Kakaiba ang ultimate budgeting hack ni Vivian Tu, kilala sa TikTok sa kanyang handle na @YourRichBFF.
Nag-viral si Vivian sa video-sharing platform matapos niyang i-post ang clip na kine-claim niyang nakipag-date siya six times sa loob ng isang linggo para hindi na siya gagastos sa groceries.
Nilagyan niya ang clip ng caption na: “Between 2016-2018, I didn’t buy groceries once.
“Probably saved about US$150 [PHP8,160.07] a week.”
Si Vivian ay 28-year-old TikTok star at kilala sa pagpo-post ng financial advice.
Sinimulan ni Vivian ang kanyang TikTok account noong 2020.
May partnerships siya sa Nasdaq, Google, Lululemon, Meta, at Rent the Runway.
Internet's "rich bff" ang branding niya sa sarili, at naninirahan siya sa New York City, USA.
Ang kanyang parents ay Chinese. Nag-migrate ang mga ito sa America para magkaroon si Vivian ng magandang edukasyon.
Graduate siya sa University of Chicago at naging empleyado ng American multinational financial services company na JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Naging sales partner din siya ng internet media company na BuzzFeed.
DATING'S EFFECT ON FINANCES
Sa isang article na na-publish last January 24, 2023, inamin ni Vivian sa kanyang 2.3 million followers na ginawa niya ang video nang may halong pagbibiro.
Paglilinaw pa niya, “I didn’t start going on dates just for food.”
Pero napansin umano niya na gumaan-gaan ang kanyang financial needs kapag naghahanap siya ng pag-ibig.
Gumagamit daw siya ng dating apps para makahanap ng connection nang lumipat siya sa New York City.
Agad niyang na-realize na, “Oh, I can go to a fun tapas restaurant for [probably] free, or I can spend my own money on food at the grocery store that I still need to cook. And it’s probably not going to taste as good.
“There’s obviously subconscious thinking that goes into it.”
Dagdag niya, “In my opinion, deliberately going on dates for a free meal isn’t a great idea.
“I am very much in the camp that you’re dating to find love.”
Naibahagi ni Vivian na kahit kumikita siya ng US$95,000 (PHP5,168,047.50) sa loob ng isang taon, napakataas ng kanyang living expenses dahil nakatira siya sa Hell’s Kitchen area sa New York.
“The market closest to my apartment was incredibly expensive, so I never felt comfortable shopping there.
“Instead, I would haul my butt on the subway 15 blocks to [grocery store] Trader Joe’s and grab all that I could carry.
“It wasn’t easy, and I really had to think strategically about what I was buying—usually their turkey corn dogs and supreme frozen pizza.”
Pero kapag lumalabas siya para sa dinner dates, nakakatipid siya ng halos US$50 to US$100 per week.
At para saan naman ang natitipid ni Vivian?
“On things like savings, investing, and a black Prada bag to replace my tattered Longchamp tote.”
Dahil sa kanyang pananaw, kinoronahan siya ng ibang TikTok users bilang “girl boss.”
Tinawag naman ng ibang users ang kanyang ginagawa na “borderline unethical.”
Komento ng isa, “Smarter not harder.”
May user na nagdeklarang ang ginagawa niya ay “toxic femininity.”
Tanong naman ng isa pa, “But if you were good with money, you wouldn’t need those dates?”
Sagot ni Vivian, “I was busy investing my money since I wasn’t spending it on food.”
Alam naman umano niya na maraming paraan para makatipid sa pera, pero wala siyang regrets.
Aniya, “Even if you do put your card down, it’s still a win: you get to say you went somewhere new, ate great food, and made a new connection—or, at least, practiced your small talk.”