How do you deal with financial anxiety?

I grew up in a comfortable home—not luxurious, but stable and secure. However, five years ago, everything changed when my mom lost her job, and we ran into financial difficulties. I was still a student at the time. Thankfully, we managed to get by because of our savings, but by last year, those savings had reduced significantly, especially since I was pursuing my post-graduation and couldn’t contribute financially. There was even a point when I had just ₹500 in my account, and I didn’t want to ask for more from home.

Now that I’m working, I’m working on building our savings. I earn a decent amount, but it feels like I can’t save any of it. I’ve started investing in SIPs for the long term, but for short-term savings, it’s been a constant struggle. Unexpected expenses keep coming up, and since we haven’t done any essential home renovations in the past five years, my mom wants to do them now. I can’t say no because these aren’t luxury expenses—they’re necessities. Still, every time I spend money, I feel anxious about not saving enough.

Today, I got a call about another unexpected expense, and it felt overwhelming. I started regretting every single purchase I’ve made over the past six months, even though I’ve been careful and evaluated each purchase.

A few days ago, I accidentally saw a friend’s bank balance. We earn the same, but she doesn’t have any familial responsibilities, and her balance was three times mine. It left me feeling anxious—and, honestly, a little jealous.