{"id":1353,"date":"2023-10-24T03:59:19","date_gmt":"2023-10-23T19:59:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/2023\/10\/24\/life-in-china-save-your-money-and-your-social-life\/"},"modified":"2023-10-24T03:59:19","modified_gmt":"2023-10-23T19:59:19","slug":"life-in-china-save-your-money-and-your-social-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/life-in-china-save-your-money-and-your-social-life\/","title":{"rendered":"Life in China: Save Your Money and Your Social Life"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you intend to relocate to a new country, like China, or travel to a new country, you\u2019ll be relieved to discover that not everything will be expensive. As many frugality guides suggest, there are numerous ways to save money and enjoy things from a fresh<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

If you intend to relocate to a new country, like China, or travel to a new country, you\u2019ll be relieved to discover that not everything will be expensive. As many frugality guides suggest, there are numerous ways to save money and enjoy things from a fresh perspective.<\/p>\n

Being Asia\u2019s largest country, China naturally offers limitless things to do. It boasts the largest population in the world, has several world wonders (The Great Wall, Yangtze river, and so on), an intricate culture and fascinating philosophies.<\/p>\n

A lot depends on the specifics of your itinerary, though. Do you intend to visit only touristy areas or live like a local? You gonna work? Are you here to study? Or are you just passing through?<\/p>\n

Either way, there are always ways to save a little bit of money. Depending on the capacity you find yourself in \u2013 as an employee in China, an exchange student in China ,or a traveler in China; some complex ways to gain a little bit of cash can always be found.<\/p>\n

The Chinese save money in interesting ways. It is important to note, that singular savings don\u2019t carry much weight, but once they start accumulating you\u2019ll realize just how much money gets spent on useless things.<\/p>\n

Depending on the tier of the city you choose to live in, costs vary, making saving money in China vary.<\/p>\n

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Image: savemoney.com<\/p>\n

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1) Cheap Flights and Student Discounts<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chances are you will be flying here. Book in advance and try to travel off-season for additional savings. We definitely recommend comparing prices at Fly, Skyscanner, and CTrip. And be sure to check for rates a few days before and a few days after your intended day of arrival. New Life teachers, don\u2019t worry. We\u2019ll be helping you find excellent flight rates!<\/p>\n

2) Stay in Hostels, Not Hotels<\/strong><\/p>\n


<\/strong><\/p>\n

If your living situation isn\u2019t resolved, regular hotels shouldn\u2019t even be considered as an option. They are way too costly for sustained living. In fact, you can get a private room in a hostel and save a pretty penny compared to hotel rates. AirBNB is also a better option than getting a hotel room.<\/p>\n

3) Eat Street Food<\/strong><\/p>\n


<\/strong><\/p>\n

Eat street food. It\u2019s super cheap, super yummy and way better than restaurants you\u2019re likely to come across with English menus. Just point, grab and eat. This also provides a great opportunity to speak with the locals.<\/p>\n

4) Don\u2019t Exchange Money at Extreme Rates<\/strong><\/p>\n


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Airports exchange rates are inordinately high. Explore some additional options before you commit. Hotels often offer good exchange rates. And if you want to avoid the exchange rates altogether, you can use Bitcoin (ask us how!) to move money much quicker than a bank transfer would. Plus, it\u2019s the future of money. Just sayin\u2019.<\/p>\n

5) Don\u2019t Buy Coffee at Expensive Chains!!<\/strong><\/p>\n


<\/strong><\/p>\n

Coffee is a way of life. We know this. We drink it every morning. Don\u2019t splurge on the ridiculous coffee chains in China like Wagas, Costa Coffee, or even Starbucks. There are plenty of cute cafes where you can enjoy a solid cup of Yunnan coffee and even meet some cool people.<\/p>\n

6) Find Area Wholesale Markets<\/strong><\/p>\n


<\/strong><\/p>\n

Find area wholesale markets \u2013 they exist in every city \u2013 and purchase your food goods from them. They\u2019re much cheaper. Markets like San Yuan Li here in Beijing are super cheap. Even local restaurants go there! We buy our salmon, bacon, and cheese there <\/p>\n

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Image: Life of Trends<\/p>\n

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7) Avoid Fast Food<\/strong><\/p>\n


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You came to China to experience China. One of the main draws of living in China is its food and culture. Explore local cuisine, not only because it\u2019s cheaper, but it\u2019s way more delicious.<\/p>\n

8) Walk. Everywhere.<\/strong><\/p>\n


<\/strong><\/p>\n

Transportation exists to provide comfort and convenience, but on crowded streets, it\u2019s bound to be the opposite. Either way, walking is great. Burn some calories, explore your surroundings, and get to really see how the Chinese live.<\/p>\n

