These days, in a small apartment in Luong Van Tri ward, Lang Son province, Mr. and Mrs. Nguyen Thu Huong (32 years old) are stressed because of a gold coin of their 5-year-old daughter.
Last Tet, after collecting all the lucky money and baby Bong's tireless savings, Ms. Huong decided to buy 1 tael of gold to save for her child. The amount is not large, but for her, it is a way to teach her child about the value of saving and long-term accumulation.
“The day I held the tiny gold thread in my hand, I was very happy. Thinking that later when my child grows up, there will be a little capital or simply a childhood memory,” she recounted.
Gold is carefully stored in the cabinet, as a reserve for her daughter.
In the middle of the year, when gold prices increased sharply, Mr. Tran Minh Quan (35 years old) - her husband - began to calculate. According to him, if selling at a high price and waiting for the market to adjust to buy back, the family could "surf" to earn an extra amount.
Gold is rising too quickly, keeping it quiet is a waste. Sell it and buy it back later, you will definitely make a profit," he persuaded his wife.
Ms. Huong initially did not agree. For her, it was her child's money, not a short-term investment. But before the analysis of the up and down cycle, about the possibility that the price will cool down, she followed suit.
Only gold was sold when the price had increased significantly compared to the time of purchase. Both thought simply, buy it back for their children in a few months, even with a little money left over.
But the market did not follow expectations. Gold prices not only did not decrease but continued to escalate. In just half a year, the price was almost double compared to the time she first bought.
Now, if I want to buy back 1 tael of gold, I have to spend a much higher amount, almost equal to my monthly salary," Ms. Huong sighed.
What lingers for her is not only the difference, but the feeling of having used her child's savings to try her luck.
Baby Bong still innocently boasted to her grandmother: "I have gold, mom keeps it for me". She doesn't understand anything about market fluctuations. For her, it's simply faith.
Mr. Quan also admitted that he is too confident. "I thought there would be a reduction to buy back. I didn't expect the price to keep increasing. Now wanting to buy back is also pressure," he said.
In the context of strong gold price fluctuations, many families fall into a similar situation. When profitable, all decisions seem wise. But when the market goes against the trend, what remains is not only the money problem, but also the feeling of regret, even remorse.
After many considerations, Ms. Huong and her husband decided to gradually deduct their monthly income to buy back 1 tael of gold for their child, even though they had to accept a much higher price than before.
