# WHEN DO WE USE MATH?

By [Hoa Le Finan](https://paragraph.com/@hoa-le-finan) · 2025-06-05

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Kids are taught math—addition, subtraction, multiplication, division—and they can calculate lightning fast.But the math they learn often gets wrapped in complicated, mind-bending problems that even adults throw their hands up at.Honestly, these days, I can’t even help a second or third grader with their homework—it’s that tough.Yet no one teaches them _how_ or _when_ to use each operation in real life!

I was planning to write today about shortcuts to wealth.Last time, I shared the first shortcut: **optimizing time**.But somehow, I ended up thinking about kids again—before diving into my own approach.

Instead of working a full-time job like most people, I divide my full-time hours into **three parts**:

🔹 **One-third** goes to earning money to cover daily living. Honestly, there’s barely anything left over.Today, I met up with an old friend—she’s a university lecturer who used to invite me to give talks on personal finance.She kept teasing me about how well I manage my money—turns out I still have a reputation for being a smart spender.So yes, I’ve been reinforcing that trust with my recent sharing.

🔹 **One-third** goes to writing books and creating courses.I’m learning how to package knowledge into real products.

🔹 The **final third** is for studying business, markets, and building assets.It started with helping family, now I help clients too.

Why don’t I choose a full-time job?Well, the personal income tax law hasn’t kept up with how people actually live.No matter how you earn, taxes wait for their turn to show up.

I don’t work a lot.I haven’t started buying and selling yet either—I’m focused on **branding** and **growing assets**.If the time comes and it makes sense, then I’ll buy or sell.

To be honest, my mindset is that of a lazy person—someone who wants to live well, and live slow.I joked with my friend today: even if someone paid me 100 million VND/month for a full-time job, I’d still rather earn 5–10 million and have time for myself.

The rest of my time? I spend it wisely, and focus on asset growth.Because what matters isn’t how much you earn——it’s how you **spend**, and how you **build from there**.

#hoalefinan

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*Originally published on [Hoa Le Finan](https://paragraph.com/@hoa-le-finan/when-do-we-use-math)*