A Week In Vietnam As An Unemployed Backpacker On $75/Day

Occupation: Unemployed / Backpacker
Industry: N/A
Age: 25
Location: Vietnam
Salary: $0. I am currently living on a budget of $75 a day funded by my travel savings.
Net Worth: -$2,000 ($8,000 in my travel fund, $50,000 in general savings, $10,000 in super)
Debt: $69,000 in FEE-HELP (no thanks to the 7% indexation...)
Paycheque Amount: $0
Pronouns: She/Her

Accommodation: I try to budget 30% — 40% of my daily budget (about $25) towards accommodation in a mix of dorm and budget private rooms. This can vary greatly depending on the city I’m in.
Streaming: $34.97 (for Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney+). I’ve been meaning to cancel Disney+ since I can’t access it in Asia, but since I’ve worked in the film industry this year, I’m able to claim these back on tax. I also mooch off a friend’s Spotify family plan.
Phone: $50 ($20 for my Australian number and I have paid $30 for an eSim for this month, but will probably not continue with this).
VSCO Editing App: $4.50

I went to university straight after school and got a Bachelor of Creative Arts (Film and Television). I was one of the lucky ones that ended up actually getting a job in this field, but I do regret doing this degree. My university was awful and cared more about image than education, as well as having a rife misogynistic and victim-blaming culture around many inappropriate circumstances that occurred in my cohort. It also cost a hell of a lot of money which has all gone onto FEE-HELP.

I also have a Cert IV in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) that I obtained in Vietnam in March. I paid through this out of my own savings. The course fee included accommodation at a local family’s house near the school which was very handy.

I was raised by a single mother (my parents divorced basically right after I was born, sorry guys!) and due to complications with my mum’s pregnancy, she also became disabled and unable to work for the first few years of my life. This meant she went from living an upper-middle-class life to a lower-middle-class life. From this, I was always taught the importance of saving and not relying on a man to take care of you.

However, she is not hugely financially literate and I end up teaching her more about taxes and banking as an adult. My dad and stepmum are the opposite though and are very educated in terms of investing and finances, so I plan to soon sit them down and grill them for tips on how to invest.

Education was highly valued on both sides of my family and therefore my parents weren’t keen on me working through school. I received really good marks in school but then went and got an arts degree — whoops. I got my first job the week after I finished year 12 exams and worked at a cinema. At that current time, my mum was going through cancer treatment and I wanted to be able to be able to pay for my own things, but also start a personal safety net for emergencies like that.

I think my mum shielded me pretty well from whatever fiscal problems occurred while growing up. We lived in a tiny house, wore hand-me-downs, had op-shop furniture and went on local road trips instead of fancy holidays, but I don’t remember ever feeling like we were going without and never wanting more than we had. My mum changed careers when I was in my teens which was a massive help financially and we were able to slightly extend the house and go on our first overseas trip.

I worry about my fiscal future. I’ve been working since I was 18, sometimes three jobs at a time, to be able to build a financial safety net for myself. I definitely have a single mother’s scarcity mentality where I want to hoard money and only feel comfortable spending on necessities or travel. I want to learn more about investing and growing my wealth and I do worry about my super since I spend a lot of time overseas and it’s not really growing.

When I was 20, I moved to Argentina and lived and worked there for a few months. I was completely financially responsible for myself there but when I returned to Australia, I moved back in with my mum for 18 months and didn’t have to pay for rent, bills, etc. When I was 22, I moved interstate and again, became fully financially responsible for myself. I know that when I return to Australia after this trip, I will have to move back in with my mum while I find my footing again, so there’s definitely a financial safety net there.

In 2004, I inherited $10,000 from my grandpa. My mum put that into savings for me and I withdrew it at 19 to buy my first car — a secondhand 2004 Toyota Echo that I absolutely loved!

6:05am — Ever since I started travelling, I’ve been waking up at 6am every morning. Some mornings I love it, others I crave a little bit more sleep. Today is one of those days. I close my eyes for a little longer.

7:37am — Much better! I get up, do my skincare (soap-free face wash, an $8 Aldi moisturiser I’ve been using since I was 16, and Mecca's To Save Face sunscreen) and head down to my hostel’s free breakfast. I always try to book places that have a free breakfast to save some money (and decision making). I order some fresh fruit, a pancake and a ginger tea. Eat and catch up on the news for a while before grabbing my camera and heading out to snap photos of the streets of Hoi An before it gets too hot.

