Reader Case Study: Ex-Pats in Hanoi, Vietnam (2026)

If reader case study pats is on your radar, this short guide cuts through the noise. Here is what is worth knowing, and how to put it to work today.

Key Takeaways

• Celebrating Tet in Hoi An Laura and her husband Ethan are from Philadelphia, PA, but have been living in Hanoi, Vietnam for the past two yea...
• Ethan teaches English literature at an international school and Laura is earning her Master’s degree in public health.
• They’ve loved their time in Vietnam and plan to be there for at least another year, but are less certain of their plans after that.

Celebrating Tet in Hoi An

Laura and her husband Ethan are from Philadelphia, PA, but have been living in Hanoi, Vietnam for the past two years. Ethan teaches English literature at an international school and Laura is earning her Master’s degree in public health. They’ve loved their time in Vietnam and plan to be there for at least another year, but are less certain of their plans after that.

Ultimately, they know they want to return to the US in order to be closer to their families, have children and purchase a home. Laura is concerned they’re falling behind on retirement and won’t be able to afford a house once they move back stateside. Join me today as we help these ex-pats chart a stable future!

What’s a Reader Case Study?

Case Studies address financial and life dilemmas that readers of Frugalwoods send in requesting advice. Then, we (that’d be me and YOU, dear reader) read through their situation and provide advice, encouragement, insight and feedback in the comments section.

For an example, check out the last case study. Case Studies are updated by participants (at the end of the post) several months after the Case is featured. Visit this page for links to all updated Case Studies.

Can I Be A Reader Case Study?

There are four options for folks interested in receiving a holistic Frugalwoods financial consultation:

1. Apply to be an on-the-blog Case Study subject here.
2. Hire me for a private financial consultation here.
3. Schedule an hourlong call with me here.

→Not sure which option is right for you? Schedule a free 15-minute chat with me to learn more. Refer a friend to me here.

Please note that space is limited for all of the above and most especially for on-the-blog Case Studies. I do my best to accommodate everyone who applies, but there are a limited number of slots available each month.

The Goal Of Reader Case Studies

Most gorgeous vegetarian lunch in Seoul

Reader Case Studies highlight a diverse range of financial situations, ages, ethnicities, locations, goals, careers, incomes, family compositions and more!

The Case Study series began in 2016 and, to date, there’ve been 101 Case Studies. I’ve featured folks with annual incomes ranging from $17k to $200k+ and net worths ranging from -$300k to $2.9M+.

I’ve featured single, married, partnered, divorced, child-filled and child-free households. I’ve featured gay, straight, queer, bisexual and polyamorous people. I’ve featured women, non-binary folks and men. I’ve featured transgender and cisgender people. I’ve had cat people and dog people. I’ve featured folks from the US, Australia, Canada, England, South Africa, Spain, Finland, the Netherlands, Germany and France. I’ve featured people with PhDs and people with high school diplomas. I’ve featured people in their early 20’s and people in their late 60’s. I’ve featured folks who live on farms and folks who live in New York City.

Reader Case Study Guidelines

I probably don’t need to say the following because you all are the kindest, most polite commenters on the internet, but please note that Frugalwoods is a judgement-free zone where we endeavor to help one another, not condemn.

There’s no room for rudeness here. The goal is to create a supportive environment where we all acknowledge we’re human, we’re flawed, but we choose to be here together, workshopping our money and our lives with positive, proactive suggestions and ideas.

And a disclaimer that I am not a trained financial professional and I encourage people not to make serious financial decisions based solely on what one person on the internet advises. 

I encourage everyone to do their own research to determine the best course of action for their finances. I am not a financial advisor and I am not your financial advisor.

With that I’ll let Laura, today’s Case Study subject, take it from here!

Laura’s Story

A lovely stroll in Seoul

Hi Frugalwoods! My name is Laura and I’m 32 years old. My husband Ethan (38) and I are both from Philadelphia, PA but we have lived in Hanoi, Vietnam for just about 2 years now. We don’t currently have any kids or pets but would like a few of both in the near future :).

We moved to Hanoi for Ethan’s job as an English literature teacher at an international school. Before moving here I worked at a non-profit in Philadelphia for 7 years where I worked my way up from answering phones in the call center to software engineer, after my company paid for me to go to coding bootcamp. Learning to code was an awesome opportunity and I liked it in the context of the organization’s mission but it ultimately is not what I want to do with my life. I am currently in graduate school full-time pursuing a Masters in Public Health in Maternal and Child Health and a Certificate in Global Health. I have a Bachelors in Public Health and it feels excellent to get back into something I’ve always been passionate about. School is excellent, but I am eager to get back into the workforce in a role I love!

