Hi, I’m Linh Tran, a former market kid from Ho Chi Minh City now calling rainy Seattle home.
I love turning big money ideas into bite-size moves anyone can try, and I mix family, culture, and a bit of playful fun into every tip. Together we can keep more of each paycheck without losing what matters.
My Journey from Markets to Mountains
I spent childhood mornings at my mother’s noodle stall in Ho Chi Minh City counting coins before the first bell. Learning to haggle for five extra đồng taught me that small choices steer big outcomes.
Georgetown University pulled me west, and the Personal Finance Club became my second family. After graduation I joined a national retailer, rose from budget analyst to planning manager, and guarded every cent of multi-million dollar forecasts like it was pocket money. Long nights with spreadsheets proved frugality scales.
In 2024 I took a sabbatical to study how grandparents, parents, and kids swap money beliefs. Soon I traded D.C.’s marble for Seattle mist, and I began posting our real wins and stumbles so others could climb faster.
Why I Write About Money
Many neighbors in our Vietnamese enclave whispered about debt but never asked for help. I saw the same hush across other immigrant tables.
When I started coaching a newly arrived couple through their first U.S. budget, their shoulders dropped as soon as the math made sense. Week by week courage replaced confusion, and I was hooked.
I believe every dollar, yen, or đồng has a backstory that deserves daylight. My mission here is to weave Asian frugality with American possibility, offering honest, kind, jargon-free guidance you can test tonight.
Each article starts with a real question from our kitchen table, travels through a spreadsheet, and ends with a plan simple enough for a sleepy brain on a weekday.
What You Will Learn on This Blog
Think of this blog as my money lab, a place where I run every idea on my own paycheck before releasing it to the world.
- Saving hacks for every income
- Ten-minute weekly budgets
- Plain-English beginner investing
- Side hustles during nap times
- Grocery cost-cut testers
I break each concept into clear steps you can finish during a lunch break, and every step includes a kitchen-timer estimate so busy schedules stay intact.
Whenever a number matters you will see the real figure from my own bank tracker, paired with a quick chart that shows trend rather than trivia. I also unpack how culture nudges us toward or away from certain purchases, turning heritage into a budgeting asset.
If you want me to dive into a topic I have missed, drop it in the comments and watch it climb the writing queue.
Family Life on a Budget
At home Alex codes, Ethan constructs Lego skyscrapers, and I pilot the spreadsheet that feeds us all. Our living room is the testing ground for each blog experiment.
Every Friday bowls of phở hit the table, toppings chosen from whichever veggies scored the deepest discount that week. Ethan tracks savings on a sticker chart and claims extra bean sprouts when the math checks out.
Instead of pricey apps we rely on jam jars labeled spend, save, and give, moving coins after chores so the lesson is unmissable.
With two jobs, cross-country relatives, and rainy-day hikes to plan, we still carve room for goals by reviewing numbers in fifteen-minute sprints. Use, swap, or skip our tricks until they match your own household rhythm.
Quick Facts About Me
Here are a few speed-round details for curious minds.
- Birthplace: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Current city: Seattle, Washington
- Favorite cheap meal: tofu bánh mì with extra pickles
- Go-to budgeting tool: a color-coded Google Sheet
- Nightstand books: Your Money or Your Life; Minor Feelings
- Nerdy hobby: price-tracking grocery staples since 2010
A tiny timeline traces how that dish washer became your frugal friend.
- 2013: First budget coaching gig, a church basement
- 2017: MBA finished, loans cleared
- 2019: Full-time freelance writer
- 2025: At this point, Frugal Asian Finance is my full-time “job”
I still compare flour prices for fun even when I am on vacation.
Join the Community
Thank you for spending a slice of your day here. I know money blogs crowd the internet, so your time is a gift.
Frugal Asian Finance stands apart by blending clear, test-driven tips with stories that honor culture and a tone light enough to read on a bus ride. You will hear my voice, occasional noodle jokes, and not a drop of finance swagger.
If an article helps you, share it with a friend, drop a comment, or join the email list for fresh ideas every two weeks. The freebies page houses printable budget templates, grocery price trackers, and kid-friendly money games ready to download.
Need one-on-one coaching, want to collaborate, or just want to say hi? Hop over to the Contact page and send a note; every message reaches my inbox and receives a personal reply.