12:05pm — I’m getting a little peckish so head to a place once described by the late Anthony Bourdain as having the greatest banh mi in Vietnam and order a tofu and avocado banh mi ($2.21). It ends up being super overhyped and possibly the worst banh mi I have ever had and decide I need to wash it down with something, so walk back to my hostel and pick up a bottle of lychee sparkling water and a massive bottle of regular water on the way ($2.84). $5.05

2:20pm — I’m in need of a cold, sweet snack so walk back into town and get two scoops of coconut and chocolate gelato ($5.05). I then head to a free museum on indigenous clothing before going on a two-hour walk around town. Even though it’s a touristy place, being alone, blonde, fair and very tall makes me stick out like a sore thumb. Over the course of the walk, I talk with a group of schoolgirls who approach me wanting to practice their English skills as well as a lady who asks me to be in a TikTok video she’s making. I get asked to try a mystery snack, identify it, and guess what it’s made from but the snack turns out to be a very distinguishable cake that I’ve tried before. I think I ruin her video by knowing it and its ingredients! She’s very sweet though and lets me keep the rest of the cake so I wrap it up and put it in my bag for later. $5.05

5:30pm — Back at the hostel. I pay for a transfer to the airport for tomorrow ($22.71). This is the same price as a Grab (Asia's version of Uber) would be and for the added security of knowing I will definitely be able to get transport, I’m happy to pay. As I’m leaving early in the morning, the incredibly kind staff gift me a small clay tiger statue (my birth year animal) as a good luck gift for the rest of my travels. So sweet! $22.71

6:00pm — I’m back in town now, camera in tow, taking photos of the sunset over the lake. Hoi An is such a beautiful place. Then I progress down to the night market. As I wait for it to get a bit darker, I sus out the street food and land on bánh tráng nướng chay which is a piece of grilled rice paper stuffed with shredded potatoes, onion, quail egg, chilli and mayo ($1.89). I take some photos and browse the markets. I’m not a big shopper (except for food) and don’t buy souvenirs, but I do collect a string bracelet from each country I visit. I settle on a yellow string for Vietnam ($1.26). I also buy some bánh xoài (mango cakes) from a street vendor ($2.52). $5.67

7:00pm — Back at my hostel and send some messages off to people at home. I try some mango cakes which surprisingly contain crushed peanuts instead of mango — still a win! I watch a few episodes of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt which I don’t actually like that much but I have committed to it now.

9:38pm — Lights out.

5:30am— The alarm rings and it’s not too bad but I wouldn’t mind a little longer in bed. I get up and finish packing and do my skincare before the taxi comes at 6am.

7:30am — I buy a bottle of water ($1.14) at the airport and have the remaining two of my ‘mango’ cakes for breakfast. $1.14

9:00am — We board the flight to Hanoi. I’m not a huge fan of flying and try to take more buses and trains within countries but did find this flight for the exact same price as the 18-hour overnight train I took to get here. Worth it to save 16 hours, I reckon.

10:28am — I get in a Grab ($18.86) for the 45-minute ride to my hotel and I’m able to do an early check-in there. $18.86

12:00pm — I buy an egg and cheese banh mi ($1.26) from my favourite street cart (Anthony Bourdain, eat your heart out) and a kiwi fruit tea ($1.39) for lunch and eat them by the lake. $2.65

1:12pm — On my way back to my hotel, I stop by Circle K and pick up a big bottle of water, yoghurt, and fruit. $4.60

2:00pm — I’m not feeling great and have a pounding headache, so I decide to take the afternoon as a much-needed rest day. I often feel so guilty for taking rest days while travelling, but as a full-time traveller who gets easily fatigued (thanks, Covid!), I have to listen to my body. I also spent a significant amount of time in Hanoi about a fortnight ago and saw pretty much everything I wanted to see here, so I feel a little less guilty for staying in my hotel room. I nap, eat some fruit, and watch a bit of YouTube.

