I. The Myth of “Networking” Your Way to Wealth as a Waiter
There’s a popular idea floating around that if you want to get rich, just become a waiter at a high-end restaurant. Serve successful people, learn from them, use tip money to fund your business, and boom—financial freedom.
Sounds smart, right?
Now—welcome to Vietnam.
💀 Where tipping culture is almost nonexistent.
💀 Where the people you serve aren’t business moguls—they’re middle-class families drowning in beer and karaoke. 💀 Where even if you somehow find a wealthy customer, they won’t take you seriously.
And even if—by some miracle—you do manage to save some tip money…
Are you really gonna be able to start a dropshipping business with that?
II. The Brutal Math: Can You Even Afford to Escape Being A Waiter?
Most people never do the math. Let’s break it down.
1. Average Waiter Salary in Vietnam:
5M–7M VND/month (~$200–$300). That’s if you’re lucky.
2. Basic Living Expenses in Hanoi or HCM City:
- Rent: 3M–7M VND/month ($120–$280)
- Food: 2M–4M VND/month ($80–$160)
- Transportation (bike maintenance, gas, Grab): 1M–2M VND/month ($40–$80)
- Basic health & hygiene (medicine, gym, etc.): 1M–2M VND/month ($40–$80)
3. Total just to exist:
👉 10M–15M VND/month ($400–$600). That’s just to survive, with zero savings.
Now, let’s look at how much it costs to start a dropshipping store (or any basic online business).
🔥 Shopify Plan: $39/month
🔥 Domain Name: $15/year
🔥 Ad Budget for Facebook/TikTok Ads: Minimum $500–$1,000/month
🔥 Spy Tools for Winning Products (Dropship Spy, EcomHunt, AdSpy): $49–$199/month
🔥 Video Editing Software (for ads): $20–$50/month
🔥 AI Copywriting Tools (Jasper, Copy.ai, ChatGPT Plus): $20–$60/month
4. Total just to TRY dropshipping:
👉 $800–$1,500/month. More than your entire salary.
Do the math. You can’t even afford rent—how the hell are you gonna afford to start a business?
III. “But Bro, You Can Learn Sales as a Waiter!”
I hear this all the time.
“Being a waiter helps you learn sales, communication, and gets you close to rich people!”
Do you really think the guy you’re serving—even if he’s successful—will take you seriously?
💀 You’re just the dude bringing his steak.
💀 You’re just the kid cleaning his table.
💀 You are NOT his business partner.
The only things you’ll actually learn are: ☠️ How to fake a smile when a customer insults you.
☠️ How to apologize when they treat you like trash.
☠️ How to work unpaid overtime because your boss knows you’re replaceable.
That’s not “learning sales.”
That’s just learning how to tolerate disrespect.
IV. The Rigged System: Why You’ll Never Win
🚨 Some places are rigged from the start. They will set you up for failure.
🚨 They will give you the worst customers.
🚨 They will pressure you into working longer hours.
🚨 They will make you pay for mistakes that aren’t even yours.
If you break a plate, spill a drink, or make an error—
You don’t get paid for the entire month.
Even worse?
You might have to work extra shifts to “compensate for the damage.”
Congratulations. You just worked an entire month for free.
And before you know it—your entire paycheck is gone.
V. So What Did You Get From This Job?
🚫 No real savings.
🚫 No time to learn real skills.
🚫 No actual connections to people who matter.
🚫 No chance of moving up.
You just wasted months of your life for nothing.
So tell me again—what exactly did you gain from being a waiter?
Because from where I’m standing, you just got played.
VI. The Only Way Out: What You Should Actually Be Doing
Instead of wasting time waiting tables, here’s what you should do instead:
🔥 1. Get a Job That Pays More Than Minimum Wage
- Something that lets you actually save money.
- Even call center jobs pay better than waiting tables.
- Better yet, find a remote job that pays in dollars.
🔥 2. Learn a High-Income Skill That Doesn’t Require a Degree
- Copywriting (Write words that sell)
- Video Editing (For YouTube, TikTok, Ads)
- SEO & Blogging (Get paid for ranking websites)
- Freelance Coding (If you’re technical)
🔥 3. Leverage the Internet to Make Money, Not Just Serve Others
- If you want to do dropshipping, get a remote job first, save money, THEN try it.
- If you want to learn sales, do actual sales—copywriting, cold calling, closing deals.
- If you want to meet rich people, network online—not by serving them coffee.
VII. Conclusion: Wake Up Before It’s Too Late
Most waiters?
They’ll work 12-hour shifts for $200/month.
They’ll listen to bad advice and think they’re “getting closer to money.”
They’ll wake up at 30, realizing they wasted their best years waiting for tips that never came.
But you?
You still have a choice.
💀 You can stay in the system, knowing exactly how it ends.
💰 Or you can break free—before it’s too late.
The question is…
What the hell are you gonna do about it?
Final Words
🚀 Create Leverage
🔥 Stuck in a dead-end job? There’s a better way. Break free from the paycheck-to-paycheck trap and start building something that actually pays what you’re worth.
🔗 Explore More from WealthEchos:
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🧠 Mindset: Find tools and resources that make your fitness journey more efficient.
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📚 Check Out My Other Blogs:
🏋️♂️ TrainingEchos: Everything about fitness, from nutrition and recovery to martial arts and even recipes.
✨ ElegantEchos: Personal reflections on ambition, relationships, and life’s defining moments.
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Drop a comment below: Have you ever worked as a waiter? What’s the worst part of the job? Drop your experience in the comments below. Let’s expose the reality. 👇
