“We can provide you with blankets and pillows, but you must leave the store at 7 a.m. tomorrow.”
This is what an employee at Haidilao, a famous hotpot chain in Shanghai, China, said to customers who entered around midnight when business closed. There is a pot of boiling hotpot soup in the middle of the table, and customers use the restaurant’s restroom with their eyes glued to the bottom of the greasy table.
The U.S. Washington Post (WP) reported on the 24th (local time), “Many young people are using this restaurant, where you can sleep overnight in central Shanghai for the price of one meal.” He added that these people, who call themselves ‘ruthless thrifters’, are willing to sleep in restaurants to save money amid China’s economic downturn.
‘Blind box’ is popular in the food court of a shopping mall in Nanjing Road, Shanghai. This product, which is ordered online on a first-come, first-served basis, allows you to purchase two main dishes and two side dishes for less than $2.75 (3,700 won). However, you cannot know in advance what foods are included. Content that tells people how to live frugally is popular on local social media.
The 27-year-old blogger, who goes by the nickname ‘Devious Money-Saving Devil’, visits grocery stores during closing hours to save money on food and enjoys snacks made from pickled watermelon rinds. This blogger said, “I am saving the money I earned through online advertising (on my blog),” and “If I live like this for the next three years, I will be able to buy an apartment in Shenzhen, a huge city in southern China.”
WP said, “Chinese young people have endured China’s poor education system with the belief that their future wages will allow them to enjoy a better lifestyle than their parents and grandparents,” and “They appear to be still living a good life even amidst the economic crisis.” “There is pressure to be seen,” he analyzed. However, he said, “For some people, frugality is not just a way to save money,” and “rather, it is a way to escape the demands and expectations of China’s competitive workplace and school culture.”
In June of this year, China’s youth (16-24 years old) unemployment rate was 21.3%, the highest ever since statistics were compiled. The authorities do not even disclose youth unemployment rates for July and August. The dominant analysis is that worsening indicators are not disclosed due to concerns about public sentiment.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.