Laura and Ethan’s Hobbies

Ethan and I have a number of hobbies we enjoy independently and together. I learned to knit during the pandemic and got a bit obsessed. I love spending an afternoon watching knitting “podcasts” on Youtube and knitting sweaters and hats for myself and family. I’m an avid reader and I love to go for long walks, do yoga and dance. Ethan is also a big reader, a runner, and a newly obsessed rock climber. Before we moved to Hanoi, Ethan was section hiking the Appalachian Trail every summer break from teaching and we would regularly go camping.  We love to travel, which was a big draw for moving to Southeast Asia. In the last year we’ve: spent a month in Indonesia, met my mom and aunt in South Korea, rock climbed at the beach in Thailand, feasted on sushi in Japan, and traveled Vietnam from top to bottom. 

While I feel like we are doing pretty well financially, we’ve had an intense 5 years since we starting dating. Within the first four months of meeting Ethan, he made his final student loan payment on $80k of debt. I have always been frugal, but I was more of a squirrel hoarding away savings, avoiding my debt. He inspired me to attack my student loans and, within 11 months, I paid off nearly $60k of debt. Last year Ethan got an accelerated Masters in Education, which was necessary for him to maintain his teaching certification. Between choosing a cost effective option and some professional development funding through work, he only paid $4k out of pocket. I am paying out of pocket for my MPH, which after scholarships will run me about $17k over two years. I’m proud of these accomplishments but it’s felt like a lot of money going out for a long stretch.

We are EXTREMELY debt averse as a result of paying off tens of thousands of dollars in student loans. We aren’t sure exactly when we want to move back to the States but we do know that we’d like to purchase a house when that day comes. We are terrified of taking out a mortgage, especially with the high current interest rates.

What feels most pressing right now? What brings you to submit a Case Study?

Coffee by the sea in Phu Quoc for Christmas

We haven’t had a good stretch of us both working good jobs while not either paying off debt or paying for graduate school. While Ethan feels good about our finances, I have a lot of anxiety about money, which I think is due to:

1. Not currently working
2. The money stress I’ve inherited from my parents

I think once I’m done with grad school and we are both working and can maximize saving I’ll start to feel better. 

I’m also worried about the transition to moving back home in a few years. We currently have extremely low expenses and the thought of having to pay a mortgage, purchase a car or two, everything being more expensive, etc etc is really stressful. I want to think about ways to soften that blow and make the transition less jarring.

I’m concerned that we haven’t contributed to retirement in nearly two years. I’m confused about if we are actually allowed to contribute to the Roth IRAs we already have. Right now we have a good amount of cash saved that is earmarked for a house. I would love to explore with you, Mrs. Frugalwoods, if it ever would make sense to keep piling up cash to pay for a house outright or if we are being foolish here.

What’s the best part of your current lifestyle/routine?

Life in Vietnam is simple! Ethan is well-compensated given the cost of living here and his expat package includes rent and flights home for both of us every summer. Teachers are well-respected in Vietnam and the job is generally less stressful than it was back in Philly. He gets lots of long breaks from school which we have used to travel internationally and explore all over Vietnam.

We have both been able to invest in our hobbies in ways that we never would have previously. I have a gym membership so I can go to dance and yoga classes 4-5 times weekly; I have a basket of lovely yarn to knit sweaters and hats and socks. Ethan has an unlimited rock climbing gym membership and climbs with friends 3 nights a week. We can enjoy exploring our city and feasting on the insane Vietnamese cuisine , a bowl of pho is 75 cents, our favorite vegetarian stall is $2 for a giant plate of food, bowl of soup and green tea. We rarely went out to eat at home so this feels like such a treat.

I had a job in Hanoi from October 2021-January 2023, but quit to focus on school full-time. It feels like we have an incredible amount of freedom to make decisions like that, which was never an option before. While I still have a lot of anxiety about the future, I really do feel less stressed about money than I ever have. 

What’s the worst part of your current lifestyle/routine?

Final Thoughts

Before you check out, double-check reader case study pats against current offers and any coupons you can stack. Small habits like this add up to real savings over a year.

Originally published at frugalwoods.com.