I just want my husband to give me $388 a month for living expenses

My husband and I are both the same age, and we have a one-year-old daughter. Two months ago, I returned to work after taking a year off to care for her. I’ve sent our daughter to stay with my in-laws in their hometown while I work, and we visit her on the weekends. Right now, I hope that when our daughter turns 15 months old, we can bring her home to live with us. Although my in-laws love her deeply, I believe that living with her parents would be better for her development.

Unfortunately, no one agrees with me except my younger sister. We’re currently renting a place, and my husband prefers that our daughter stays with his parents, where there’s more space and fresh air. My mother-in-law also wants her to stay until she’s old enough to start school. My own parents support this plan, and my husband’s younger sister also suggests waiting until our daughter is at least three years old and can communicate more clearly.

If I insist on bringing her home, no one will stop me, but it would upset many people and lead to gossip. When I visit our daughter, she clings to me so much that I have to sneak away so she doesn’t see. It breaks my heart, and I struggle with this decision every time.

Another concern is our financial situation. I teach and earn around VND11-12 million a month, with breakfast and lunch provided at work. My husband works in maintenance for electricity and water, earning VND12 million a month.

He says that’s his salary, but I’ve never seen his pay slip or bank account. Every month, he gives me VND7-8.5 million, keeping the rest for food and transportation. I used to work extra at a teaching center in the evenings, but since extra tutoring was banned, I stopped. Adding the VND3-4 million I send to my in-laws for my daughter’s care, there’s nothing left at the end of the month.

I really want to increase my income, maybe start selling something in the evenings, but I lack experience and am afraid to try. I’ve told my husband that if his salary is really VND12 million, he should quit his job and find something better. With that income, plus the wear and tear on his motorbike since he works on construction sites, it’s just not enough.

I feel like he thinks I care only about money, which is why I haven’t brought it up with him. But if I don’t talk to him about it, I don’t know how we’ll manage with our combined income. In the future, I want to bring our daughter back and provide her with a good life.

My husband doesn’t talk much, and after work, we both focus on our individual tasks—cleaning, shopping, washing clothes—so there’s not much conversation between us. When I want to talk, I end up texting or calling my friends or family. The daily stress from work and all my worries make it hard to know who to share them with, and it’s leaving me exhausted.

What should I do? I would appreciate any advice or suggestions.