Conflict erupts when family budget is in deficit after the holiday
After major holidays such as Tet, April 30 - May 1 or long holidays, many families fall into a state of stress due to overspending.
Rushing spending on shopping, gifts, travel, gatherings... causes family budgets after holidays to be in deficit, leading to debates and blames.
Ms. Minh Anh (Hanoi) shared that during the recent 2026 Tet holiday, her family spent nearly 80 million VND on year-end shopping, preparing houses, gifts for both sides of the family, and a trip at the beginning of the year.
Before Tet, spending was considered reasonable because I thought it was only once a year, but now looking back, I see that the savings have decreased too much, my husband and I are starting to get stressed. My husband thinks that I spent too much, and I think he does not share the domestic and foreign pressures," Ms. Minh Anh said.
Similarly, Mr. Hoang Nam (Phu Tho) said that his family had just gone through a costly holiday. In addition to increased travel and food costs, he also incurred an additional amount of buying electronics because he saw many year-end promotions.
After the ceremony, the credit card is almost reaching the limit. The couple started arguing because they had to tighten spending in the following months to make up for it," Mr. Nam admitted.
Need more modern and sustainable spending thinking
According to Mr. Nguyen Quang Huy - CEO of the Faculty of Finance - Banking (Nguyen Trai University), in the context of fluctuating prices and increasing living costs, spending thinking during holidays needs to be adjusted in a more appropriate, proactive and sustainable direction.
First, each family needs to clearly determine the budget for the holiday right from the beginning of the year, instead of spending based on emotions. Second, it is necessary to shift the focus from eating, form to cultural, spiritual, social and experiential values. When living standards have improved, basic material needs are no longer the decisive factor in the quality of holidays; instead, the connection and meaningful experience are what create long-term value," the expert said.
Third, holiday spending needs to be linked to the annual financial plan, with clear spending ceilings for each item to avoid exceeding control due to the impact of crowd psychology, promotions or social pressure.
Finally, families need to consider the financial impact in about 3-6 months after the holidays. When making spending decisions in a longer-term picture, each person will be more cautious and consider more carefully, in line with the still volatile economic context," the expert emphasized.
A truly complete vacation is not only about short-term joy, but also about financial stability and peace afterwards.
