Blog, page 2 of 3
Older articles on money, tax and health, with the arithmetic worked through.
How to split trip expenses fairly, with the fewest payments
Six friends, ₹12,000 of costs, three of them owing money. Six UPI transfers would settle it, but three are enough. How the maths works and how to handle part-trip guests.
25 October 2026 · 5 min read
How to calculate CBM and volumetric weight before you ship
500 cartons of 60 × 40 × 40 cm are 48 CBM and 9,600 kg by air, yet only 225 fit in a 20 ft container. The three shipping numbers, worked out step by step.
25 October 2026 · 6 min read
Exam photo and signature size 2026: SSC, IBPS, SBI, UPSC, RRB and PAN
Every size and KB limit from the official 2026 notices in one table, where the notices contradict themselves, and why SSC does not want your photo at all.
26 September 2026 · 6 min read
Life path number: how numerology numbers are calculated, and what they can't tell you
Your life path number depends on which method a website uses. 23 November 1988 is a 6 one way and a master number 33 the other. How the sums work, and what they cannot do.
13 September 2026 · 5 min read
Averaging down shares: when it helps, and when it only adds to the loss
Buying more of a falling share lowers your average price. It does not lower the loss, and if the price keeps falling it makes the loss bigger. The arithmetic, with real numbers.
13 September 2026 · 5 min read
SWP explained: how long will ₹50 lakh really last?
₹30,000 a month from ₹50 lakh can last for good, and ₹45,000 runs dry in 17 years. The gap between those two is one number most SWP brochures never show you.
13 September 2026 · 6 min read
The 75% attendance rule: how many classes you can miss, and how many you need
At 45 out of 64 classes you are at 70.31% and need 12 in a row to reach 75%. The formulas for classes needed and classes you can miss, and why early absences hurt most.
13 September 2026 · 5 min read
How to calculate working hours, night shifts and overtime pay
A 9:15 to 6:45 day with a 45-minute lunch is 8.75 hours, not 9.5. How to count shifts that cross midnight, convert minutes to decimal hours and work out overtime at twice the rate.
13 September 2026 · 5 min read
Gratuity under the new labour codes: the 1-year rule, 15/26 formula and ₹20 lakh cap
Five years is no longer the rule for everyone. Fixed-term staff now qualify after one, a low basic salary can no longer shrink the payout, and one extra day of service can be worth ₹23,077.
13 September 2026 · 5 min read
Is a 10% salary hike good? What your raise is worth after inflation
A 10% raise in a year of 5% inflation is really a 4.76% raise. How to read a hike in real terms, why hikes compound, and why take-home pay rarely moves in step with CTC.
13 September 2026 · 5 min read
CTC vs in-hand salary: why ₹12 lakh CTC is about ₹85,000 a month
A ₹12 lakh offer is ₹1 lakh a month on paper and about ₹85,400 in the bank. Here is where the other ₹14,600 goes, line by line, and which parts you can actually change.
13 September 2026 · 5 min read
BMR & calorie deficit: how fast should you really lose weight?
The 7,700-calories-per-kilogram rule works for about eight weeks and then quietly stops. Here is what actually happens after that, and the rate that survives month six.
4 September 2026 · 6 min read