"Tighten purse strings" solution
Ngoc Nhung, a first-year student at the University of Agriculture and Forestry, was still confused when she first left her hometown to go to the city to study. On the first day she received 3 million VND from her parents, Nhung happily invited her friends to eat out and drink coffee. But only half a month later, her wallet was empty.
“Once I ran out of money in the middle of the month and had to borrow some from a close friend to get by. From that moment on, I learned a lesson: I can’t spend money recklessly like before,” Nhung said.
After her first “bare pockets” experience, Nhung began to tighten her spending. She divided the 3 million VND her parents sent her each month into small portions: 1.2 million VND for rent, 1.5 million VND for food, and the rest for studying and miscellaneous living expenses.
Spending management applications have become familiar tools to help students control personal spending (Photo: Tuyet Luu).
To save money, Nhung started cooking with her roommates. A simple soup or a simple side dish was enough to warm her stomach and help reduce costs significantly compared to eating out.
Instead of going to big stores to buy clothes, she likes to wander around student markets or hunt for used items.
“I love choosing used items. They are beautiful, economical, and sometimes I can buy branded items. Many items are one-of-a-kind, and fun to wear,” Nhung shared.
Not only that, Nhung also takes advantage of the school library to borrow documents or buy old books from seniors at half the price.
"Saving money on books makes me feel less stressed," the new student confided.
Sharing the same experience, after spending too much in the early stages of university, Nguyen Nhat Tam, a student at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Ho Chi Minh National University, found a way to manage personal expenses using an application on his phone.
“I record each expense and categorize them according to essential needs: study, food, entertainment. This helps me see clearly which expenses I spend a lot on and which ones I can cut down on. Expenses should be recorded as clearly as possible and ranked by priority,” Tam shared.
According to her, this method helps students have a more comprehensive view, thereby avoiding wasting money on unnecessary and unplanned expenses.
Nhat Tam divides his parents' monthly allowance of 4 million VND into 4 basic items including: 3 million VND for food, 400,000 VND for gas, 300,000 VND for electricity and water, the rest for buying supplies or saving. If there is any surplus food money, Tam continues to transfer it to the savings and must follow the principle of not exceeding the threshold specified for each item.
“At first, it might be a bit difficult because I am not used to setting up expenses for each purpose. However, with some discipline, I believe this is a great way to help students balance their finances to suit each person’s situation,” Tam said.
Learn to be financially independent
In addition, many students choose to work part-time to be financially independent. Phuong Vy, a student at the University of Economics and Law, both studies and works at a coffee shop, earning an additional 3-4 million VND per month. Thanks to this, Vy has the conditions to allocate expenses more clearly.
She often uses a spending management app on her phone to track each expense: 40% for food, 30% for accommodation and electricity, 20% for study, 10% for entertainment.
“I take advantage of promotions on food ordering apps and e-wallets. Working at a coffee shop gives me discounts on drinks, which helps me save more,” she said.
Pham Thi Ngoc Hien, a third-year Sociology student, also decided to work part-time after two years of struggling to make ends meet with family allowances. Although the salary is not high, the job is enough for Hien to cover her daily living expenses and partly helps her accumulate more experience for her major.
According to Hien, working part-time can affect your studies, but if you know how to organize and manage your time, it is both an opportunity to improve your income and a practical environment for students to gain experience.
“I think new students should try their hand at a suitable job. The important thing is not to let it affect their studies, to earn extra income and to improve themselves,” Hien said.
Besides their own stories, the habit of saving money has gradually become a common “instinct” of students away from home. Many students limit their purchases of unnecessary things, avoid browsing e-commerce applications to avoid “accidentally” ordering. Instead of going to a coffee shop and spending 30,000-50,000 VND for a cup of water, they choose to go to the library to study in groups, which is both quiet and free.
Removing shopping apps is considered a simple but effective solution to limit unnecessary expenses (Photo: Phuong Thao).
Khanh Huyen, a student at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, said that at first she was short of money many times because of her habit of shopping online on impulse. After having to borrow money from friends to pay for food and accommodation, Huyen started to tighten her spending.
“I completely deleted all shopping apps from my phone. Every time I need something, I just buy it directly and think about it for at least 2-3 days before making a decision,” Huyen shared.
According to Huyen, forming a habit of saving is not too difficult, just practice self-discipline. Instead of "renting a place" to study at outside shops, she thinks that spending more time in the library or the dormitory's self-study room is the ideal choice.
“Saving is not living frugally, but knowing what is needed and what is wanted,” Huyen emphasized.
Phuong Thao - Tuyet Luu
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/tieu-het-3-trieu-trong-15-ngay-tan-sinh-vien-tinh-ngo-sau-nhieu-lan-can-vi-20251001150205555.htm
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