Mango Millionaire: Smart Money Management for a Sweeter Life

by Radhika Gupta, Niranjan Avasthi

An easy and straightforward guide to mastering your money – from two trusted experts

How much should you spend and how much should you save? Should you rent or buy? How much debt is too much? Which insurance policy is right for you? How do you choose the best investment product?

If you’ve ever found yourself grappling with these questions, you’re not alone. As India’s financial landscape has evolved, the sheer number of choices have grown, but so have the myths and misinformation. Managing money isn’t just for the privileged few; it’s for everyone – especially the aam janta, or the mango people.

Radhika Gupta and Niranjan Avasthi draw from their extensive experience at Edelweiss Mutual Fund – one of India’s leading and fastest-growing asset management companies – to bring you Mango Millionaire – a crisp, reliable and no-nonsense guide to smart financial planning.

From budgeting and saving to investing, debt management, risk and taxes, it lays down practical advice in bite-sized, easy-to-read chapters. Packed with insightful stories from real investors and easy-to-follow steps, Mango Millionaire slices through the jargon and serves up practical answers to empower you to take control of your financial future.

Genres: Nonfiction, Finance, Money, Personal Finance

220 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 15, 2025

Reviews

[_booksagsm · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve always had a love-hate relationship with money. When I was a child, my dad took care of everything—bills, savings, planning—and life felt easy. But growing up and taking responsibility for my own finances hasn’t been simple. There are just too many choices and too many opinions. So when I heard that Radhika Gupta, the CEO of Edelweiss Mutual Fund, had written a book on money management, I was curious. The fact that she co-wrote it with Niranjan Avasthi, also from Edelweiss, made it even more interesting. They’ve both spent years in the field, working closely with people and understanding their financial concerns.

Mango Millionaire is like that calm, sensible friend who explains things without making you feel judged. The book talks about basic money questions we all struggle with—how much to save, whether to rent or buy, when to start investing—and breaks them down in a simple, practical way. What I liked most is that it doesn’t talk down to you or drown you in financial jargon. There are funny, relatable stories, and even some Bollywood references that made me smile. One moment that stuck with me was when the book compared investing to whiskey—“the older it gets, the better it becomes.” That line made me pause and think.

What makes this book different is how easy it is to read. Each chapter is short and focused. You can finish one during a tea break and still walk away with something useful. The tips are realistic too—not the usual “save 50% of your income” kind of advice, but small, doable habits that feel achievable even for someone just starting out. I appreciated the way the authors remind us that it’s okay to feel overwhelmed, but with the right guidance, we can take control.

Overall, Mango Millionaire is a great starting point for anyone who wants to understand money without stress. It’s not about becoming a finance expert overnight, but about learning the basics in a way that sticks. I would recommend it to students, young professionals, or honestly anyone who feels lost when it comes to handling their money. It’s comforting to know that people like Radhika and Niranjan want to simplify things for the rest of us—and they’ve done a great job with this book.

[Manish Jain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mango Millionaire isn’t your typical, snooze-worthy finance book—it’s a refreshing, no-nonsense guide for everyday Indians who just want to get a grip on their money without feeling like they’re studying for an MBA exam. If you’ve ever stared at your bank balance at the end of the month wondering, “Where did it all go?” or if terms like SIP, ELSS, or CAGR make you want to hide under a blanket—this book is for you.

Written by Radhika Gupta, MD & CEO of Edelweiss Mutual Fund, and Niranjan Avasthi, Senior VP at the same firm, Mango Millionaire is born out of their experience with thousands of people who earn well, work hard, and yet feel like their money has a mind of its own. The authors understand that most of us aren't financially illiterate—we’re just financially overwhelmed. And let’s be honest, Excel sheets are great… until they start looking like modern art.

The book is delightfully jargon-free and full of relatable stories, real investor anecdotes, and even Bollywood references (yes, finance can be fun!). One gem compares investing to whiskey—the older it gets, the better it becomes. Now that’s a financial principle we can all toast to.

