The colour of money

doweshowbellyad=0; Colour of money"When I was young I used to think that money was the most important thing in life. Now that I am old, I know it is." - Oscar Wilde
Conventionally, money is nothing more than a socially and legally acceptable token that functions as a medium of exchange for goods and services. However, that definition went out the door with the middle ages and the reality is very different.Money is much more than a token of exchange - it provides security, economic power, political influence, social status, self-confidence and a sense of accomplishment.
And given the rising power of the rupee, India is seeing a lot more of the big bucks than it had ever done. India is buying big and dreaming big. We explore the top five things that people would like to spend on most...if they had the moolah, of course!
World Tour
‘World tour’ tops the list of dreams. Most people that we interviewed would like to go to far and exotic lands and they do not want to wait till retirement to do that. As Meghna Yadav, a 26-year-old executive working with an event management company, puts it “I want to visit China, Argentina, Africa, Italy, Zurich, Ireland, Bahamas, just to name a few and want to see and experience different cultures, taste new foods, and meet new people. I can’t see myself doing this in my entire period of service, doesn’t matter how many promotions I get. Sometimes I might not have the money and sometimes I might not have the time.”
“And who wants to go after retirement. I will be too old then!” she adds.
Arun Bedi, a retired judge, puts the age issue at rest by enthusiastically laying out his plans, “I am sure almost 70 per cent of us might feel like a kid at times like this. All the secret wishes and dreams chucked because of lack of resources and other priorities will come to surface. I would go on a world tour...would explore each and every place that exists on the earth. I would seek joy, excitement and thrill.”
Buy my dream house
The second on the wish list of most people is a house. Though, with real estate prices touching the sky, we are more than happy and fortunate to see ourselves settled in a cozy 2-3 bedroom apartment. Of course, what’s left behind are the EMIchecks to repay the house loan, which takes away a large chunk of wealth from our bank accounts every month.
But with a lot of money in the bank there’s a lot more that can be done.
“I always wanted a house that looks like a traditional three bedroom beach cottage like the one you can find in the Caribbean. The interiors would be set up to imitate the natural environment where some fishes would live. The fish would swim back and forth throughout the house.” explains Saumya Gupta, assistant manager - marketing, when asked about plans to spend his fortune.
Bedi also has similar plans, “My home will be on a beach. It will be raised off the ground for parking underneath. There will be wide decks. It will have lots of glass windows and will have every comfort that one can imagine”
doweshowbellyad=0; Colour of moneyQuit my job!
The third choice is to say bye-bye to bosses from hell and the 9 to 9 routine job and invest or start a business.
“I’d quit my job and would start working towards realizing my dream - to do something worthwhile and meaningful in life. I wanted to spread awareness about some unspoken, unheard social causes and to start an organization for child education and development. And it will take a long time to save enough funds... if a lottery happens, it means good-bye to the 9-6 jobs, and hello to my ambitions!!” says Amandeep Rekhi, business analyst.
While Amandeep would chase her ambitions and dreams others would like to start a venture of their own. Shares Vikas Gupta, project manager - Baroda, “I would actually stop working. I would live luxuriously and probably open some business or buy someone else’s running and successful business and run it myself. Then I will not work under anyone, be my own boss and enjoy life”
Then there are those who would like to make major investments and have a lavish, comfortable life. As Sidharth Singh, a clients account executive working with Cincom Systems, puts it, “After lots of shopping, buying cars, roaming around the world and donating some amount I will keep around 40 per cent of the money in bank.”
Good plan indeed!
Cosmetic surgery
This one was an interesting revelation. Another fantasy that a lot of people would like to fulfill is that of having the looks of models and Hollywood/Bollywood divas or hunks. And, when they talk of cosmetic surgery they definitely don’t mean a simple face lift, tummy tuck or lip job. As Divya Kharbanda states, “I would pay the surgeon as much as he wants to give me the features of Angelina Jolie, the smile of Cameron Diaz and hair like Jennifer Aniston!”
Shop till I die!
Interestingly, shopping doesn’t make it to the ‘top of the mind recall’ list of things people would like to do with their money. However, most people would like to purchase everything that they have ever dreamed of - from hi-tech gadgets to expensive sports car, from a Tommy Hilfiger watch to a cruise on the Caribbean, designer threads to a spa treatment...the list is endless.
As they say, "Whoever said money can't buy happiness simply didn't know where to go shopping!”
So, tell us what is the most expensive thing that you would like to spend on?
pallavi.tyagi@indiatimes.co.in