Day 18 - Shopping in Vietnam

Today is our last day in Vietnam and we decided to hit up the market again for some last minute bargains and gifts for the family here. I have to admit, this is the first time I've actually felt exhausted before I even started to shop! I love a great bargain but I am all bargained out and as much as I'd like to bring back souvenirs for everyone, I think most of the time, the items don't have as much sentiment to others as they do for me. Plus, I have absolutely no room to pack any clothes... I should have packed less or even brought an extra suitcase!

Spending money in Vietnam is really dangerous - mainly because $1 USD = $20,000 Vietnamese Dong (VND). It's so hard to keep track of how much you're actually spending! In Vietnam, I am a millionaire...but a million VND = $50 USD. I exchanged a bunch of money the other day because I wanted to treat the family to a nice dinner and I literally got a stack of cash. Now, I don't know about you but I have never held this many bills together in my life before! I had to separate it all out and use rubber bands to keep it together.

With shopping, I am finding it so difficult to calculate how much things actually cost in comparison to US/CAD prices. For example, I bought a silky shirt and when the girl told me the price of 200K dong, my cousin immediately said no. She said it should only cost 130K. When I did the calculations later in my head, I realized that it was a difference between $10US and $6.50US. That shirt would have cost me about $25 in Canada! The thing is, you always have to bargain...if you just stand there and say it's too expensive without offering a different price, the vendors get really insulted.

I thought that I was good at bargaining until I tried to do it in Vietnam...I'm no match for these vendors. They know all the tricks! Now I know where my mother learned her shameless bargaining. She did it over and over again at the markets. Here's the technique - start with a low-ball - sometimes, almost at %40 below the asking price. Then, you go back and forth a little until you meet half way; in between prices, you mention something like, "Give me a good price this time and I'll be sure to come back for more!" If that doesn't work, pretend that you're leaving and tell them that you're going to go to the store down the aisle that will sell it to you for cheaper. That almost ALWAYS works here!

Shopping is a whole other experience here in Vietnam. I keep seeing the foreigners in the marketplace trying to bargain and the Vietnamese folks playing the same techniques in their broken English. I'm in awe of the people who have gone into business here and how they operate. I know it would never fly in North America, but in Vietnam, this is normal - the bantering back and forth and then smiling once the money is exchanged. It's exhausting for me because I have no idea how much things should actually cost and I feel as though I'm bargaining to pay so little for something that usually costs me so much in Canada! I think that if I lived in Vietnam, this would be a lot easier - my cousins seem to be pros at it and I've been so grateful for the company on these shopping trips!

My mother and I also stopped at the grocery store the other day to buy water and household supplies. I was told that if we wanted fair pricing for anything - including liquor - we should head to the supermarket. When we were there, I bought a bunch of brandy as gifts for my family here in Vietnam and it turned out to be quite a heavy load for us to carry home. The cashier handed us our change and said, "Do you want it delivered to your house? This is a service we offer if you live nearby." This is something you don't always find in North America - the customer service in Vietnam is very good!

Everything that is needed for basic living is very cheap in Vietnam. What is extremely expensive are luxuries that we often take for granted in North America. Cars are twice the price - a basic Honda Civic can cost up to $40K USD here in Vietnam! The little scooters range from $1-3K USD, depending on how many options you want. Housing is fairly cheap but the catch is - you have to pay for it all upfront. There are no mortgages here because lending money is frowned upon - you shouldn't have what you can't pay for upfront. Those who cannot afford to buy or build their houses end up renting. You can buy a brand new condo in a high-rise building for as little as $40K USD and it will come with many of the upgrades.

I have been overwhelmed with how easy it is to spend money in Vietnam and how wonderful the shopping is. I almost wish I had more time and more space in my luggage to buy more but it's probably best that I stay modest with my spending. It is so easy to lose track of what you have spent here!