"What is reserved has its value"
In a small kitchen in an old apartment complex in Dong Da district, Ms. Thu Hang (55 years old) is in fish storage while staring at the phone her new daughter bought for her. On screen, the gold price chart is flat. She smiled, unable to hide her satisfaction.
Mrs. Hang told her daughter, "In the past, my mother's accounting salary was three dong. Every month, when receiving a salary, the first thing to do is to run to the gold shop at the end of the alley to buy half a tael, and take a tael to keep. Every friend of mine says why don't you eat pepper for fun, buy a dress, a bag, why work? But I just thought simply, that was 'to keep' for myself, and to give to my children in the future" - Ms. Hang said.
Ms. Hang said that her "saving" gold book is now thick, recording many purchases, with prices of only 30, 40 million VND/tael. For her, that pile of gold is not an investment to "surf", but the result of a life of thrift and inconvenience.
"Seeing the gold price increase, I'm happy. Happy that my perseverance over the years has been rewarded. But I didn't sell it, I still kept it, considering it a gift for my daughter in the future. What is reserved has its spiritual value" - Ms. Hang shared.
Night sleeping also dreamed of gold prices dancing
In complete contrast to Ms. Hang's tolerance, Minh Quan (28 years old, office worker) is going through days of "standing still". Following the profit-taking statuses of friends on social networks, last week Quan spent 150 million in savings to "reach the top", buying a quantity of SJC gold for 148 million.
"In the first few days, seeing the price increase, I was very happy, I thought I was about to get rich. But now it has reached 153 million, even Bao Tin Minh Chau listed the price of gold rings at 155 - 158 million VND/tael, I am starting to worry," Quan said while constantly switching the phone screen to update the price.
"If you make a profit, you will have a profit on paper, but the difference between buying and selling is now one and a half million. When I sold, I was a packaging mongrel watching, but when I kept it, my heart kept throbbing, I was afraid that if it turned around and decreased sharply, I would suffer a heavy loss. At night, I also dreamed of a dance chart. It was a good risk, but I was so nervous" - Quan shared.
"The price is like... I took a risk"
At a tea shop on the roadside, Mr. Toan (from Ninh Binh, 62 years old) sighed after reading the news about gold prices in the newspaper. The two old friends sitting together also shook their heads, each confiding.
"I have 5 taels of gold saved all my life, planning to wait for a good price to sell to get money to repair the house for my son to marry. At the price of 140 million, my grandmother had urged me to sell, but I kept hesitating, listening to people say the price had increased," Mr. Toan said in a regretful voice.
"Now it's getting high like this, I'm happy to sell. If they sell it for 160 million, then it will be a pity. If we don't sell, it will drop and we will lose both the lead and the fish" - Mr. Toan said.
Mr. Hau, sitting with Mr. Toan, was concerned about the difficulty in buying gold to prepare for the wedding of his youngest son at the end of this year. Mr. Hau shared that he felt sorry for not saving to buy gold in advance.
On social networks in recent days, many people have joked that they want to "revive" 10 years ago to buy gold and accumulate gradually.
In the midst of the golden fever, perhaps the joke "nothing can be traced back to the past" has never contained so much. Each person has a story, a choice, but all are caught up in the spiral of this powerful metal.
According to Lao Dong, last week (from October 14), domestic gold prices fluctuated strongly, continuously increasing closely following the world market:
Early in the week (Monday, October 14): SJC gold started at 141.6 - 143.6 million VND/tael (buy - sell). Gold rings are lower, at 137.9 - 140.9 million.
Mid-week (Tuesday - Thursday): Prices continue to increase steadily. By Thursday, SJC had skyrocketed to 146.6 - 148.6 million VND/tael. Gold rings also increased sharply, to 146 - 148.5 million.
Market weekend: Gold prices hit a peak. SJC selling price skyrocketed to 150 million. As of October 18, the SJC price was at 149.5 - 151 million VND/tael, and gold rings also increased to nearly 149.5 - 150.9 million VND.
