The laughing Buddha in the photograph holds my small savings. With the other objects in the photograph, one can estimate its size. I put the Rs 5 coins that I save from my regular spending in various purchases. It is possible, as we in India still pay cash for our purchases ranging from ‘mother dairy’ milk and vegetables to groceries of all sorts.

I have this funny way of saving through coins since my school days. Once I showed (and gave) an earthen pot of my saving to my grandfather in village, he was very happy. His happiness was a great satisfaction for me in those days.

On all my foreign trips, starting from the first one in 1966 to Vauxhall Motors, UK, I saved the coins that I used to get during the day. While returning, one of my colleagues pressed me to buy a ‘Gerrard’ (?) record changer deck out of the money. That was the only major purchase of mine in that trip, as I spent all my money in traveling in Europe and Egypt.

I had the habit of this type of saving even in my HM days. My sons as kids also participated with greed prevailing over the righteousness once or twice, when the money vanished with chance breakage of the earthen pots.

Perhaps, for the new generation of the plastic age, this may appear as useless. But for me it’s an old habit that does not die. However, I shall like my readers to estimate and predict the amount that the laughing Buddha will be holding in Rs 5 coins, when I shall open it in December 2006. And I promise if some one can do that exactly, I shall share the collected amount.

Can you do that? But still I appeal for small savings regularly. It may be a poorman’s way of saving, but it surprises sometimes and more than that comes very handy in some awkward situations.

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