In the late afternoon, in a small house in Ninh Binh, Ms. Do Lien Chi was taking advantage of picking vegetables in the garden, while looking at the rice pot on the stove.
Her two children, one 13 years old, one 8 years old, are used to a regular lifestyle, taking a bike to their grandmother's house for lunch at noon, and returning home to study in the afternoon.
Looking at that simple life, few people know that to have a stable home today, the couple spent 13 years saving every penny, both raising children and paying off debts to build a house.
Ms. Chi shared: "Both husband and wife are workers, with a total monthly income of about 20 million VND. Of which, my husband's salary is all given to my wife for common expenses. Small part-time jobs, from a few hundred thousand to one million VND, he keeps to pay for gasoline and phones.
In the house, there is no money from you or me, only family money. Thanks to that, everything is easier to negotiate with each other.
According to Ms. Chi, although she is the one holding the key, all expenses are aimed at the common goal, raising children, paying debts, and keeping the roof stable.
Each month, electricity, water, and internet bills are about 1 million VND; extra classes for children are 1.5 million VND; gasoline and phone bills are about 500 thousand VND. The rest is for food and living expenses arising.
My family doesn't buy much. We mainly cook our own food. We take advantage of growing vegetables and raising a few more chickens. Not because of hardship, but because we are used to living like that.
Her family almost doesn't eat out. Breakfast and dinner are both eaten at home. At noon, the two of us eat at the company. When the two children come home from school, we go to my grandmother's house to eat. Knowing that my husband and I are still in debt, my grandmother loves us, so she takes care of lunch for the children. Occasionally, I buy more food, as if sharing," she recounted.
Not only knowing how to calculate spending, Ms. Chi also extended her labor to compensate for the shortages.
During the day, she works as a worker. After the shift, when many people come home to rest, she takes advantage of getting more work. Some days she goes to help cook feasts for families in the neighborhood.
On weekends, she works part-time at a restaurant, serving wedding parties from morning to night. On less busy days, she works as a housekeeper by the hour to earn a few hundred thousand VND extra.
I don't have a high degree, nor do I have any special jobs. I only have the strength to try to do it. Each job is a little more, plus it also saves money for tuition for children or living expenses in the house," she added.
The part-time jobs do not bring in a large income, but are an important compensation so that the family does not lose money before the end of the month.
After 13 years of living together, this Tet, the debt for building a house has finally been paid off. For Ms. Chi, it is not only a financial milestone, but also the result of many years of persistence, saving every penny and silently working.
Today's house is therefore not only a place to shelter from rain and sun, but also a milestone for a worker family that has maintained peace by living authentically, living within their means and always thinking of each other.
