I lived on 20-cent breakfasts to afford a HCMC house

I grew up in a poor family in the countryside of central Vietnam. In 1998, I moved to HCMC to pursue my dream of a college education. However, financial struggles meant working while studying to cover living expenses in the big city. As a struggling student, I took on any job I could find to make ends meet.

After five years of college, I graduated in 2003 and sent job applications everywhere. After a few short-term positions, I finally secured a stable job with enough income to support my family. I got married in 2006, and my wife and I rented a small room in the city. Both of our families faced financial difficulties, so we started our life together with almost nothing.

Rent and utility bills consumed nearly two-thirds of my salary. Sometimes, we even faced criticism from the landlord for using "too little" electricity. This motivated us to save money and eventually buy land to build our own home.

At the end of 2007, after years of saving, we bought a 60-square-meter plot on the city's outskirts with just VND30 million (US$1,180) in our account. I had to borrow money from colleagues and relatives to build a simple house on the land. At that time, I wasn’t too worried about repaying the debt—I was just happy to have a place to call home.

Every month, I gradually set aside money to repay my colleagues and relatives. During this period, my breakfast consisted almost exclusively of banh mi—just VND5,000 (20 cents) per loaf. Despite the challenges, I was content in our little, cozy home.

In 2008, our first child was born, which increased our expenses. But my wife and I encouraged each other to keep saving while paying off our debts and taking care of our child. Two years later, we finally repaid all our loans and started saving again with hopes of buying more property.

Besides my full-time job, I started several side businesses, such as selling goods at markets on weekends, sourcing flowers from Da Lat to sell during Tet, and even dabbling in real estate for commission. In 2011, I switched to my current company, where my salary doubled. By 2012, we had saved enough to buy another small plot of land. From there, I began buying and selling properties whenever I saw an opportunity. Little by little, my wife and I built up enough savings to secure our family's future.

Looking back, if we hadn't taken the risk to buy a house 20 years ago and instead waited until we had enough money, we likely wouldn't have owned one today, given how property prices have continued to rise in the city and nearby areas. What we have now may not seem like much to others, but it represents the result of our hard work and perseverance.

Today, our assets include two homes (one for living and one for rental), a car (primarily for family and friends’ trips), and some plots of land in other provinces as long-term investments.

I’m not sharing this story to boast or offer a lesson on making money. I simply want to share my experiences with young people starting out in new cities. Work hard, spend wisely while you're still young, and save for your future.