{"id":19632,"date":"2025-01-09T15:43:28","date_gmt":"2025-01-09T15:43:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/business\/finance\/reader-case-study-ex-pats-in-hanoi-vietnam\/"},"modified":"2025-01-09T15:43:28","modified_gmt":"2025-01-09T15:43:28","slug":"reader-case-study-ex-pats-in-hanoi-vietnam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=19632","title":{"rendered":"Reader Case Study: Ex-Pats in Hanoi, Vietnam"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Celebrating Tet in Hoi An<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Laura and her husband Ethan are from Philadelphia, PA, but have been living in Hanoi, Vietnam for the past two years. Ethan teaches English literature at an international school and Laura is earning her Master\u2019s degree in public health. They\u2019ve loved their time in Vietnam and plan to be there for at least another year, but are less certain of their plans after that. <\/span><\/p>\n

Ultimately, they know they want to return to the US in order to be closer to their families, have children and buy a home. Laura is concerned they\u2019re falling behind on retirement and won\u2019t be able to afford a house once they move back stateside. Join me today as we help these ex-pats chart a stable future!<\/span><\/p>\n

What\u2019s a Reader Case Study?<\/span><\/h3>\n

Case Studies address financial and life dilemmas that readers of Frugalwoods send in requesting advice. Then, we (that\u2019d be me and YOU, dear reader) read through their situation and provide advice, encouragement, insight and feedback in the comments section.<\/span><\/p>\n

For an example, check out\u00a0the last case study<\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/strong>Case Studies are updated by participants (at the end of the post) several months after the Case is featured. Visit\u00a0this page<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>for links to all updated Case Studies.<\/span><\/p>\n

Can I Be A Reader Case Study?<\/span><\/h3>\n

There are four options for folks interested in receiving a holistic Frugalwoods financial consultation:<\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. Apply to be an on-the-blog\u00a0Case Study subject here<\/a>.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Hire me for a\u00a0private financial consultation here<\/a>.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Schedule an\u00a0hourlong call with me here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \u2192Not sure\u00a0which option<\/a><\/span>\u00a0is right for you? Schedule\u00a0a free 15-minute chat with me\u00a0<\/a><\/span>to learn more. Refer a friend\u00a0to me here<\/a>.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    Please note that space is limited for all of the above and most especially for on-the-blog Case Studies. I do my best to accommodate everyone who applies, but there are a limited number of slots available each month.<\/span><\/p>\n

    The Goal Of Reader Case Studies<\/span><\/h3>\n
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    Most gorgeous vegetarian lunch in Seoul<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Reader Case Studies highlight a diverse range of financial situations, ages, ethnicities, locations, goals, careers, incomes, family compositions and more!<\/span><\/p>\n

    The Case Study series began in 2016 and, to date, there\u2019ve been\u00a0101 Case Studies<\/a><\/span><\/strong>.<\/span>\u00a0I\u2019ve featured folks with annual incomes ranging from $17k to $200k+ and net worths ranging from -$300k to $2.9M+.<\/span><\/p>\n

    I\u2019ve featured single, married, partnered, divorced, child-filled and child-free households. I\u2019ve featured gay, straight, queer, bisexual and polyamorous people. I\u2019ve featured women, non-binary folks and men. I\u2019ve featured transgender and cisgender people. I\u2019ve had cat people and dog people. I\u2019ve featured folks from the US, Australia, Canada, England, South Africa, Spain, Finland, the Netherlands, Germany and France. I\u2019ve featured people with PhDs and people with high school diplomas. I\u2019ve featured people in their early 20\u2019s and people in their late 60\u2019s. I\u2019ve featured folks who live on farms and folks who live in New York City.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Reader Case Study Guidelines<\/span><\/h3>\n

    I probably don\u2019t need to say the following because you all are the kindest, most polite commenters on the internet, but please note that Frugalwoods is a judgement-free zone where we endeavor to help one another, not condemn.<\/span><\/p>\n

    There\u2019s no room for rudeness here.\u00a0<\/strong>The goal is to create a supportive environment where we all acknowledge we\u2019re human, we\u2019re flawed, but we choose to be here together, workshopping our money and our lives with positive, proactive suggestions and ideas.<\/span><\/p>\n

    And a disclaimer that I am not a trained financial professional and I encourage people not to make serious financial decisions based solely on what one person on the internet advises.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    I encourage everyone to do their own research to determine the best course of action for their finances. I am not a financial advisor and I am not your financial advisor.<\/span><\/p>\n

    With that I\u2019ll let Laura, today\u2019s Case Study subject, take it from here!<\/span><\/p>\n

    Laura\u2019s Story<\/span><\/h3>\n
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    A lovely stroll in Seoul<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Hi Frugalwoods! My name is Laura and I\u2019m 32 years old. My husband Ethan (38) and I are both from Philadelphia, PA but we have lived in Hanoi, Vietnam for just about 2 years now. We don\u2019t currently have any kids or pets but would like a few of both in the near future :).<\/span><\/p>\n

    We moved to Hanoi for Ethan\u2019s job as an English literature teacher at an international school. Before moving here I worked at a non-profit in Philadelphia for 7 years where I worked my way up from answering phones in the call center to software engineer, after my company paid for me to go to coding bootcamp. Learning to code was an awesome opportunity and I liked it in the context of the organization\u2019s mission but it ultimately is not what I want to do with my life. I am currently in graduate school full-time pursuing a Masters in Public Health in Maternal and Child Health and a Certificate in Global Health. I have a Bachelors in Public Health and it feels great to get back into something I\u2019ve always been passionate about. School is great, but I am eager to get back into the workforce in a role I love!<\/span><\/p>\n

