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Not every foreigner who lives in China is

living it up on an expat contract. Do you know how to live a local life?

Love the freebies.

Always go for the free amenities in hotels, take some condiment packets from the fast food joints, free

tours, and consider free samples at Costco. There are always somewhere that something is offered for free which you would have to spend money purchasing it,

do not hesitate going for it such as free tickets to watch a movie, or free lotions and soaps at hotels.

Point to note is that be careful only to take the genuinely free giveaways and avoid illegally taking

items that are not meant for you because it can land you in trouble.

Eating Street Food

Do you want to be part of the community? There is no better way than indulging in

some of the delicacies prepared along the streets. Lower your guards down or better

still get out of your different high horse and just enjoy a snack with the locals and have

fun with it.

The meals can range from an egg, pancake, BBQ skewers or even hot soy milk. It is not

a big deal, and it doesn’t reduce you, instead it’s a big measure of character, how you trust the locals and how they can trust

you back.

While at it, it saves you money plus you will start getting more favors from the community

since you are part of them and not an outsider. Western food is always pricier even way higher

than in the west and therefore if you can survive without real Italian pasta, sandwich or coffee, you will save yourself some bucks. But

not to worry since China has good food.

Ride the bus

If you want to cut the costs as much as possible, the ride a bus for intercity travel, the bus and boats are always cheaper compared to the planes and trains. The bus is also the perfect way to tour the city since

when you see something that intrigues you; you simply get off at the next stop, fed your eyes the get

back to the bus and keep moving.

Learn how to HAGGLE!!!!

Many foreigners are ripped off when they purchase goods in China. Expats in China must always

remember that bargaining in China is considered fine art; hence, one should learn one or two tricks of the

trade before deciding on buying.

The rule of thumb is the product always around 20-30% the asking price, so bargain with that

understanding and if the seller doesn’t budge starting walking away and they come running to you.

Ride a bike or take a cheap train!

The subways are great hence buy or rent a bike and have some fun exercise while mingling on the wheels with other locals. With the unbelievable traffic jams in the main cities of China, a bicycle might be just what

you need to save you the nightmare of the rich car life while giving you a taste of what’s local.

Also, China’s trains are everything, modern, super affordable, stylish, comfortable and most importantly

fastest. Why would you miss an opportunity of enjoying such greatness while saving some bucks

while at it?

BonusClick on the link below to read the full blog post.

https://blog.laowaicareer.com/living-like-local-expat-life-china/

LaowaiCareer.comblog.LaowaiCareer.com

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