Challenge yourself—Could you bathe using one gallon of water? I’ve done it. Hint—gravity plays a part. Get creative with how you do things and see how much money you can save.
Just because it’s cheap—doesn’t mean you need it. I’m trying to get over this mindset here in China. There are soooo many cute stores here (MiniSo, KKV, nameless MiniSo/KKV wannabe across from Robinson’s Galleria) but I’m doing my best to look, not buy. If you can’t resist, don’t look or go online to buy anything.
Consider a WFH job—Consider getting a remote/work from home job to cut down on commuting costs. Your mental health is important, so if you really don’t thrive in an office environment, think about leaving it. Of course, if you get distracted by the piles of trash and laundry sitting around, this might not be such a good idea. You’ll be saving commute time as well as clothing costs.
Ride the bus—I don’t know why it took me such a long time to ride the bus and subway when I moved to Xiamen for the second time, but I’m thrilled that I can get to work for literally pennies. A bus ride round trip from my house to work is less than 28 cents American because I put money on a bus pass, which gives me a discount. If I took a Didi, it would run me anywhere from $7-10 USD round trip. So less than 28 cents versus at least $7? Yeah, no brainer there. Yes, it takes a bit more time to wait on the bus, and to walk to and from the bus stop. But saving $7-10 a day is worth it.
Sorry, no cheapskate tips this week. My cat died. And I feel terrible about it.
My cat died this past week. I’m all sorts of feels right now.
I couldn’t afford to take her to China. I felt really guilty about that. However, a friend of mine is great with animals and I asked if she would foster Summit. I was confident that I’d see Summit again.
I remember rescuing her years ago when I was out delivering phone books. She was in someone’s driveway. Across the road there was an abandoned trailer, and several hundred yards back, an abandoned house. Filled with cats.
I wasn’t in great financial shape, but felt I could give her a better home than what she had. I took this very hungry kitten home and bottle-fed her.
From the start, she liked being on top of things. She climbed on top of my dog’s teddy bear. Soon, she would crawl all the way up my body, to perch on my head. Summit was the logical name. Unusual, but fitting.
At first, Summit and my dog, Daphne, clashed. I felt bad for Daphne, who probably thought it would just be us after my mom died. I tried to make her understand. My house, though not big, had enough room so they could each have their own space. Eventually they tolerated each other enough to share my bed.
Friends at last!
She sensed before trips that I was going somewhere.
When Daphne passed, I didn’t sense a change in Summit. Years prior, a friend had come over. I went out in the backyard for something. When I came back in, my friend told me Summit had been crying for me. I never would have known that, because cats being cats, I got one of the anti-social ones. She’d jump on the piano, and we’d boop noses. On my way back, she’d lash out at me.
Honestly, I was a little bit afraid of her.
One day, when I returned home, I found Summit acting strange. A trip to the vet didn’t help, but from that day on, she was different. I was never able to pick her up again. Baffled, I wondered if I’d done anything wrong.
The day came when I took her to my friend’s house before I left for China. I felt really, really guilty. When I was in China, my friend said she was concerned about Summit. I was concerned too. But I didn’t want her to be taken to the shelter. There was enough disruption in her life; I wanted her to live with someone great with pets. Summit spent most of her time in my friend’s basement. Still better than roaming out in the wild, or with someone I didn’t know. I asked my friend to be patient. Summit went from a house with one human and one dog to a much larger house with one human and several dogs and cats. It would take time for her to adjust. As long as she had shelter, food, and water, she’d be fine. Especially since she had a place she could be alone if she wanted.
She finally came upstairs. Photo by Lorie C.
More exploring. Photo by Lorie C.
Sleeping in the sun. Photo by Lorie C.
I still felt guilty.
Not so long ago, Summit developed a health situation. Used to having long-lived pets, I assumed she’d live as long as Daphne, who passed at a little over 17 years.
Summit wouldn’t be as lucky.
At least she wasn’t alone when she passed.
But I’m all sorts of feels right now. Happy that my friend took her in. Happy that she had room to be alone if she wanted. Happy she had good care. And happy that eventually, she made her way up the stairs. And that she would poke her nose in the refrigerator whenever my friend opened it.
