Couple saves 90% of income, but at a cost
Source: Xinhua |
October 18, 2012, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
A COUPLE who spend only 11 percent of their monthly wages have become a hot Internet topic among young Chinese.
In an online post, Guo Hao said he and his wife, both in their 20s, save the majority of their income.
"My wife and I earn 9,000 yuan (US$1,428) a month together. We only spend 1,000 yuan monthly and save about 90,000 yuan in a year," wrote Guo, living in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province.
The post drew a huge response online and questions about how he managed it. Guo published a detailed report of his family expenses to show how.
Guo, a state-owned enterprise employee, and his wife, a nurse, have lunch provided by their employers, buy discounted food when supermarkets are about to close and visit their parents' on weekends.
They bought a small apartment with a loan covered by a government housing fund, meaning there is no extra expense. They live near work, which saves on transport costs, and buy clothes from street vendors and online shops.
The Chinese are known for saving. However, driven by soaring rents and other living expenses, many young city-dwellers in China find it hard to save money. A nickname, "moonlight tribe," has been created for such people whose pockets are empty at the end of every month.
Guo's saving strategy has been the source for discussion. At Sina Weibo alone there are more than 480,000 entries on the topic.
Although many appreciated their lifestyle and have tried their ideas, some argued it is too extreme and comes at the cost of quality of life.
"What's the point of making money, if you can not enjoy a better life?" wrote a microblogger named BeipiaoEzu. "It is so exhausting to plan every expense meticulously just to save some money."
Xu Bin, 30, working at a state-owned enterprise in Beijing, told Xinhua that he spends about half of his 10,000 yuan monthly salary toward upkeep of three horses and goes riding almost every weekend.
Although his hobby leaves him short of money, Xu plans no change. "I am living a life I enjoy and don't want to sacrifice what I like for a number in a bank account," he said.
Others also question whether it is appropriate to rely on parents so much. "Dinners at the parents' house every weekend?" said microblogger Heideshanliang. "It is a bit shameful for adults, who are supposed to support their parents, to still depend on them financially."
In an online post, Guo Hao said he and his wife, both in their 20s, save the majority of their income.
"My wife and I earn 9,000 yuan (US$1,428) a month together. We only spend 1,000 yuan monthly and save about 90,000 yuan in a year," wrote Guo, living in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province.
The post drew a huge response online and questions about how he managed it. Guo published a detailed report of his family expenses to show how.
Guo, a state-owned enterprise employee, and his wife, a nurse, have lunch provided by their employers, buy discounted food when supermarkets are about to close and visit their parents' on weekends.
They bought a small apartment with a loan covered by a government housing fund, meaning there is no extra expense. They live near work, which saves on transport costs, and buy clothes from street vendors and online shops.
The Chinese are known for saving. However, driven by soaring rents and other living expenses, many young city-dwellers in China find it hard to save money. A nickname, "moonlight tribe," has been created for such people whose pockets are empty at the end of every month.
Guo's saving strategy has been the source for discussion. At Sina Weibo alone there are more than 480,000 entries on the topic.
Although many appreciated their lifestyle and have tried their ideas, some argued it is too extreme and comes at the cost of quality of life.
"What's the point of making money, if you can not enjoy a better life?" wrote a microblogger named BeipiaoEzu. "It is so exhausting to plan every expense meticulously just to save some money."
Xu Bin, 30, working at a state-owned enterprise in Beijing, told Xinhua that he spends about half of his 10,000 yuan monthly salary toward upkeep of three horses and goes riding almost every weekend.
Although his hobby leaves him short of money, Xu plans no change. "I am living a life I enjoy and don't want to sacrifice what I like for a number in a bank account," he said.
Others also question whether it is appropriate to rely on parents so much. "Dinners at the parents' house every weekend?" said microblogger Heideshanliang. "It is a bit shameful for adults, who are supposed to support their parents, to still depend on them financially."
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