While it’s at least very annoying, and at most woefully erroneous that many Chinese people judge all foreigners to be totally minted, it’s not hard to see why, when many foreigners are here living decadent lifestyles, partying on weekends (and weekdays), travelling all over the country and mincing around town with Macbooks, iPods and Ray Bans. But then there are the secret “squirrelers”, who scrimp together just enough cash to feed themselves day by day, either because they are in a job that pays too little, or (more commonly) because they would like to save up money. While it’s not impossible to save money in China—and far easier in neighbouring South Korea and Taiwan—it still requires a bit of careful thought and planning.
Start with the essentials
One of the biggest expenses will inevitably be food. People have to eat! But the key is, you don’t have to eat a lot. Unless you’re a gluttonous chump who resembles the Cookie Monster, limiting yourself to eating three light meals a day is one of the easiest ways to save money. And it’s not just about how often you eat, but also where you choose to eat. For those who are just travelling through China and are perhaps not so familiar with Chinese cuisine, one of the most delightful discoveries is the Chinese breakfast menu (and no, I don’t mean the ‘Sweet & Sour Pork McMuffin’). At first, Chinese breakfasts may seem rather bewildering to the uninitiated laowai, but it is one of the cheapest ways of filling up for the day, and the choices are impressive: baozi (little fat puffy dumplings filled with meat and/or veg); jianbing (savoury pancake made with egg, chives, and a mysterious crispy thing); danbing (an egg-in-a-bap, sometimes with lettuce); zhou (watery rice-gruel… much nicer than it sounds!); doujiang (soy milk); and youtiao (greasy sticks of hot batter, that are dipped into the soy milk)… The choices are endless really, and most of these items will only set you back a few kuai, which is a pittance compared to the breakfast menus at chain establishments.
Save cash, save the planet!
After you’ve filled up on delicious nutritious Chinese breakfast, instead of jumping in a taxi, you can save a whole lot of cash by using public transport. China has pumped a lot of money into public transport infrastructure in the last dozen or so years, and this is evident from the rate at which the subway systems have grown, especially in the last few years. In Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Tianjin the metro systems are sprouting new lines by the year like some sort of mutant octopus, making it easier to get around town on the cheap. In most of these places it’s just a few RMB per journey; even cheaper still is to travel by bus. Generally a bus fare in cities is around 1 or 2 RMB if you pay cash, but if you pay with a transport card (一卡通) it’s just a few jiao. This is a great way of saving cash because even a journey across the whole of town costs just 1 or 2 kuai. And to those who bemoan the cramped conditions on the tube: it may be a squash but at least it’s still moving! As Beijing’s roads get more and more clogged, the rush-hour wait gets longer and longer, and if you’re in a rush to somewhere important there’s nothing more stressful than sitting in interminable traffic, watching the meter click up slowly as you fret.
Even more of a sacrifice to self-comfort is taking the train rather than plane, and going by hard seat rather than sleeper berth. My advice: take a bottle of strong booze, some snacks, and be prepared to make some friends! Hard seat is admittedly the cheapest and least comfortable travel option, but if you turn it into a drinking session, it can be riotous fun, and you will spend around half the money you would have on a sleeper ticket. This is a great way to make Chinese friends, as you tend to meet the least pretentious folk in hard seat class, unlike the laptop-carrying toffs in sleeper class.
Accommodating accommodation
As with most countries in the world, renting or buying accommodation in China knocks a hefty whack off your pay-packet, and as house-prices rise it’s increasingly harder to find a bargain. But if you really want to save your money, then have a think before you commit: do you really need that micro-oven? Is a south-facing balcony a deal-breaker? Must you have a Western-style toilet? Will living without air con really kill you? Do you really have to live alone? Obviously this depends on your personal threshold for comfort, but if you are willing to forsake these ‘bourgeois’ comforts for something much smaller and simpler, even in the big cities you can easily find a flat for under 1,000 RMB a month, and sometimes as low as 500.
With the advent of international tourism inside China came an influx of International Youth Hostels, and now there exists a massive network across the whole of China; over 200 hostels, providing cheap, reliable accommodation for the weary backpacker. But it’s not just smelly hippies and grungy gap-year kids who frequent the YHAs of China; because of their modernity many of these places have only been open a short while and are clean and pleasant places to stay. Furthermore many of them have been injected with a healthy dose of unique style, and their popularity is evident from the legions of guests who travel from all over the globe to stay. Youth hostels are another great place to meet open-minded unstuffy folk, and once again a bottle of booze can be the only ice-breaker you need to make lifelong friends. Generally you’ll pay between 30 and 80 RMB for a bed in a dorm room, although I had the (mis)fortune to find a shabby hotel in Kunming that offered me a place to sleep for just 10 RMB. It was a room opposite the kitchens and was boiling hot, filthy, and full of broken tables and chairs and mosquitoes, but for 10 RMB I really can’t complain.
Sometimes you can even find a family who will let you stay for free, particularly in the more remote regions of places like Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan and Xinjiang, though it’s common courtesy to offer at least a donation, especially if they provide food and blankets.
