"The wedding was expected to cost VND200 million, but we couldn’t afford it. We had to pay deposits in stages and cut back on spending," the 31-year-old who lives in Ho Chi Minh City says.

Before moving in with her boyfriend and having their family, she had lived with her parents and had to take care of few household expenses. Most of her earnings went toward travel.

Peter, her British husband now, teaches in Vietnam and earns around VND80 million a month. He used to consider Ho Chi Minh City inexpensive and spent freely.

Once they moved in together, rent alone cost more than VND20 million a month. They ate out several times a week, spending VND800,000 to over VND1 million per meal. She paid for their cat’s care, shopping, and a housekeeper hired by the hour.

He covered the rent and household expenses, along with gym fees, sauna visits, and four or five trips a year. To save for the wedding, he swapped lunches costing nearly VND200,000 for free cafeteria meals at the school where he teaches. They also canceled all travel plans.

For three months, he had felt as though his wings were clipped since he could no longer spend as he pleased. They have no immediate plans to have children because they consider their finances unstable.

Thu Nghiem and her husband, Van Sang, at a restaurant. Photo courtesy of the couple

In Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long, Thu Nghiem and Van Sang, both 26, faced a similar problem. When they needed money to repair their house late last year, they discovered they had no savings despite earning more than VND40 million a month.

They run a pizza shop, Sang also works as a real estate broker, they own their home, have no children or debts, and do not have to support their parents financially. Nghiem considered their income substantial for the area. "The fact that we hadn’t managed to save anything was difficult to accept," she says.

They blamed each other and stopped speaking. They scaled back their plans to decorate and furnish the house, looking for cheaper alternatives, and had to borrow money from both families. "We realized that we had been spending money mindlessly," Nghiem admits.

She bought coffee or bubble tea every morning and snacks in the afternoon. She also accumulated kitchen utensils even though they regularly ate out for lunch and dinner. Sang, meanwhile, spent heavily on social engagements he could have skipped.

It is not uncommon for families with a large income to have poor savings. Some 61.4% of Vietnamese do not plan or manage their income and expenses, 53% say their families struggle to save, and 23.7% report not saving any money in the preceding 12 months, according to a 2022 survey by Japan International Cooperation Agency.

Not being able to save reflects more than just income levels or spending habits, according to Nathan Gehlert, professor of psychology at Fulbright University Vietnam.

One major factor is a lack of shared goals and concrete plans for reaching them, he says. Spouses can attach very different meanings to money, with one seeing it as a source of security and wanting to save and the other viewing it as a way to enjoy life, share with others or reward themselves, he explains.

Rising incomes can also bring more expensive lifestyles and higher expectations, leaving little room for savings, he says.

He advises couples to spend some time tracking and categorizing their expenses before agreeing on priorities, set personal spending allowances, and agree on a threshold for major purchases.

Nghiem recalls somewhat guiltily that before they married, they earned only about VND10 million a month between them, rented modest accommodation, ate on the sidewalk, and had few expectations, but felt contented and happy.

Their incomes rose after marriage, but disagreements followed, she laments. "When we had no money, we put our partner above everything else. Once we had money, we began prioritizing our own needs."

Having to borrow for the house repairs prompted them to change their habits. They began allocating their monthly income: VND6 million–VND8 million for food, VND15 million for investments, VND10 million for emergencies, and another VND10 million for other living expenses.

Nghiem bought ingredients to make drinks at home, sold kitchenware she did not need and began cooking more often. Sang turned down unnecessary social engagements.

After eight months of saving and increasing their income, they were able to buy a car and had money when they needed.

Ha and Peter also plan to manage their finances more systematically so they do not find themselves with a "zero-balance account" again.

In the U.S., 39 states required personal finance education for high school graduation, according to the 2026 Council for Economic Education survey. Vietnam could learn from that model, Gehlert says.