As Akshaya Tritiya comes around every year it brings promises of wealth and good beginnings. For a lot of people it is also a time to look at their money situation.
In places like Dubai buying gold is a part of the festival. The day is a balance between how people feel and how much they spend. What starts as a planned outing can quickly become a test of willpower.
For people gold is a symbol of something special. It does not have to be big or expensive just meaningful.. When people are in a gold shop with lots of shiny things they start to forget about being practical. The prices do not seem like prices anymore they seem like challenges.
This is especially true for couples. One person wants to be careful and choose something. The other person thinks this is a chance to buy something valuable. All gold is a sign of wealth so why settle for something small?
Then they have a quiet talk about what to do. It is not about money it is about feelings and what they think is right. Words like “elegant” and “good investment” start to mean than one thing. People try to be logical. It does not always work.
The shops are designed to make people feel like they are doing something. There are mirrors and lights everywhere. Lots of gold to look at. Each piece of gold feels important. Each choice feels like a big decision.
In the end people make a choice. It is usually not the option but it feels right. It is about the spirit of Akshaya Tritiya.
Akshaya Tritiya is not about buying gold. It is about believing in things like being prosperous and following traditions. Sometimes it is about choosing to be happy of just thinking about money.
Maybe the important thing to remember is that some things we buy are not just about saving money. They are about understanding what is important, to us.
