The Challenge: A Starbucks coffee costs ₹350. An Uber ride costs ₹200. Can you survive a full day (Food, Travel, Water) in a metro city with just a single ₹100 note? No cheating. No free water from home.

BALANCE: ₹100.00

> STRATEGY PHASE

I need ~2000 calories. I need to travel 10km to "work" (Coworking space). I need water.

TRANSPORT: Bus Only. No Auto. No AC Bus.
FOOD: Carbs are cheap. Protein is expensive. Stick to Bananas and Rice.

> 9:00 AM: THE COMMUTE

I walked 2km to the bus stop to save the "share auto" fare.

Item Cost Note Balance
City Bus Ticket ₹15 Crowded, sweaty, but moved. ₹85

Feeling: Tired already. Wealth buys energy preservation.

> 1:00 PM: LUNCH (THE CRISIS)

I was starving. I saw a McDonald's. The cheapest burger is ₹70. That would bankrupt me.

I found a street vendor selling Chole Kulche.

Item Cost Note Balance
2 Bananas ₹10 Morning snack. High ROI. ₹75
Street Thali ₹40 Dal, Rice, Sabzi. Filling. ₹35
Water Pouch ₹2 Plastic pouch water. Risky. ₹33
HUNGER: 40% (Manageable)

> 4:00 PM: THE TEA ADDICTION

Usually I drink a ₹250 Latte. Today, I stood at a Tapri.

Item Cost Note Balance
Cutting Chai ₹10 Sugar overload. Needed energy. ₹23

> 7:00 PM: THE RETURN JOURNEY

I have ₹23 left. The bus home is ₹15.

That leaves ₹8 for Dinner. Mathematically Impossible.

Item Cost Note Balance
Bus Ticket ₹15 Long wait. ₹8
Parle-G Biscuit ₹5 Dinner of champions. ₹3
FINAL BALANCE: ₹3.00

> THE DISCOMFORT ANALYSIS

1. Decision Fatigue: Every transaction was stressful. "Should I buy water? Or stay thirsty to save ₹2?" Poverty occupies 80% of your RAM with mental math.

2. Invisibility: You wait for the bus. You stand on the street to eat. You merge into the background. The city is designed for people who spend money. If you don't spend, you have nowhere to sit.

> CONCLUSION

I survived. But I didn't "live." ₹100 keeps you alive in India, but it strips you of comfort, choices, and dignity. The Parle-G dinner was bitter sweet.