My friend's family, earning $2,800 monthly, eats pho only twice a month

Reading a story about how a VND35,000 cup of coffee is considered a luxury even on a VND40 million monthly income, I suddenly remembered a friend of mine, whose family is extremely frugal. He and his wife have two children, a house, and a property that they are renting out.

He once told me that the combined income from their salaries and rental property amounts to about VND70 million per month. This level of income is a dream for many families, but for them, it is not high enough, he said.

They always feel insecure about their finances so they try to save as much money as possible in their daily lives. They eat food sent weekly by their families in the countryside and only go to the supermarket or look for discounts on e-commerce platforms when they need things that they or their families could not make at home, like dishwashing liquid, floor cleaner, detergent, and toothpaste.

If they really crave eating out or grabbing a coffee, they would only indulge in a bowl of pho on weekends, but only twice a month at most.

I find it quite interesting that while some people spend money impulsively, others always feel financially anxious despite earning several times the average income.

In my opinion, those who spend money impulsively do not necessarily undervalue the worth of money, but they feel that it takes too long to accumulate enough wealth to buy valuable assets and properties, so they prioritize their immediate needs and wants. On the other hand, those who are financially well-off with multiple high-value assets are obsessed with boosting or at least preventing their wealth from being eroded by inflation, so they try to save every penny.

I believe that while learning how to earn money and how to spend it are both difficult endeavors, striking a balance between the two is sometimes even harder.

Would you rather spend your money now or save it for bigger purchases?

Reader Duc Thanh

*This opinion was translated into English by AI. Readers’ views are personal and do not necessarily match VnExpress’ viewpoints.