If you are careful with your cash, you can save up a lot in no time, and have money to pay for other nice things like trips back home, holidays abroad, or that shiny new iPhone you’ve had your eye on. But, it requires discipline, abstinence, and the ability to live parsimoniously for a while.
Related links
5 Ways to Behave Like a Local and Save Money
Cheap China the Expat Way
A Week of Western Food in China for 100 RMB
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Keywords: saving money in China cheap living in China how to save cash in China Chinese cheap lifestyle
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eat is the most costive thing. but eating in a restaurant is really expensive in nowadays, why learn how to cook chinese foods by urself, follow our kitchen, our chefs how to cook traditional chinese foods and pastry
Jul 10, 2012 22:18 Report Abuse
in re. of LaoWai, it's a neuter. Of course it also depends on who's using it and in what context. A harmless or friendly word can have some nasty meaning, depend on how you say it.
By the way, I'm Chinese. Yes, LaoWai literally means "old outsider", but anyone translate "LaoWai" this way miss the curtual meaning behind it.
“Wai" as a short term for "Wai Guo Ren", foreigner. Just like in English we sometimes use Nick for Nicolas; or when I was in college, used PSYC for Psychology.
"Lao" as old of course. But Chinese people does not see calling people old as an insult. It's actually a title show respect/kind. An example, my last name is Yuan; but many of my dad's friends and co-workers call him 'Lao Yuan' instead of Mr. Yuan. For now I've been called "Xiao Yuan" (Xiao means small/little/young), and when I gets older I will be called Lao Yuan just as my dad, and it is NOT an insult or age discrimination. Quite opposite, that's a way of showoing respect and kind. Of cours, the culture is chaning, a lot more younger generations now take "old" as unfriendly and rude, possibly because of western influence. Thanks to Hollywood movies.
So yeah, my dear FOREIGNER friends, don't pay too much energy on the word "LaoWai", it's harmless. For those Chinese who don't use 'LaoWai" in a friendly/respect context, STAY AWAY from them. Friends, hang out with those who respect you. I'm sure that will make you feel better. after all China is not as muticulture as many other countries, most Chinese people have never had any personal contact with foreigners. Please forgive them, most of their concept of foreigners and foreign countires come from govenment media or Hollywood movies. You can't change the entire country by arguing and angry at those who doesnt know any better. If you are concerning about racism, why don't you show some action of kindness to those (Chinese) around you, to gain their respect. I'm sure that will make them question about what they've been told by the government.
Enjoy your journey in China
Jul 09, 2012 13:29 Report Abuse
What's the big deal about being called laowai anyway, it just means 'old outsider' it's not an insult it's an observation. We're outsiders and have been for time imemorial.
Jul 07, 2012 17:56 Report Abuse
I ate Chinese breakfast both in the hotels or on the street. Street-breakfast cost me always less ten 20 kuai, mostly under 10.
Lunch or dinner I sometimes preferred in "self service bar" - for a 30 kuai there was always a big pile of everything, for a 15-20 there was enough for ... ekhem... large person like me ;)
So You really can have budget of 50 kuai for a food even if You would like to eat ready-made dishes, not cook by yourself (that reduces this expenses by 50-70%)
Jul 07, 2012 04:48 Report Abuse
Damn right Sean, morons like DavidO are the reason why some negative views are held by Chinese people about we wai guo ren!
Shame on you DavidO!
Jul 06, 2012 21:16 Report Abuse
Yeh, I don't get why people like Davido even stay in China. In my experience visitors such as he are generally losers who can't pull a bird back home so they come here to get one by flashing their wallet and passport, make no effort to integrate or learn 'any' of the language, and then spend all their time whining that the Chinese are not the Spanish, or the English, or Americans, or whichever country you came from. I'm from England myself and I can tell you, if I found integrating into a new country as uncomfortable an experience as you seem to, i'd 'f.....ck off home', mate.
Jul 07, 2012 17:47 Report Abuse
yes,you can find an house less than RMB1000,but probablythere are only one Parlor and one living roon,one small Kitchen roon and boothroom.But first,you should familar with this area,otherwise,it will be more than RMB1000.If you need more information,you can leave me message.I appreciate I can help those wo needs help.I think most of Chinese have the habit of helping each other.
Jul 06, 2012 18:15 Report Abuse
you have dry bagels for breakfast 5 days a week? My god you poor child, you're worse off than 95% of Chinese living in Shanghai!
Jun 16, 2011 20:16 Report Abuse
I agree with you alex. No need to use the term Laowai.. Wai guo ren is the most polite way of, still, pointing out that I'm different than you. But especially in an English story, use foreigner or expat. And I disagree that you should use the word Laowai simply because it's recognized as a way to refer to foreign people. My racist grandfather used to call Asians "Chinks" so... since this is recognized as a way to refer to Asian people should I use it? Well, it is just as offensive to me to call me an "old outsider" (Laowai).
Jun 19, 2011 11:10 Report Abuse
this is common way to say foreigner as Laowai.Most of Chinese show polite manner to foreigner,also called laowai
Jul 06, 2012 18:04 Report Abuse
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