Yeah, we will come. To that conclusion, sooner or
28:13
later it is true no matter if you have money.
28:17
If you don't have money, nothing, whatever, end.
28:22
Of the day we. All come to that stage where
28:24
even if you have the highest GSA, BMW or 12:50 GSA or
28:30
whatever, if you do not ride it, you do not feel to ride it.
28:36
You can also check all the influencers or Youtubers or
28:41
people around. You will realize that at some
28:44
point. That this.
28:48
Alone can't you need to have something on the other hand,
28:54
this can be a secondary thing for most of us yes, I agree on
28:58
that. But if you are going to make
29:01
this primary profession, then definitely you should have that
29:07
level of, you know, passion and that level of dedication towards
29:12
this Until and unless you have that level of dedication and
29:16
stuff for riding, trust me, you will you will get bored real
29:21
quick. So yeah.
29:24
Stating that that's why I said money is in the goal, Freedom is
29:30
So what I. Suggest everyone.
29:33
Is. Chase what you want.
29:39
To achieve in life and as a side have this riding if you really
29:43
have that passion. But I suggest people not to take
29:46
riding wholly as a passion, but because it is not for everyone.
29:52
You will realise it. After trying it and after going
29:57
through certain rides, you will definitely realise that this is
30:01
not your cup of tea for most of us, not for everyone.
30:05
For most of us there are exceptions anyways.
30:10
So yes, that is the one I wanna, because if you make a wrong
30:15
decision. You will lose your.
30:19
Finances, you will go broke, you will face so many difficult
30:22
situations and all those stuff which you would not even imagine
30:26
there will be. Because I saw people who went
30:30
broke literally left, right and centre after making after they
30:35
are watching this influence or some stuff and they chose to go
30:39
because that person really that does not have, he doesn't have
30:43
that level of passion for motorcycles and stuff.
30:46
He only has like only for the views and stuff.
30:50
So I saw that person and he went literally broke trying to prove
30:53
something because. Like I said.
30:58
This is not for everyone. This is not for everything.
31:01
It's not that it will work for everyone.
31:03
No, you. Can enjoy it, yes.
31:06
Absolutely as a side one. Definitely, no doubt.
31:11
But yeah, you need to, you know, once you go financially broke
31:17
and everything and if you don't have sufficient backup.
31:21
You will face a lot of. Difficulties that you will be
31:25
responsible for all your choices there.
31:28
So you lose your mental peace, every additional stress and so
31:34
on and so forth. So yes, that's why I say
31:38
financial planning is like form of self respect.
31:41
Let's just say if you plan everything, at least I know not
31:45
everything will go according to the plan, but still financial
31:48
planning is kind of a form of self respect to you and your
31:52
family and everybody else involved.
31:53
Guys, OK, If you don't respect your time and money, nobody else
31:59
will. Your budget is not a restriction
32:02
guys, it is your ticket to freedom.
32:05
So Please be patient with yourself.
32:07
I know you all going to make it in life for sure, no doubt about
32:12
that. But be mindful, don't just go
32:15
and chase the views or this virality or whatever that you
32:20
are seeing in social media and stuff.
32:22
Don't work on your own pace. Be yourself, chase your purpose
32:29
and enjoy life. If you really like motorcycling
32:32
on two wheels, absolutely yes, go for it.
32:36
But this is the silent killer guys that no one else discloses
32:42
openly that I am telling you so. Yes.
32:47
So don't make this kind of mistake where my colleagues made
32:50
this kind of mistakes and they went broke.
32:54
Because they all. Thought blogging and doing all
32:58
these things make them money and they will be all set like I
33:03
said. Everything.
33:06
Is not everyone's cup of tea. Not everyone.
33:13
See, even now I don't even watch anyone's YouTube channel at this
33:19
point of time or anything because I am already busy,
33:22
right? See, yeah, it does even I don't
33:26
even watch my own video sometimes, it is true.
33:29
And how can I expect anyone to watch anything right?
33:34
So yeah, that. Is the reason why.
33:38
I am saying sometimes life get busy and yeah but the reason why
33:43
I do it is actually to create memories for my long term thing,
33:51
not for today. When I look back in in the
33:54
future, maybe when I look back in my YouTube channel, they will
33:58
be like wow, at that point of time, I went to a ride.
34:01
It was a nice memory to recall myself and you know, to enjoy
34:06
that moment, to revisit that memory lane kind of a thing.
34:10
That is the reason why I am doing YouTube channels and
34:14
everything. That is the primary reason.
34:18
So yes, absolutely, yes. So that is why I know I am not
34:23
chasing any numbers. I am not chasing anything.
34:26
I just work on my own. Whenever I feel it, I do it.
34:29
I leave it to the universe. That is it.
34:33
So that is what I am going to tell you all that financial
34:40
pinch is real and it will pinch you a lot more.
34:45
Than you. Think so.
34:49
That is why I am always saying I started with saying something
34:55
like financial fuel. For the ride, you know.
35:13
So yes, that's all from me. I.
35:18
Hope you got. The inputs from my side.
35:23
I hope you will make a better choice in your lives and be
35:27
happy and right. Smart and I will see you or
35:30
catch you up on the next episode.
35:32
Dropping on next Saturday 6:00 PM.
35:34
Until then, take care. Bye bye.
35:35
This is Doctor Mukund signing off Bye.