Chapters 5, 6, 7 · Increasing Life · How Riches Come · Gratitude
This is Article 3 of the “Science of Getting Rich × Mutual Funds” series on rahulmoney.com
There is a concept in personal finance called the step-up SIP. It is simple: every year, you increase your SIP amount by a fixed percentage — typically 10 to 15% — to match your income growth. It sounds like a small thing. The numbers say otherwise.
Consider two investors, both starting with a Rs. 5,000 monthly SIP at age 30. Investor A keeps it flat for 25 years. Investor B steps up by 10% every year. Assuming 12% annual returns, Investor A builds roughly Rs. 94 lakh. Investor B builds approximately Rs. 2.9 crore — more than three times as much.
This is the principle Wallace Wattles calls “Increasing Life” in Chapter 5. The idea that growth is not just a desirable outcome — it is a fundamental orientation. Your money, like your life, should always be moving forward.
How riches actually come to you
Chapter 6 of the book challenges a common fantasy: that wealth arrives in one dramatic moment — a windfall, a business breakthrough, a lucky stock pick. Wattles argues the opposite. Wealth comes through consistent, disciplined action taken in the right direction over time.
This is the entire philosophy behind a Systematic Investment Plan. You are not trying to time the market. You are not waiting for the perfect moment. You are investing a fixed amount every single month — buying more units when markets are low, fewer units when markets are high. Over time, your average cost per unit is lower than the average market price. This is rupee-cost averaging, and it is one of the most powerful wealth-building mechanisms available to anyone.
There is no glamour in it. That is exactly why it works. Wealth built through SIPs is boring to watch and extraordinary to count at the end.
Rupee-cost averaging in action: When markets fall, your SIP buys more units at cheaper prices. When markets rise, your existing units grow in value. Either way, the long-term investor wins. The only way to lose is to stop.
Gratitude and the investor’s patience
Chapter 7 of Wattles’ book is on gratitude — the practice of appreciating what you already have as a foundation for receiving more. Applied to investing, this principle speaks to something very practical: how you emotionally relate to your portfolio.
Many investors dread looking at their portfolio during market downturns. They avoid their investing apps. They feel anxious and helpless. This emotional relationship with a falling portfolio is often what leads to panic-selling at exactly the wrong time.
The antidote is what I would call the gratitude review. Instead of fixating on red numbers, look at what you have built. Look at the number of units accumulated over years. Look at the SIP amounts you have consistently invested. Appreciate the discipline you have maintained. That perspective — of progress rather than loss — is what keeps an investor in the market long enough for compounding to do its work.
Three practices to adopt now
- Set up a step-up SIP instruction with your AMC or distributor to increase your SIP by 10% every April — when most salary increments happen.
- Review your portfolio quarterly, not daily. Daily checking creates anxiety. Quarterly reviewing creates perspective.
- Each time you review, look at total units accumulated, not just current value. Units are your permanent asset. Current value is just today’s price.
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