Most 7-year-olds dream about what they want today. Saharsh Chettry is already thinking years ahead.
His goal? A blue 1967 Mustang GT.
The dream began during family road trips around Houston. Saharsh became fascinated after spotting the classic car in a Punjabi music video and later seeing the same Mustang at local car shows. He started researching the vehicle, talking about it regularly and imagining the day he might own one.
For years, Saharsh collected money in a large water jug at home. Family members would give him dollar bills for birthdays and special occasions, and he carefully tucked the money away.
Eventually, his parents suggested moving those savings into a bank account where he could better track his progress and watch his savings grow. To officially begin his financial journey, his mother Sweta took Saharsh to Regions’ Harpers Preserve bank branch in Conroe, Texas.
That’s where he opened his first savings account which is helping him learn how money can be saved and managed over time.
Since then, he’s already saved more than $2,200 toward his future goals.
The amount is far from enough to buy a vintage Mustang, but that’s not the point, his parents said, The real achievement is developing a lifelong savings habit.
“In the long run, we want to teach him that money isn’t easy to earn,” said his father Suman, who works as a CFO for a Houston-based company. “When you have money, you need to learn to spend it wisely so you can have a good future.”
Those lessons are becoming part of everyday life. Saharsh earns money through age-appropriate responsibilities around the house, and saves birthday money to add to his account. Along the way, he’s learning that every dollar saved can help bring a long-term goal a little closer.
What can adults learn from a 7-year-old saving for a dream car?
That successful saving starts with a specific goal, said Harpers Preserve Branch Manager Leahann Austria.
For Saharsh, it’s a Mustang. For others, Austria said, the goal could be buying a home, building an emergency fund, paying for education, planning a family vacation or preparing for retirement.
“Whatever the goal, people are often more likely to stay motivated when they know exactly what they’re working toward,” she said. “That’s the key principle behind the Regions Greenprint® plans we help customers develop around the life goals that matter most to them.”
“These plans are most effective when they’re personal. Connecting money to something meaningful can make it easier to build positive habits and stay focused over time.”
Whatever the goal, people are often more likely to stay motivated when they know exactly what they’re working toward.”
Leahann Austria, Harpers Preserve Branch Manager
Regions also supports that approach through the Regions Next Step® financial wellness program and the Personal Insights library of articles, calculators and other resources on Regions.com, which offer practical guidance on budgeting, saving, planning and navigating life’s financial milestones.
Austria said another moment stood out to her when she heard about Saharsh and the Mustang.
“After his parents suggested they could buy the car for him someday, he told them he would rather work and earn the car himself when he’s older,” she said. “That level of determination at such a young age was inspiring.”
So much so that the Regions team at Harpers Preserve surprised Saharsh with a model of his dream car to display in his room.
“That way, he can see it every day and be reminded of what he’s saving for and celebrate the progress he’s already made,” Austria said.
Saharsh’s story is proof again that financial success doesn’t necessarily begin with a large account balance.
Sometimes it begins with a goal.
And when that goal is paired with a plan, Austria said, even a 7-year-old can start building habits that may help create a stronger financial future.
For Saharsh, the destination may be a classic Mustang parked in his driveway someday.
“For now, he’s focused on the next deposit,” Austria said. “And that’s exactly the lesson his parents hoped he would learn.”