6:03pm — I order in some lentil soup and garlic naan ($8.52). For some reason, they send me a fork to eat my soup with but luckily there’s already a spoon in my room. I have some yoghurt for dessert and finally finish Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. $8.52

9:45pm — The headache is still going strong, so it’s another early night.

8:00am — Wow what a sleep-in! I wake up feeling a bit better and head down to free breakfast where, unsurprisingly, I get fruit and pancakes again.

11:00am — I order a Grab for the 20-minute ride to the Australian Embassy ($4.35). I’m here to get two apostles for some documents I need to submit for work. My plan was to go to Korea for a year after six months of backpacking to work as an English teacher, and I’ve already progressed through two stages of the application, with the documentation being one of the final stages. However, I’m starting to doubt this plan and am having a slight quarter-life crisis from turning 25 last week which has made me really evaluate what on earth I’m doing with my life. I feel like I want to return home to start postgraduate study in a new career but also feel that I will regret not taking up this opportunity. What’s one year in the grand scheme of things anyway? I’ve also never been someone who wants children so I don’t feel pressure to get my shit sorted before my biological clock runs out, however, I also do worry about what I’m doing with my life. Crisis aside, I pay for the documents and enjoy the feeling of home in the embassy ($179.13). $183.48

12:49pm — I get a Grab back to my hotel ($4.73), drop off my documents, and walk down to a local favourite restaurant run by this grumpy old man who makes the best food! I order a guava juice and a vermicelli noodle salad and he shakes his head in disapproval at me when I ask for it vegetarian ($5.36). $10.09

1:45pm — On the way back to my hotel, I buy another big bottle of water ($0.84). Then I get stuck into life admin tasks. What’s life admin when you’re a full-time traveller, one may ask? Well today, I have to fix up and get ready all of my documents to be printed, copied, and sent off to Korea. My Vietnamese visa also runs out very soon so I have to plan my next moves. $0.84

3:00pm — I try to get the printing done at the hotel’s reception. While I wait for emails to go through to them, the receptionist offers me some local plums to try. Everyone is so kind here, I swear! My email doesn’t seem to be going through, so I head back to my room to do some trip planning.

6:45pm — I’ve made positively no progress with my planning but I did speak with my mum on the phone for an hour. I’m not feeling hungry from my big breakfast and lunch but decide since I am an unsupervised adult in a foreign country, I am allowing myself to get ice cream for dinner. I buy a mango ice cream and go for a long walk around the local lake. $1.58

7:56pm — Back at the hotel. The man who supplied me with plums earlier helps me finally do my printing. His name is Crab and he's such a lovely person. I make a mental note to buy him a thank-you gift tomorrow for his help. I head upstairs, edit some photos, and shower.

9:00pm — Since I’m feeling better, I want to reclaim some lost time and decide to stay up and watch a movie. Who is this new woman?

10:00pm — It should come as no surprise that I am tired and bored of my movie. I pause and decide it’s time to turn in for the night.

6:09am — Good morning! I try to close my eyes to get an hour more of sleep but a very loud family full of screaming kids has moved into the room next to mine and are very clearly awake. Breakfast doesn’t start for another hour, so I talk with some people back home and scroll social media.

8:00am — Breakfast time and you know it’s the pancakes again. I need to get some photocopying done this morning but there’s no information online as to when the place opens. I decide 9:30am is probably a safe bet and head back to my room for an hour to catch up on the news.

9:30am — I head out to the photocopy place and realise I need to buy a paper clip to secure a photo to one of my documents. Where on earth do I buy a paper clip in Vietnam? Doing mundane errands in a foreign country can be so confusing sometimes. I vow to never take Officeworks for granted again.

10:16am — My exorbitant amount of photocopying is done and they have paper clips there! I pay ($5.05) and walk the 20 minutes to the registered post office. $5.05

10:53am — I send off my huge amount of paperwork and feel an immediate weight lift off of my shoulders ($94.73). The woman helping me at the post office is so kind and patient as I frantically order and reorder my almost 1kg stack of documents and at the end, gifts me a set of branded pens from the company. I will never get over the generosity here. $94.73

11:19am — I make my daily patronage to Circle K and buy another big water, some tea, ramen for lunch, and a fancy block of chocolate for Crab ($7.19). Then it’s back to the hotel to get stuck into round two of trip planning. $7.19

1:00pm — For a few days, I’ve been trying to book a flight to Hong Kong with a budget airline and have used different browsers, devices, and debit cards, however, errors keep popping up every step of the way on the website and I’m unable to book. I decide I might have to bite the bullet and fork out the extra $44 to go with the more trustworthy airline. I also look into accommodation and bus tickets to Sa Pa in Northern Vietnam. I become overwhelmed with information and break to have my ramen and some yoghurt for lunch. The kettle in my room is from the 70s and doesn’t boil water unless I sit dead still, holding the cord at a specific angle. I manage to not move and successfully boil the water for my noodles.

