I know how to live within a budget. My pocket money, which was Rs500 when it started, increased based on how well my sister and I behaved. In 12th class, I was receiving Rs4,000 a month, which I spent on dinners with friends, movies and hanging out in coffee shops. My father (Mahesh Bhatt) is old-school about money.

He’s curious about how much I get paid per film, appearance, endorsement. Sometimes, I hear him sounding very angry because he just got a massage that cost him Rs5,000. He can’t believe a massage can cost that much.I remember my first pay cheque clearly. I was 18 years old and I got the first instalment, Rs2.5 lakh, for Student Of The Year. I was shooting so my mom (Soni Razdan) took a picture of the cheque and sent it to me. My parents expect us to pay for our own branded stuff, so I first thought I would buy a Prada bag. But I wanted to be responsible and the money went straight in the bank.Since I began earning, I’ve had a debit card and it’s taught me the responsibility of day-to-day spending. On my 21st birthday this March, I was allowed my first credit card.My big shopping sprees happen once a year on my holiday, when I go to exotic places and splurge on hotel suites and airfare. I’m sensible about money. My mother pays all my bills, coming to me to sign my cheques, and I know how much I pay in Income Tax.The real conversation that I have with my chartered accountant is about investing because it interests me. I like to know about FDs, real estate and I’m saving up to buy a house, even though my heart is set on a car. I change my mind on which car every three months — I wanted the Range Rover Sport, until I saw Ranbir’s (Kapoor) Mercedes Jeep.I realise that you learn from the mistakes you make about money, so I can only imagine how nervewracking it is to budget for an entire country.It’s easy to point fingers, but the leaders we’ve elected have been through the beats of life and have responsibly carved out our budget. I like parts of it, like the Railway one that has allotted money for battery-operated cars for old people.It’s great if today’s technology can be used to help people. I may not use trains, but I like that the money I pay as tax is used to help someone. Our tax money should be put to good use. The best part is that our PM, Mr Modi, is Twitter-savvy so people can tell him exactly what they expect and he listens.It’s great to see better infrastructure like the Bandra-Worli Sea Link and the Metro. Like other citizens, I want better roads and buses. I’ve been travelling through Delhi, Chandigarh and Bangalore to promote my new film and these cities are so green and have huge roads.The moment the plane touches down in Mumbai, we see so many slums. Maybe it’s easier said than done, but we have to find some solution to improving our city. In fact, our budget should help improve conditions everywhere, from UP, Bihar right down to the south. As for luxury, that’s one thing that interests me.I spend a lot on brands when I shop abroad, then pay duty when I come back. I wish the luxury sector would open up more and that these products were available here, so I don’t have to spend so much. But that’s just a small concern of mine, compared to the many other ways that our budget can be better utilised.