First raise feels like permission to upgrade the PG, the phone, and the Swiggy tier. That is lifestyle inflation. A step-up SIP is how you steal part of every hike for future-you before present-you spends it.
The simple rule
When hike hits: put at least 50% of the monthly increment into SIP/step-up. Enjoy the other 50%. If your raise is ₹4,000/month, SIP goes up ₹2,000 the same month — automated.
Why it matters
A flat ₹10,000 SIP is good. A ₹10,000 SIP that grows 10% yearly is how you reach goals years earlier without feeling a sudden cut. Use a step-up SIP calculator once — the gap is rude.
The takeaway
Do it on appraisal day, not “next month.” Next month is where SIPs go to die.