3:00pm — The moment I get a wave of motivation is also the moment things prove to become more difficult. I decide I will book with the more expensive airline (since I literally can’t book with the other) and pay the $258 for my flight. I go to pay but get sent a confirmation code to my Australian number as an ID check from my bank. I turn on my roaming but it can’t find service. I’m not sure what to do about this so pause the flight booking and book a round-trip bus journey to Sa Pa, leaving tomorrow. I need to wait for confirmation from the company for the tickets but it turns out the depot is a 4-minute walk from me so if any issues arise, I’ll just head on over. I also book two nights in a dorm room ($27 — I’ll pay when I’m there). I also book into a cooking class at the property ($39.19). $39.19

5:00pm — I call my mum and ask if I can use her card to book my flight and then transfer her the money. Thankfully she agrees ($258). I then realise I have Cambodian money left over that I need to exchange. I head out and go to seven (you read that right — seven!!!) money exchange places until I find one that buys Cambodian Riel. It’s an awful exchange rate, but I’m not too sure I’ll find anywhere else that buys and I’m tired of looking, so I end up just taking the money. $258

6:12pm — After a little stroll around the lake, I am starving! I head to my favourite Vietnamese vegan restaurant and just as I’m about to order, the electricity goes out. Half an hour later, the waiter comes out saying he climbed the electricity pole to fix it and it’s back on. What a sweaty legend! I order a carrot and orange juice and the tasting plate which comes with rice, tofu stew, lots of veggies and a spring roll. $8.83

7:30pm — I head back to the lake for another walk. While there, I get a passionfruit ice cream. $0.95

8:08pm — Back at the hotel and I give the chocolate to Crab who seems pleased. Then it’s upstairs to spend the rest of the night packing, showering, and talking to friends online.

10:41pm — Time for bed.

1:00am — Hello. I lied. I couldn’t sleep so I’ve been trip planning and think I figured out my plan and how to save $500. I really will try to go to bed now.

6:47am — I actually don’t feel too bad for five hours of sleep. Get up and into the shower and wash my hair. Today is the 100th day of my trip and I reflect upon the last almost four months, while also missing home a bit.

8:05am — Pancake time! I am a creature of habit. Then I check out of my hotel, pay for the stay ($57) and leave some of my luggage there. $57

9:15am — I get to the bus depot and my tickets still haven’t been confirmed. The woman working there tells me she needs confirmation but even though it’s her company, she can’t give me confirmation. It’s very confusing but there is a German couple here who are in the same predicament so we opt to cancel our pending bookings, get a refund, take out some cash, and pay the lady for another round of tickets ($25). Since we missed our bus, we board the next one and it’s super luxurious! Lie down beds, water, blankets, and chargers will make this seven-hour ride very enjoyable. $25

12:56pm — We stop at a roadside restaurant in the middle of nowhere for lunch. I buy some rice and vegetables ($2.58) and by the time it comes, I only have enough time to shovel down half of it before we have to board the bus again. $2.58

5:06am — We arrive in Sa Pa — or is it Switzerland? This place is gorgeous!

6:03pm — Word of advice: always double-check where you’re staying. It turns out my homestay is in the mountains and it’s a 40-minute walk all uphill to find it. I guess this is karma for not planning any big treks while I’m here.

6:45pm — I head down the mountain and back into town. I’m not hungry yet and want to do something to celebrate my 100th day. So I head up to a rooftop bar and buy a very expensive beer. $5.74

7:32pm — Okay, I should probably eat something. Walk halfway back up the mountain to a restaurant recommended by a friend. On the way, I meet a fellow Australian and we get caught in a storm and soaked by the rain. I seek refuge in the restaurant and order a garlic chilli tofu dish right as the rain gets really heavy. $4.84

8:54pm — After befriending a European couple on our shared table, I pay and walk the rest of the way back up to the homestay where once again, I attempt to do more trip planning.

