Am I a spendthrift or a miser? The answer is neither. The trap is, if you spend a lot, you have to earn a lot. And I don't want to earn a lot. So I don't really indulge.

Not that one doesn't need money. But what does one need it for? I need some to be able to enjoy what I like. As for the rest, I've neither been rich nor poor. We've been comfortable. In fact, my dad doesn't even have a house of his own.

I have started thinking about getting a house now. Not for all the usual reasons but because my parents haven't done it so far.

The most extravagant thing I've ever done is buying a car when I could not afford it. I really didn't have any money. And so I bought a second-hand car. I've had a Fiat for years. But people tell me that I must get a better car now because I'm an actress. I don't understand this. It's a status trap -- there's no end to it. Until very recently, I didn't even have a full-length mirror in my home.

The time one should really have money isat the time of illness or an accident. I have seen this first hand with a friend. Being poor in our country is a luxury.

Otherwise money doesn't have a major relevance in my life. Just the necessary comforts. But the means are as important as the end. I'm not going to work purely for my comforts.

Money is a means to some more opportunities in life. Maybe options. But it's not freedom in itself; money can only do that much and no more. I'm not condemning the importance. But we're getting too materialistic, too consumeristic.

Sometimes, you miss money. When you're travelling, sometimes you like something very beautiful, but don't get to buy it because it's expensive. But then that's never ending too -- when do you stop?

Diamonds? Not me. I prefer silver -- old traditional silver. And I love sarees -- I have quite a few. But it has nothing to do with money. A beautiful thing need not necessarily be expensive.

What is money savvy? People ask me all the time -- do you know what your monthly expense is.How should I know? When my car is empty, I fill it. Living with your instincts is the best way to live.

If money doesn't dominate your life, it's not an evil. It's not an evil in itself. But if it obsesses you, then yes, definitely. If it's the most important thing in your life, it's a limitation.

My absolute dream is to start a school in a small place. Utopia. I will do this at a point in my life when I've had my fill.

--As told to Punam Mohandas