    Laura and Ethan\u2019s Hobbies<\/span><\/h3>\n

    Ethan and I have a number of hobbies we enjoy independently and together. I learned to knit during the pandemic and got a bit obsessed. I love spending an afternoon watching knitting \u201cpodcasts\u201d on Youtube and knitting sweaters and hats for myself and family. I\u2019m an avid reader and I love to go for long walks, do yoga and dance. Ethan is also a big reader, a runner, and a newly obsessed rock climber. Before we moved to Hanoi, Ethan was section hiking the Appalachian Trail every summer break from teaching and we would regularly go camping.\u00a0 <\/span>We love to travel, which was a big draw for moving to Southeast Asia. In the last year we\u2019ve: spent a month in Indonesia, met my mom and aunt in South Korea, rock climbed at the beach in Thailand, feasted on sushi in Japan, and traveled Vietnam from top to bottom.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

    While I feel like we are doing pretty well financially, we\u2019ve had an intense 5 years since we starting dating. Within the first four months of meeting Ethan, he made his final student loan payment on $80k of debt. I have always been frugal, but I was more of a squirrel hoarding away savings, avoiding my debt. He inspired me to attack my student loans and, within 11 months, I paid off nearly $60k of debt. Last year Ethan got an accelerated Masters in Education, which was necessary for him to maintain his teaching certification. Between choosing a cost effective option and some professional development funding through work, he only paid $4k out of pocket. I am paying out of pocket for my MPH, which after scholarships will run me about $17k over two years. I\u2019m proud of these accomplishments but it\u2019s felt like a lot of money going out for a long stretch.<\/span><\/p>\n

    We are EXTREMELY debt averse as a result of paying off tens of thousands of dollars in student loans. We aren\u2019t sure exactly when we want to move back to the States but we do know that we\u2019d like to buy a house when that day comes. We are terrified of taking out a mortgage, especially with the high current interest rates.<\/span><\/p>\n

    What feels most pressing right now? What brings you to submit a Case Study?<\/span><\/h3>\n
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    Coffee by the sea in Phu Quoc for Christmas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    We haven\u2019t had a good stretch of us both working good jobs while not either paying off debt or paying for graduate school. While Ethan feels good about our finances, I have a lot of anxiety about money, which I think is due to:<\/span><\/p>\n

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    1. Not currently working<\/span><\/li>\n
    2. The money stress I\u2019ve inherited from my parents<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      I think once I\u2019m done with grad school and we are both working and can maximize saving I\u2019ll start to feel better.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

      I\u2019m also worried about the transition to moving back home in a few years.<\/strong> We currently have extremely low expenses and the thought of having to pay a mortgage, buy a car or two, everything being more expensive, etc etc is really stressful. I want to think about ways to soften that blow and make the transition less jarring.<\/span><\/p>\n

      I\u2019m concerned that we haven\u2019t contributed to retirement in nearly two years.<\/strong> I\u2019m confused about if we are actually allowed to contribute to the Roth IRAs we already have. Right now we have a good amount of cash saved that is earmarked for a house. I would love to explore with you, Mrs. Frugalwoods, if it ever would make sense to keep piling up cash to pay for a house outright or if we are being foolish here.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

      What\u2019s the best part of your current lifestyle\/routine?<\/span><\/h3>\n

      Life in Vietnam is easy! Ethan is well-compensated given the cost of living here and his expat package includes rent and flights home for both of us every summer. Teachers are well-respected in Vietnam and the job is generally less stressful than it was back in Philly. He gets lots of long breaks from school which we have used to travel internationally and explore all over Vietnam.<\/span><\/p>\n

      We have both been able to invest in our hobbies in ways that we never would have previously. I have a gym membership so I can go to dance and yoga classes 4-5 times weekly; I have a basket of lovely yarn to knit sweaters and hats and socks. Ethan has an unlimited rock climbing gym membership and climbs with friends 3 nights a week. We can enjoy exploring our city and feasting on the insane Vietnamese cuisine \u2014 a bowl of pho is 75 cents, our favorite vegetarian stall is $2 for a giant plate of food, bowl of soup and green tea. We rarely went out to eat at home so this feels like such a treat.<\/span><\/p>\n

      I had a job in Hanoi from October 2021-January 2023, but quit to focus on school full-time. It feels like we have an incredible amount of freedom to make decisions like that, which was never an option before. While I still have a lot of anxiety about the future, I really do feel less stressed about money than I ever have.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

      What\u2019s the worst part of your current lifestyle\/routine?<\/span><\/h3>\n
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      Dinner in Thailand<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

      It is hard to be so far away from home. This year we will visit the states for the first time in two years. I missed my niece\u2019s birth in January as well as four good friends becoming first-time parents in the past year. My parents are getting older and I have a lot of guilt about not being close by. Hanoi can also be really challenging \u2014 the air pollution in the winter gets really bad, traffic is insane, and the temperature is too hot to go outside for months at a time.<\/span><\/p>\n

      I feel like we are generally responsible with money, but we don\u2019t have a plan mapped out for the future. As a planner, this makes me nervous\/feel out of control! I really hate not having an income of my own, but I\u2019m so grateful to be able to focus solely on school right now.<\/span><\/p>\n

      It\u2019s hard to make a plan when there are so many unknown variables:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n