11:17pm — Fruitless planning session. Time for bed.

6:32am — I wake up to the sound of my dorm mates getting up. It’s pouring rain outside which is so cosy so I lie in bed for another hour. Then I get up, wash my face, and surprisingly don’t get pancakes again! This time, I opt for a vegetable noodle stir fry.

9:36am — I wanted to do a little hike this morning but it’s been storming so I’ve spent the last few hours talking with other travellers in the homestay. One girl recommends doing a 3km walk down the valley to a local village which apparently offers nice views of the rice paddies on the way. The rains starts clearing, so I decide it’s a good time to trek out.

12:40pm — After walking to the village at the bottom of the mountain, walking some laps around another lake, and trudging my way back up the mountain, I’m feeling thirsty and head to a local cafe where I buy a mango smoothie ($3.87). I run into my friends from dinner last night and catch up a bit with them. $3.87

3:00pm — Time for a cooking class! I love to cook and doing cooking classes abroad means you get new skills plus a ‘free’ meal, so I try to do one in most countries I visit. I’ve been sharing a room with the instructor so we already know each other a bit and that makes the class that much more enjoyable. We start off with a trip to the local market to buy some veggies (included in the price of the class), then she makes us lychee tea as I’m taken through the steps of making mushroom spring rolls, nước chấm (a Vietnamese dipping sauce) and a peppery tomato and tofu stew. It’s all so delicious and so much food — perfect for an early dinner.

6:00pm — With a happy belly, I venture back down the mountain into town. I walk around for an hour before seeing an interesting-looking street food snack. I’m still so full but it’s probably my only chance to try it. It’s called bánh hạt dẻ and it’s a chestnut pastry. I buy one and it’s pretty nice. $0.65

7:45pm — That’s enough walking for one day. I head back up the mountain and stop to buy a big bottle of water ($0.65). I really hate buying all this plastic but unfortunately, it’s not recommended to drink the tap water here. $0.65

10:00pm — After relaxing in the common area for the last two hours, I’m ready for bed.

6:49am — Good morning. I lie in bed and scroll social media for a few minutes.

7:30am — Breakfast time and I shake things up with an egg on toast.

9:30am — I check out of the hostel and pay $27. Then I walk down to the mountain to the bus stop. While there, I see two Korean friends I met on the bus coming here. We catch up a little and board the bus at 10am. $27

1:42pm — We stop at the same place as the other day for lunch. Today, I get a plate of rice, marinated tofu, water spinach, and peanuts ($1.94). It's delicious and I actually have time to eat it this time. $1.94

4:37pm — We arrive back in Hanoi and it’s raining which is so nice! I am not a hot-weather girl in the slightest. I buy another bottle of water on the way back to the hotel. $0.84

6:30pm — It’s time for dinner. Since they’re kicking me out of the country tomorrow (read: my visa expires), I decide to head to a nearby highly-rated restaurant for vegetarians. I order a curry and a glass of local wine. Unfortunately, the wine tastes like petrol and the curry is clearly made for western tastebuds. I like a little bit more flavour and spice! Rather disappointing for the price. $10.32

7:30pm — I make up for dinner with a chocolate ice cream ($1.61) then walk a few laps around the lake and have a browse at the local night market. $1.61

9:00pm — I do a little more trip planning. I’m meant toa be getting a pretty decent tax return at the end of the financial year and will put a percentage of it towards doing a desert tour in Mongolia next month. I spend some time browsing tour options and sending emails out to operators.

10:00pm — Packed, showered, and it’s time to sleep before heading to Hong Kong. It’s been a wonderful two months in Vietnam and I will miss it.

Between the apostles, postage and the flight, this was a MASSIVE spend week for me. Most weeks look nothing like this, but some weeks will be a higher spend like this. When I went over my budget at the end of this month in Vietnam (I track every cent I spend while I travel), my daily average spend was $62.36/day, so it all evens out. So far, I'm still under my budget of $75/day so fingers crossed I can stick to it for my final two months!