Travelling from India to almost any other country on a holiday means a careful watch on one’s expenses. When the American dollar is around Rs60, you are obviously going to think twice before handing out the greenbacks.

I remember my first trip to Europe some decades ago and how long I had to wait till I had collected enough money for the ticket plus the various currencies prevalent in the countries I was to visit.

On reaching the first country, I was not really exposed to the pathetic buying power of the little foreign currency I had managed to gather. That was because my sister was living there at the time and I didn’t have to bother about counting my pesetas. In fact, the peseta was less than the rupee way back then, with roughly 168 pesetas to the British pound (if I remember right). I don’t think even the rupee has fallen so low. So, when one went shopping and the cost of everything was in the thousands, it could be quite disconcerting initially. But this was a soft landing for a newbie traveller.

When I went to Paris, the prices of almost everything made me feel weak at the knees (and not in a besotted way) and all I could think of was how I could eat and live cheaply without starving to death. That’s when I learnt to eat a hearty breakfast, which was included in the price of the room, and satisfy my hunger pangs by staring at goodies I couldn’t afford, taking a deep breath to ingest the aromas.

Fortunately, walking is a pleasant experience in such climes and so there was no need to spend on cabs or, indeed, on public transport. What one had to ensure was that one’s hotel was centrally located. It might cost more but was cheaper in the long run.

After many such trips to countries where I drank in the sights while keeping a close eye on my budget, I wondered what it would be like if things were the other way round.

After coming to live in the UAE and going back home for holidays, I discovered exactly how wonderful it is to be extravagant without feeling guilty. Converting rupees to dirhams make shopping trips a pleasurable experience. Of course, I have to put up with comments about how I didn’t need to worry about what I spend as I come from the city of gold. Little do they know how meagre my collection of this precious metal is even after so many years in this wonderful place.

So, when I have visitors here in Dubai from home, I can understand their calculating ways. When they start converting dirhams to rupees and gasp in disbelief, I can empathise with their reluctance to go overboard. For me, it’s a case of ‘been there, done that’. While spending Dh100 on a purchase here might not seem like much, to them that is almost Rs1,700 — an amount they wouldn’t pay readily at home for what is not a necessity. If they want bargains, I am willing to take them to places where their heart won’t miss a beat when reading the prices.

Now, even when I am on holiday in Europe, I induce a state of amnesia. That means that I stop making rapid calculations and conversions each time I come across something I really like. Throwing caution to the wind, I go ahead and splurge like there’s no tomorrow. I know the day of reckoning will come but, till then, I am determined to enjoy every minute.

I only hope that I win a raffle some day and can afford to shrug off the misgivings of all those who try to caution me to save for a rainy day. When the sun’s shining, it is difficult to visualise clouds.