DIA Blog 011 - Why Ballin' On A Budget Is Easy In Vietnam By Noogie

by Noogie

Playing off of Hayter's previous blog about Why Ballin' On A Budget In Japan Isn't As Hard As You Think It Is, I decided to let you know just how easy it is to ball on a budget in Vietnam.

Vietnam is by far one of Asia's cheapest destinations but that doesn't mean it lacks in quality when it comes to food and living

Having lived in Vietnam for over 5 years now I thought it would be a good time to share exactly why Vietnam is the place to be if you wanna ball on a budget.
 

Cheap, Delicious Local Cuisine

Vietnam simply has one of the world's most amazing cuisines. Vietnamese cuisine is all about finding harmony between the 5 taste elements - sweet, salty, spicy, sour, and bitter. With that in mind, the dishes you consume are a flavor-blast that hits your senses like no tomorrow.

The best part about it all is most local dishes, such as banh mi, pho, or rice dishes, range from $.40 to $3.00

If you eat like a local, you'll pay the local price and can eat amazing dishes on the cheap. The amount of Vietnamese food you can consume for you cash is ridiculous. Also, it's actually cheaper to eat out compared to cooking your own meals (based on my experience).

However, if local food isn't your thing and you need your fix of burgers, steaks, and junk food... expect to pay more than what you would pay back home as most of those ingredients are imported and carry a hefty price tag.
 

Cheap Help

 

Since Vietnam has a very cheap labor force, you can have things you wouldn't expect yourself to have such as a live-in maid.

That's right. For about $200 a month you can have a live-in maid that will cook and clean for you.

If having a live-in maid isn't your thing, you can hire a maid that comes in part-time to clean up your pad. I recently became a father and needed all the extra help I could get, so hiring a full-time maid/nanny was a must.

However, with cheap help comes risks.

This labor force isn't exactly educated so the decisions and actions they take can be dumbfounding but, more importantly, there is a huge issue when it comes to trustworthiness and honesty.

That is the main reason why I let my maid go but it was worth it for a time when having an extra hand around the house was beneficial. 

Check out our episode when I discuss in full on why I had to let my nanny go:

Cheap Travels
It is easy and cheap to travel around Vietnam! There are so many options on how to get around town or the country, especially with the influx of peer-to-peer ridesharing companies like Grab.

The cheapest, best, and most enjoyable way to get around is by renting or getting your own scooter.

There is nothing like driving on a two-wheeled vehicle in the organized chaos of Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi and taking in all the sights, sounds, and smells the country has to offer

If that's a bit intimidating for you, you can always get a Grab Bike or Grab Car (Grab bought out Uber in Vietnam) and let someone else take you around town.

If you want to travel beyond the city, there are many options such as regular buses, sleeper buses, limousine vans with massage chairs, or private car rentals. All of these options are amazingly affordable compared to anything in Western countries. I'll talk more about this in a future podcast episode!

That's it!
This is just a small fraction of tips I could share with you on how cheap and awesome it is to be in Vietnam. Stay tuned for a full episode on our podcast as I share with Hayter on tips for moving to Vietnam!

Also, stay tuned for my next blog post about Tet in Vietnam... one of the most exciting times to be in the country! Until then...