I’m also sad. Sad that I couldn’t afford to take her with me. Sad at feeling afraid of her. Sad about a lot of things.
Mad at myself, as well.
I have never had a pet while in China. I felt it would be unfair to have one here, when I couldn’t even care for the one I had to leave at home.
And it’s hard enough to care for myself.
Rest in peace, Summit. I’m sorry. I loved you. I really did.
I’m on quite a few Facebook groups and I’m seeing some alarming things coming from the states, but what else is new, right? Namely, about the cost of living. Everything seems out of control from a price point. The Facebook groups don’t want any politics discussed, but it’s a bit hard to keep away from that with what’s going on. The powers that be don’t care about you. They don’t want you to get ahead, they want you to keep doing what you’re doing—barely keeping your head above water. Because if you don’t, you might start to wonder just exactly what’s going on.
And you might do something about it, if all the medication you’re on didn’t make you so lethargic.
But I’ve come to the conclusion that if you do want things to be different for you economically, you’re really going to do things that are radically different from before. They might even seem un-American. But do you want to be a Frugal Ninja for a few years, or live like this the rest of your life?
I’m here to help. You’re welcome.
Move Overseas
It’s not for everyone, but if you want an adventure, give it a shot. I’ve had a rough time of it, honestly. However, I’m thankful that I’m doing it and still doing it. A lot of people would have given up, but I’m stubborn. I also managed to pay off four bills within a year. Then Covid hit. Don’t worry that you don’t have a teaching degree, or a teaching license. As long as you have a bachelor’s degree of ANY kind, and a 120 hour TEFL certificate, you’re employable. Check out Dave’s ESL Café for jobs. I had six emails within 24 hours. Then, six emails after that. And so forth.
Kindergarten positions are probably the most common, but after you get here and work for a couple years, more positions will open up. In the smaller cities, you can have a two bedroom apartment for around $400. Transportation is around 14 cents per bus ride. And the subway to get where I hang out a lot is $1.50 round trip. As a result, I’m saving anywhere between $1500 and $2000 a month. Yes, you read that right. If you’re already a teacher in the states, you have an advantage over pretty much everyone else. And of course, the more credentialed you are, the better job opportunities you’ll have.
Free Toilet Paper and Soap
Are available at public restrooms. Just sayin’.
Think about what makes you happy
During the early days of the pandemic, I had a LOT of time to think about what I wanted in life. I suggest you do the same. It might take several sessions, as we don’t have the luxury of quarantine anymore. But whenever you have a spare moment, think about what you want your working and personal life to look like. What sort of work makes you happy? If you can’t do it full-time, try to see if you can do it as a side hustle. I know I love to work with words, so I’m trying to make that happen. In the meantime, I have a job, so for now all is well.
Side Hustle
Is there something you’d rather be doing for a living? See if you can do a side hustle of it first. That will help you see if your side hustle could be a viable career, or a passing fancy (calling all you ADHD folks out there!) that you get bored with. Check out any legal things, like liability insurance, health codes, how to file taxes, etc.
I have a cold, but this one is different. It came on quickly.
In China, I’ve noticed my colds come on gradually. I start to feel bad, and the symptoms creep up: exhaustion, headache, a bit of coughing, and sneezing, usually on a daily basis. It’s a four day preview.
Not this time.
It was BOOM Thursday cold, Friday lots of runny nose and congestion. Saturday, more of the same, but not as bad.
I did manage to slog to the pharmacy and get some medicine, then I went for my five years in China celebration dinner, which was fabulous as usual.
I also spent a bunch at Wal-mart. Didn’t really intend to do that, but whatever. Looking forward to a shrimp dinner. Maybe later on day (depending on energy levels) or maybe sometime this week.
So right now, I’m nice and cozy in bed after stepping out for a few things. Living alone in China without a car means grocery shopping sometimes happens a few days a week. Being able to get everything at one store is a bit tough. I can see why people go shopping every day, but I still shop like an American.
Anyway, I’ve got my meds mixed into my tea. Happy Sunday!
