The end of the year also brings a lot of worries to households and young people when besides the joy of family reunion, people also have to calculate to balance their spending and avoid overspending.
For some young families like Nhat Trung and his wife, in addition to saving each item, the Tet spending plan is often closely monitored and managed.
“A month before Tet, we have made a list of things to shop, spend and prioritize. This will avoid waste, arising, affecting savings and financial goals. in the new year”.
Young people cut spending
Near the Lunar New Year, Hoai An (24 years old, Tan Phu district, Ho Chi Minh City), has a headache when looking at the long expenses. The precarious financial situation all year made it difficult for An to shop comfortably.
“I plan to spend regarding 10 million dong for Tet. In which, 3 million VND is given to parents, 1-2.5 million VND for personal expenses, the rest depends on food and household activities. This number is lower than last year,” An shared.
The female office worker admitted that the spirit of Tet shopping this year was lower than every year. Her family prioritizes savings, cuts unnecessary expenses, only buys simple utensils and food.
| Hoai An is under pressure when thinking regarding shopping for Tet. |
“I took advantage of the holiday sales to buy a few new clothes, the rest did not buy any accessories, similar to beauty items. This is the first time I have received a Tet bonus, but seeing this situation, I did not dare to spend much,” An added.
Similar to Hoai An, Minh Ngoc (26 years old, Phu Nhuan district), a marketing staff, is also hesitant to measure and measure family expenses.
Since having an official job, she usually spends regarding 1/3 of her bonus to buy 2 gold coins for her parents. In addition, Ngoc also sent another 5 million dong to her family to buy fruits, jams, and clothes.
However, when looking at the 13th month salary and bonus being reduced by nearly 30%, Ngoc said that it is likely that she will have to exchange gifts or cut personal expenses to make up for the loss.
“This has been worrying me for a few days now. Income and bonuses decreased but prices increased. I work away from home, only have a chance to visit my family all year. Therefore, gifts for parents are indispensable. I still have a few grandchildren in the countryside, every year when I return, I have to give them lucky money,” Ngoc lamented.
After calculating, the total amount of money she needed to spend for the Tet season was slightly more than a month’s salary. Along with that, the rent and living expenses in Ho Chi Minh City are increasingly expensive, which makes the last weeks of the Year of the Tiger with Minh Ngoc even more stressful.
Having a side job as a graphic designer, Ngoc plans to move back to her hometown for regarding a week, taking advantage of staying in the city to “plow” more orders from outside customers.
“In addition to the money from freelancing, my pressure to spend Tet is also less. However, I also need to plan carefully so as not to waste it, leading to a lack of money following Tet, “said Ngoc.