When I left Australia, I sold everything I owned. I arrived in Vietnam with just one pair of jeans, one pair of shorts, and a couple of t-shirts. That was it.
One of the first things I noticed here is how incredibly good the clothing is for the price. You can buy a really high-quality t-shirt for around $4 AUD — the kind of quality that would easily cost $50–$80 back home. Even the Queensland police uniforms are made in Vietnam, which tells you a lot about the standard. Australia doesn’t manufacture much anymore, so it makes sense.
I ended up doing a bit of shopping. At first I spent about $40, but because laundry here can take two or three days (and underwear sometimes mysteriously goes missing), I went back and bought a few more t-shirts and extra underwear. I also picked up a pair of thongs (flip-flops), shaved off my beard and my ponytail, and bought a few other bits and pieces to feel more settled.
Shaving the ponytail was interesting — the hairdresser told me I shouldn’t have let her keep it because long hair like that is quite prized here. She probably made a bit of money from it, but oh well, I don’t mind. I feel a lot cooler and fresher now without it.
I also needed new glasses, so I went to an optometrist. The eye-testing machine looked incredibly futuristic — like something out of a sci-fi movie. The whole process was fast, clean, and efficient. I picked out frames, and they told me the glasses would be ready in just 20 minutes. Sure enough, 20 minutes later I walked out with a perfect pair. When I asked for a second pair, the optometrist apologised and said he’d have to order the lenses from China. The next morning they were ready. Both pairs cost me only about $45 AUD total. Amazing value.
While I was at it, I took my gold watch in to get repaired. It cost just $2 here — it would have been at least $100 back in Australia.
Food-wise, I’ve mostly been having fresh Vietnamese meals delivered or eating out. It’s ridiculously cheap and healthy. Every now and then I get a craving for something familiar and treat myself to KFC. The KFCs here are on another level — the food is so fresh and tasty, with no nasty chemicals. The fruit is incredibly sweet (the oranges actually taste like real oranges), the eggs taste better, and everything just seems to have more flavour.
You really couldn’t eat this well, this fresh, and this healthy back home for the same money. Most days I spend around $5–$10 maximum on food, and I’m eating better than I ever did in Australia.
Little by little, I’m building a comfortable new life here with just the basics — and it feels surprisingly good.