This former Wall Street trader dined to save money, not to dine and dash. Vivian Tu, better known on TikTok as @YourRichBFF, gained notoriety in 2021 when she boasted in a video that she went on six dates a week to save money on groceries.
“In the years 2016 through 2018, I never bought groceries. She captioned the photo of herself on the beach, lip-synching to Lana Del Rey’s “Jealous Girl,” saying, “Probably saved about $150 a week.”
The popular TikTok user Tu has revealed to her 2.3 million followers in a recent interview with Elite Daily that she “jokingly” filmed the contentious video and that she “didn’t start going on dates just for food.” She did, however, actually experience financial relief while hunting for love.
Tu told the outlet that when she initially moved to New York City, she used dating apps to create a connection. However, she soon realised that she could go to a great tapas restaurant for (probably) free or spend her own money on groceries that she still needed to prepare. Additionally, the flavour will probably not be as nice.
She acknowledged that “obviously subconscious thinking plays a role.”
But Tu added, “I think it’s not a good idea to go on dates specifically to get a free supper. I really believe that the purpose of dating is to find love. She went on to say that even though her annual income was $95,000, her living expenses were “very high.” Tu, who lives in Hell’s Kitchen, claimed that finding reasonably priced food in the area wasn’t always simple.
“Shopping at the market closest to my flat was never comfortable for me because it was so pricey. Tu remarked, “Instead, I would drag my butt fifteen blocks to Trader Joe’s and grab everything I could carry on the tube.”
“It wasn’t easy, and I had to consider my purchases carefully. Usually, I would buy their supreme frozen pizza and turkey corn dogs.” However, Tu discovered that by going on dates, she was saving “$50 to $100 each week,” or thousands of dollars in disposable cash, compared to what she was spending on “items, like savings,
But Tu’s practices continue to divide TikTok users. Some have crowned her a “girl boss” while others called it “borderline unethical.”
“Smarter not harder,” one supporter reasoned. “Finesse the bag,” another cheered her on. “Toxic femininity,” one hater declared.
“But if you were good with money you wouldn’t need those dates?” another stated. “I was busy investing my money since I wasn’t spending it on food,” Tu shot back.
Tu doesn’t regret any of her dates, not even the infrequent cheapskates who offered to split the tab, even though she is aware that there are other ways to save money.
She explained to Elite Daily, “Even if you do put down your card, 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.”
