I don’t dare to spend $1.4 on a bowl of noodles despite earning nearly $1,500

I was born and raised in a poor rural area, and achieving my degree and securing my current job required immense effort and determination. With my monthly earnings, I have managed to save VND400 million in my savings account.

My siblings live in the countryside with their own families, and they too face financial struggles. Whenever I visit home, I provide financial support for my nieces and nephews’ education and send additional money to my mother every month. My mother, who grows and sells vegetables in the countryside, earns a meager VND15,000-20,000 daily.

Because of this background, despite my income and savings, I am reluctant to spend, likely stemming from my fear of returning to poverty. Even now, I continue to eat instant noodles for breakfast before heading to work.

Many times, I pass by a humble bun bo Hue (Hue-style beef noodle soup) shop where a bowl costs only VND35,000, but I can’t bring myself to indulge, thinking of how my mother toils all day selling vegetables and doesn’t even earn that amount.

I still ride an old motorbike and use an outdated phone. Although I could afford a nicer phone, I hesitate because it feels inconsistent with my family’s circumstances. I worry that if the neighbors find out, they might criticize me for spending extravagantly while my elderly mother, nieces, and nephews struggle.

I seldom buy clothes and usually opt for inexpensive ones. My girlfriend is aware of this and encourages me to spend more freely, to invest in myself, arguing that since I earn money, I should spend it, as long as it’s within reason. But every time I purchase something, I look at the price and think of my mother’s bundles of vegetables, worth just a few tens of thousands of dong (VND10,000 equals US$0.4), and I can’t help but sigh.

Am I overthinking it by feeling guilty about spending the money I’ve earned?

*This opinion was translated into English with the assistance of AI. Readers’ views are personal and do not necessarily match VnExpress’ viewpoints.