Source: CRI
12-19-2008 14:48
When the financial crisis still lingering, people, especially white-collar workers, expect to cut their daily expenses to cope with the current global meltdown.
More and more white-collar workers in cities, like Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Shanghai and Beijing are changing their extravagant lifestyles for more thrifty ones in the face of the ongoing financial crisis.
They are responding to postings on popular on-line bulletin board communities which call on people to control their expenditure to 100 yuan from Monday to Friday, including costs relating to food, traffic, entertainment, shopping and sports.
Participants will record their expenses every day and post the records on on-line Bulletin Board communities where they can share their experiences with each other.
Miss Tang, a worker in a public service unit, left a message online saying that she used to go outside by taxi, and now she walks to her work place every day. The only cost for meals is for supper as she eats breakfast and lunch in the unit's dining hall. Her extra expenses are facility fees when she plays badminton with friends.
A netizen called Xinlang said she used to eat Thai rice, but now she eats mixed Thai rice and national rice which tastes just as good.
Another netizen says she used to go to special venues to exercise, but now she exercises in her office; takes a walk in the park; or even, does skipping or kicks a shuttlecock out in the open.
A netizen named Huilian, however, believes the campaign is suitable for singles, as he thinks singles always use up their monthly salary. The campaign will help them to control their lavish activities and arrange their incomes.
Jiaguaiguai, wrote in an on-line diary that participating in the 100-yuan-week campaign not only helps to save money, but also helps people to enjoy the satisfaction of living a thrifty life.
There are some other views from netizens. Some say that it will not be worth while if people spend less money on meals as this may cause malnutrition. Some believe that the campaign has some benefits, but people should not follow it blindly. People should adequately arrange their money for daily activities on a long term basis, not just in a campaign period such as this.
Financial experts believe that the focus of the 100-yuan-per-week campaign should not be strictly about spending only 100 yuan, the real benefit is that people can learn more about their weekly spending habits.
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Editor:Xiong Qu
