Let's face it; most foreigners live very differently from most local Chinese. Power consumption, buying habits, social activities and modes of transportation are all different for those of us who were raised in other countries. Still, the "foreign" lifestyle, while offering many comforts, takes a toll on one's wallet. Here are some ways to live more like local Chinese and save money in the process.

1) Taobao.com
If you haven't experienced the power of having ridiculously cheap goods (sometimes of dubious origin) delivered to your door in China, then you need to get on the Taobao bandwagon. Often dubbed "the eBay of China", Taobao.com is much more than that for its millions of customers; it provides shopping for nearly any kind of new or used product in a country with surprisingly few online retail stores. Electronics, clothes, gifts, even Cultural Revolution memorabilia, are all on sale from thousands of "stores", or individuals. Unlike its auction-focused cousin eBay, Taobao relies on fierce competition from its myriad entrepreneurial sellers to keep prices down. The site and accompanying software are in Chinese, but with a few characters under your belt, and a proper SKU, or model number (for electronics), one can do much of the legwork before a Chinese friend or coworker with an account is needed to make the purchase. Instead of just looking for particular items, Taobao encourages buyers to browse stores for items similar to the one they are looking for. Stores are "decorated" with custom borders, pictures and even music in an effort to create a unique personality for each seller and his or her store. Tao Bao is particularly useful before a trip back overseas; gifts for friends and family can be acquired on the cheap, yet will impress lucky recipients. As with most places in China, the quality of the goods purchased can cause headaches for buyers. The heart and diamond ratings seek to give incentive to sellers to act honestly, as all feedback is displayed. Another interesting feature is the included software that records all instant message conversations between buyer and seller. If the wrong size or color product is received, the history file will reveal the problem, and force the seller to offer an exchange or refund (this same software is said to contain spyware; it's better to use it on someone else's computer). Unfortunately, shipping is rarely returned when a problem arises.

2) Public transportation
The very mention of the words "public transportation" causes many-an-expatriate to cringe in fear of hot, sweat-filled, jam-packed buses where one must constantly be on the lookout for pickpockets and swinging elbows alike. However, in certain circumstances, public transportation can mean the difference between a fare of a few RMB and that of 30 or 40. When planned out correctly, a trip on the bus or subway can save the rider an impressive amount of dough. At other times, it's the only option for city-dwellers in places or circumstances (read: typhoons) that make taxi rides unavailable. When making the plunge into the public transportation system, first analyze the routes that would be the most useful. While rush hour is hardly anyone's favorite time to squeeze onto a bus, hitching a ride to a restaurant or bar late in the evening can save one half that evening's taxi fare. Second, find the air-conditioned buses that no one else rides! Not all routes act like mobile sardine cans for passengers; many air-conditioned buses happen to make rounds that could help you get from point A to point B, with a seat guaranteed. Scope them out and consider cutting back on a few taxi rides a week to start out with. Before you know it, you'll be able to shrink your transportation budget to somewhere between DVD purchases and drinks!

3) Buy local
A trip to the local market for meat and produce can be a harrowing adventure. For the uninitiated, shoppers can generally find most of the earth's edible organisms in both their live and more ready-to-eat states. Still, there's a reason why locals in cities get the majority of their food at these small markets; hypermarts such as Carrefour and Auchan tend to display less fresh produce in their large stores. Many locals also swear by the quality of the items found in small produce markets. While China's numerous food quality scandals are cause for concern, overpriced Western food markets aren't necessarily immune to such problems. If you want fresh meat and vegetables from the same local vendors day in and day out, often for cheaper than that found at a supermarket, then your local produce market may be the answer to trimming your food budget.

4) Live it up at dinner, not at the club
If inebriated, jubilant Chinese revelers stumbling out of restaurants at 9pm aren't a familiar sight to you, then perhaps you are in a more cosmopolitan locale than I am. Company "dinner banquets" notwithstanding, suppertime can be a great opportunity to enjoy a night out with friends, at a fraction of the cost of a pub crawl. Chinese cuisine, when you find the restaurants that suit your tastes, offers an incredible variety of tastes and textures. At the same time, Chinese restaurants give the most bang for your buck in terms of value. If you aren't squeamish around Chinese beers, you can easily have your fill of the same, as well as food, for less than the cost of one overpriced cocktail at a swanky bar in your city. If you're tired of Tsingtao and its ilk, then make the move to teppanyaki, sushi, or whatever cuisine offers an all-you-can-eat and drink format with different choices for alcohol.

5) Reduce your energy use
The idea of going through a winter here in the Lower Yangtze Delta Region without the aid of heat is one too terrible for many expats to consider. Yet that is exactly what many local households experience, even while living in uninsulated housing. Likewise, it's common to find oneself in a shop in the middle of steamy summer where the shopkeeper is making use of only a single fan to keep cool. Electricity, while cheaper in China than in other areas of the world, is a huge expense when the elements reach their extremes. Particularly during cold weather, natives will forgo the use of their single unit heaters in lieu of piling on layer after layer of clothing. While this is not the most comfortable of prospects, we can all agree that saving power is not only about saving money, but should also be done for the environment. Before you crank the AC all the way up this summer, consider if you really need to cool your whole flat rather than a room or two, or if some cross ventilation with the aid of fans would be a more prudent decision. 
 

Related Links
A Beijing Bus Story
Cheap Chinese Make Great Environmentalists
How to Travel China on the Cheap

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