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Saving & Budgeting

Emergency fund, savings rate, sinking funds, the monthly money review, and the silent leaks that drain a Kathmandu paycheck.

  • 8 min read

    EPS Korea: what it really costs to go from Nepal, and how to fund it

    Going to Korea via EPS costs about Rs 1.5 lakh all-in, including the air ticket. The exam fee, medical, welfare fund, and why a lakhs-charging broker is a scam.

  • 9 min read

    What it actually costs to live in Kathmandu per month (2083)

    A real monthly cost-of-living breakdown for Kathmandu in 2083: rent, food, utilities, transport, school fees. One person ~Rs 35k, a family of four ~Rs 90k+.

  • 8 min read

    Why the dollar rate moves in Nepal: how NRB sets the exchange rate

    Nepal pegs the rupee to India at 1.60, but the dollar floats. How NRB derives the daily USD rate, why it keeps hitting records, and what you actually pay.

  • 11 min read

    FD rates have fallen across Nepal: where do you actually park money now?

    Bank FD rates in Nepal have slid from ~11% to about 4%, and the real return after tax and inflation is now negative. Where your money can actually keep up.

  • 7 min read

    What inflation is quietly doing to your Rs 50,000 salary in 2083

    Inflation in Nepal looks tame at 2-3% a year, but it compounded to about 17% over four years. What that does to a Rs 50,000 salary that never got a raise.

    GuideNepalIncomeInflationSalary
  • 8 min read

    A Kathmandu grocery basket in 2083 vs 2080: what the same Rs 5,000 buys now

    Cooking gas up 20%, fuel up a quarter, oil and meat sharply higher, sugar and vegetables flat. What the same Rs 5,000 grocery run buys in Kathmandu now vs 2080.

  • 9 min read

    Going abroad for work from Nepal: what it really costs, and the scams

    A Gulf job should cost about Rs 18,000 out of pocket; workers routinely pay Rs 130,000–700,000. The real cost, the payback math, and how the overcharging works.

  • 10 min read

    Is your bank deposit safe? Nepal's Rs 5 lakh deposit insurance, explained

    Bank deposits in Nepal are guaranteed up to Rs 5,00,000 per person per bank by the DCGF — but only at NRB-licensed banks, not co-operatives. What's covered.

  • 11 min read

    Breaking an FD early in Nepal: how much interest you actually lose

    Break an FD early and the bank pays the lower completed-period rate minus a 1–3% penalty, so your yield can slip below a savings account. The loss math inside.

    GuideNepalBankingFDSaving
  • 8 min read

    A 30-day no-spend challenge adapted for a Nepali salary

    A 30-day no-spend challenge built for a Nepali salary: what counts as essential, which month to pick, and how much a Kathmandu earner can realistically recover.

  • 8 min read

    The daily Rs 200 leak: what small Kathmandu habits cost you over a year

    Rs 200 a day in small Kathmandu habits is Rs 73,000 a year. What coffee, momo, rides, and data packs really cost, and what the leak becomes if you redirect it.

  • 9 min read

    Pay yourself first: automating savings on a Nepali salary before you can spend it

    How to automate savings on a Nepali salary: salary-day standing instructions, recurring deposit auto-debit, ConnectIPS SIP e-mandates, and wallet auto-save.

    GuideNepalSavingBudgetingAutomationSalary
  • 10 min read

    Why FD rates keep changing in Nepal: base rate and the NRB corridor

    FD rates fell from 11–12% in 2079/80 to 5–7% now. The base rate, the NRB interest-rate corridor, and the liquidity glut behind the drop, in plain numbers.

    GuideNepalBankingFDNRB
  • 8 min read

    How your savings account interest is actually calculated in Nepal

    Banks compute it on your daily balance, not the month's low, then credit quarterly. The formula, why Rs 1 lakh at 5% pays ~Rs 415/month, and the 6% TDS.

    GuideNepalBankingSaving
  • 9 min read

    Budgeting on an irregular income: a system for freelancers and shopkeepers in Nepal

    A budgeting system for Nepali freelancers and shopkeepers with swinging income: budget to your floor, pay yourself a salary, and set aside tax on receipt.

    GuideNepalBudgetingFreelanceCashflowTax
  • 8 min read

    Digital wallet limits in Nepal: how much you can load, hold, and send at each KYC tier

    Why your eSewa or Khalti transfer got blocked: the NRB caps, the KYC cliff at Rs 5,000, and the exact load, balance, and send limits by verification tier.

  • 9 min read

    What to do with money when someone dies in Nepal: bank, FD, PF, insurance, and shares

    When someone dies in Nepal, their bank, FD, PF, CIT, SSF, insurance, and shares must each be claimed separately. The documents, the process, and the traps.

  • 7 min read

    What to do with your first salary in Nepal

    Got your first salary in Nepal? The PAN and SSF setup, how much tax you actually pay, the emergency fund, and the first-paycheck mistakes worth skipping.

  • 8 min read

    Coming back to Nepal from abroad: a money checklist for returnees

    Moving back to Nepal after years abroad? The rules on bringing cash and gold home, tax residency, claiming a foreign pension, and where to park your savings.

  • 8 min read

    Recurring deposit vs FD in Nepal: the math for monthly savers

    A 5% recurring deposit doesn't pay like a 5% FD — the effective return is about half, since your money isn't in for the full term. The math, with current rates.

    GuideNepalBankingSavingFD
  • 16 min read

    Why is the Nepali rupee pegged to the Indian rupee? What the 1.6 rate means for your money

    The Nepali rupee has been fixed at 1.60 per Indian rupee since 1993. Why the peg exists, why your dollar buys ~152 rupees and not a fixed number, and the cost.

    GuideNepalExchange RateNRBPersonal FinanceUSD
  • 8 min read

    ConnectIPS vs mobile banking: fees, limits, and when to use which

    ConnectIPS or your bank's app? The real fees, the per-transaction limits, and which digital rail to use for each kind of payment in Nepal.

  • 11 min read

    FD laddering in Nepal: stay liquid and still earn fixed-deposit rates

    Splitting one big FD into a ladder of 3, 6, and 12-month deposits keeps cash maturing regularly so you skip the premature-withdrawal penalty. The math inside.

  • 11 min read

    Salary negotiation in Nepal: how to ask for an increment without burning the relationship

    Nepal's legal raise floor is about 1.7%/year, below inflation. The data to anchor on, the timing to use, and a script that asks for more without friction.