Master Your Money Through Vietnam's Seasons

Living in Vietnam means your budget faces monsoons, festivals, and heat waves. Our program teaches you how to anticipate expenses, adjust your spending patterns, and build financial stability that works with the rhythm of Southeast Asian life.

Join September 2025 Session

Financial planning documents with seasonal budget charts

Understanding Vietnam's Financial Calendar

Tết isn't just a holiday—it's a major expense that requires months of preparation. We break down the actual costs families face throughout the year, from school fees in August to wedding season gifts. You'll learn to track patterns in your own spending and create realistic buffers for predictable events.

Map your personal expense peaks across twelve months
Build emergency funds that account for tropical weather disruptions
Plan for cultural obligations without derailing your savings goals

Instructor reviewing budget adjustment strategies

Adapting When Income Fluctuates

Many people here see their income change with tourist seasons, harvest cycles, or project-based work. Our lead instructor, Damir Kjeldsen, spent seven years helping families navigate these realities. He'll show you techniques for smoothing out irregular earnings and prioritizing expenses when money gets tight.

Create flexible budgets that adjust to your actual cash flow
Identify which expenses can shift and which can't
Build systems that work even when you're too busy to track every dong

Financial advisor discussing long-term planning approaches

Building Habits That Actually Stick

Financial advisor Tormod Lysander works with our students to create routines that fit into real Vietnamese lifestyles. No complicated apps or American-style systems that don't translate. Just practical methods for checking your numbers weekly and making small adjustments before problems grow.

Weekly check-ins that take less than fifteen minutes
Simple tracking methods that work for local banking systems
Strategies for involving family members in financial decisions

What You'll Actually Learn

Seasonal Expense Mapping

Document your past year of spending to find patterns you didn't notice. Most people discover they underestimate certain months by 30-40%. We'll help you create a realistic annual view that includes everything from electric bills during hot season to family gifts during celebrations. This forms the foundation for everything else.

Income Smoothing Techniques

When your paycheck varies month to month, standard budgeting advice falls apart. Learn to calculate your average monthly income and set aside surplus during good months.

Priority-Based Spending

Not all expenses are equal. We'll walk through frameworks for deciding what gets paid first when money runs short, and how to negotiate with yourself about wants versus needs.

Weather and Health Buffers

Dengue season, flooding, and extreme heat all create unexpected costs. Rather than hoping these won't happen, you'll build specific reserves for health issues and weather-related expenses. We look at historical data to help you estimate realistic amounts based on your family size and location within Vietnam.

Festival and Obligation Planning

Cultural expectations around gift-giving and celebrations are real financial commitments. We help you calculate annual costs and set up monthly savings so these events don't create debt cycles.

Simple Tracking Systems

The best budget is one you actually use. We'll show you three different tracking methods and help you pick the one that fits your habits. Some people prefer notebooks, others like spreadsheets.

Who's Teaching This Program

Both instructors have spent years working with families in Southeast Asia. They understand the specific challenges of managing money in Vietnam's economy and cultural context.