9) Buy Water Jugs<\/strong><\/p>\n


<\/strong><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s face it. You need water to live. But you also shouldn\u2019t be spending 2RMB on a bottle of water every time you need some water. Every neighborhood in China has a water delivery service. You can buy a large jug of water for 15RMB, saving you a ton of money every month.<\/p>\n

10) Low-Cost Entertainment<\/strong><\/p>\n


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Books, taking up creative writing, and socializing are all great ways to keep yourself busy and get your mind off of the money question.<\/p>\n

11) Get a Gym Membership <\/strong><\/p>\n


<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yearly gym memberships in China are cheap. Plus you\u2019ll see that gyms here are just as good as gyms back home. Working out at the gym will keep you away from spending money elsewhere. And it\u2019s 2017. Let\u2019s work on that bod you\u2019ve always wanted!<\/p>\n

12) Use a Spreadsheet For Finances<\/strong><\/p>\n


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You can use Evernote to jot down all of your expenses. We have a really cool finance spreadsheet to give you too. It\u2019s 2017, the year of tracking data. There\u2019s no better way to see what you\u2019re spending your money on. Send us a message and we\u2019ll send you the spreadsheet.<\/p>\n

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Image: Don’t Pay Full<\/p>\n

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13) Use WeChat Wallet<\/strong><\/p>\n


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In China, you need WeChat. Not only is it easier and safer than carrying around all of your cash, you can get special promotions within the app.<\/p>\n

14) Use Delivery Services <\/strong><\/p>\n


<\/strong><\/p>\n

Beijing is a massive city meaning you must make use of the awesome delivery services available to save you time and money. There are water delivery services like mentioned above. Organic food delivery from Chunbo.  There are even people that will go to IKEA for you and bring you back whatever you want for a small fee. If you\u2019ve ever been to Ikea in China, you can see how this will save you an entire afternoon.<\/p>\n

15) Collect Loose Change and Pennies<\/strong><\/p>\n


<\/strong><\/p>\n

One of New Life\u2019s own saved all of his 1 Yuan notes for a couple of years. This little hack accumulated him $1,200 by simply just putting them in a box without even thinking about it.<\/p>\n

16) Never Waste Leftovers<\/strong><\/p>\n


<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Chinese are notorious for ordering way too much food. When you get invited out, don\u2019t hesitate to take the leftovers home. Your friends want you to eat up!<\/p>\n

17) Delay Your Purchases<\/strong><\/p>\n


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Patient people get rewarded with promotional offers. If you need to buy something, wait for a seasonal offer.<\/p>\n

18) Skip the Plane, Take the Train<\/strong><\/p>\n


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If your situation takes you across the entire country, taking the train will take more time, but it will be more economical.<\/p>\n

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Image: James G. Martin Center <\/p>\n

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19) Be Mindful of Pickpockets<\/strong><\/p>\n


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Tourists are known for being careless with their money and can become easy prey for local pickpockets. Keep everything in sight and in close reach, or on your WeChat wallet, like mentioned above.<\/p>\n

20) Sell Your Junk<\/strong><\/p>\n


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There are tons of buy, sell, trade groups on WeChat. Join one and get rid of your extras while earning a bit of cash.<\/p>\n

21) Avoid Going to Malls<\/strong><\/p>\n


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Asia\u2019s popular malls may call to you as a way of tourism, but do your best to buy things that you will get more than a couple uses from.<\/p>\n

22) Don\u2019t buy long distance phone plans<\/strong><\/p>\n


<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are endless amounts of apps that allow us to connect with people from back home. Get your family on Skype or WeChat to talk to them whenever you want..for free!<\/p>\n

23) Limit Partying Days<\/strong><\/p>\n


<\/strong><\/p>\n

Letting loose and having a night out is important, but for the sake of your health and your wallet, try to go out just 1-2 days a week.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t limit yourself too hard. Make an educated choice and stick to it. In time, you\u2019re bound to find something new and more radical regarding savings. We hope these China travel tips money solutions were helpful.<\/p>\n

So there you have it, some easy ways to keep adding to that savings! How do you save money? What tips work best for you? Leave your thoughts and questions in comments below!<\/p>\n

Source: New Life ESL<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"If you intend to relocate to a new country, like China, or travel to a new country, you\u2019ll be relieved to discover that not everything will be expensive. As many …","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1353","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pro-tips"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1353","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1353"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1353\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1353"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1353"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1353"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}