I finished reading this book in just one day—and no, I’m not a speed reader. It took a bit of dedication and motivation, but once I started, it just flowed. The short, snappy chapters, the engaging tone, and the practical insights made it hard to put down. It felt more like chatting with a witty, financially-savvy friend than reading a finance manual.

You’ll find real value here: how to budget without guilt, invest without confusion, manage debt without panic, and handle taxes without pulling your hair out. Whether you're just starting your career or looking to finally "adult" your money decisions, Mango Millionaire offers clarity, confidence, and quite a few smiles along the way.

Think of it as your witty, wise, and wallet-friendly financial GPS. Now go read it—your future self will thank you (and might even buy you a mango smoothie in celebration).

[Rahul Vishnoi · Rating 5 out of 5]

-So How Do You Manage Your Money?-
Review of Mango Millionaire

Quote Alert
"𝐒𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲? 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫. 𝐖𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥, 𝐬𝐨 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐟𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞. 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐮𝐬 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐮𝐧𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐣𝐨𝐛, 𝐰𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐢𝐭. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥."

In Mango Millionaire, author duo Gupta and Avasthi take their pen and burst many bubbles of obsolete thinking that pervade the society as much as they exist in the minds of the common people. The authors firmly believe that managing money shouldn't be restricted to the rich only but everyone has to start doing it.

The book helps you not only learn the 101 of money management, it goes steps beyond and helps you debunk the myths. It assists you unlearn the old rules and learn the new school rules. All the chapters have actionable tips (Savings is a habit-driven approach. Initially, forming the habit of saving is more important than the percentage of money you save) and they end in key learnings (Investing your money can help you beat inflation)

There are compilation of notes and lessons that will definitely make you think differently about the familiar stuff. These notes are the insights collected and collated over years of observations, conversations and learnings. The learnings in this book have been distilled across years and markets. It seeks to demystify the current trends and helps you equip with the required cutting edge knowledge with concise and actionable insights.

Read it to know more about money.

[Abhishek Jain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mango Millionaire is a good book to demystify financial jargons in simple language and understand the basics of personal finance.
Would recommend this to young adults who are staring in their personal finance journey and to old adults who still get overwhelmed on how to go about personal finance. What I liked about the book is the emphasis on promoting the idea of investing being personal and highlighting that there is no one size fits all approach.
There is a slight push on promoting MF/SIP as an investment tool but that’s fine.

[Jalay · Rating 5 out of 5]

A super interesting read — written in the simplest way possible for Indian investors. The author breaks down concepts with relatable examples, making it easy to grasp even for someone just starting out.

While seasoned investors may find parts of it a bit basic, I see that as its strength — it’s a perfect starting point. I strongly recommend this book to youngsters in their early career days who want to build the right financial mindset early on.

Honestly, I wish this book was available when I was in my early twenties. It would have saved me from many beginner mistakes.

[Francisco Alcaide Soler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written in a way so that an average citizen can understand the implications of saving and investing wisefully over ones lifetime. 2 points to make: 1) if the reader works in the finance sector probably already knows most of what the book tries to teach; and 2) the books is written in an Indian context, therefore some of the financial products or market considerations are not directy extensible.

Overall a decent read to have a big picture about personal finances.

[ATHUL SATHEESH · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mango millionaire is guide for a common Indian man who is confused with the idea of personal finance and safe future.It gives an insight into what can be done as a kick starter for beginning a new investment journey.Helping us to plan our finances based on the priorities in life. Everything is explained in layman’s language for everybody with any buzzwords or financial terminology.Must read.

[Dileep Jetty · Rating 4 out of 5]

great book to start with personal finances

[Gourav Chaudhary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good guide for a novice in money management,

[Siddhartha Jain · Rating 2 out of 5]

Easy read. Very basic, to be read by someone who is just starting their financial investment journey.