Earning 1.2L/month at 28, but I feel like I am standing in the exact same place as I was at 25k/month. Where is the money actually going?

I went from ₹25k/month in 2021 to ₹1.2L today, but somehow the financial stress has not really gone away.

Most of my salary goes toward rent, family support, SIPs and everyday expenses. By the end of the month, I usually have only ₹5-8k left, which disappears as soon as an unexpected expense comes up.

At what point does lifestyle inflation become a problem? And how do you actually reduce it without making life unnecessarily miserable?

Would love to hear from people who have been in a similar situation. What helped you break out of this cycle?