P.S. Here’s my five year Chinaversary video, set to Rachel Platten’s “Fight Song.” It’s been a tough road, but I don’t regret coming here. Enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zzuOqV3DJI
Have no idea what I’m talking about? Check out part one here and part two here.
The Quick Slice–Yet another 90 Day Fiance commentary channel. This is another guy doing the talking, but I like his comments and style. He seems to have clips that I have never seen before. I’m too cheap to pay for a streaming service, but these commentary channels give you all you need to know about these garbage couples. Check out The Quick Slice here.
The Crown–Speaking of garbage couples, this Netflix show highlights (and lowlights) the house of Windsor. The Royal family is just as fucked up as anyone’s family is, they just have PR flacks and the media to deal with in a world where if you are a celebrity, you have no privacy. I respect Queen Elizabeth’s work ethic–they don’t them like her anymore. Her husband bit off more than he could chew, but whatever. Their kids on the other hand? They’ve produced some of Britain’s best drama since Shakespeare. Watch the official trailer here.
TCaP where are they now?–Sex-starved men are hilarious. This Dateline NBC segment hosted by Chris “why don’t you have a seat” Hansen lives on with various commentary channels, especially one by Mista GG which was epic (and I’ve talked about that in an earlier post.) See where these creeps are now by clicking here. The link is for a short video about the guy who needed a shower, but not the “kinda stinky” guy, the other one.
Watch Mojo/Ms Mojo–Not very intellectual channels full of video top ten lists of all sorts of television shows, movies, scenes, and what have you. Watch Watch Mojo here. Ms. Mojo is the female-centric equivalent. Check it out here.
So I wrote something about my five week vacation recently and I received a ton of impressions.
Here’s the post, in its entirety:
If you had a five week vacation, what would you do?
Lots of people would probably not work.
They might set off for distant locations; take that European vacation, or rent an RV and drive around the United States.
None of those were options for me, but I worked.
The difference is, I worked for myself.
I really did feel like I would take it easy this winter break from school. I got a lot accomplished during summer break, but I would do what I wanted this winter break.
But I still got a lot accomplished.
I relaxed, make no mistake about that. I did things on my own time, and frequently my first meals of the day were insanely late. So were lunches. I obeyed my own circadian rhythms, unchained by no alarm clocks for weeks.
And yet, I got a lot done. Housework, reading, writing, watching videos, taking steps toward my professional future, making contacts, exploring, eating good food, getting lots of exercise, and swimming.
It was so satisfying to cross things off my to-do lists.
And my time off is winding down, and I’m gearing up for the next semester.
But I surprised myself on this vacation. I wanted to save money, so I didn’t go anywhere. I’ve learned I can save money by waiting. I might be a bit inconvenienced, but I’ve learned to work with that too.
My way of thinking has shifted too. For the better.
Would it have been awesome to spend five weeks in Hong Kong? Sure.
But my five weeks were awesome anyway because I saw progress, both in myself and my city of Xiamen.
This is the fourth year in a row I wasn’t exactly sure when Chinese New Year’s Eve was. I know there’s no excuse for it.
But New Year’s isn’t exactly happy for me. It’s never been one of my favorite holidays for some reason. I usually spend it at home, cleaning. Even when I was younger and should have been having fun, my friends didn’t want to spring for New Year’s tickets for any of our local venues, and I was too much of a pussy to go alone. And my friends didn’t really throw parties. New Year’s Eve was cleaning day.
So I decided to go out New Year’s Eve—the western one. I figured the night would be uneventful without crowds, but boy I was wrong. I went to Zhongshan Road, where thousands of other people decided to go to.
And it was nice. People seemed in a good mood, the stores were open, and a big screen showed the countdown. I got teary-eyed. I usually do, hoping that the new year would actually be new and better.
But getting home that night was a multi-hour ask. The subways shut down at 12:30 a.m. Because of that, I couldn’t get a Didi (Chinese Uber) until around 4:30 a.m. I’d walked and walked, and thought I might attempt walking home. Then, I thought I’d just walk a few hours and call a Didi.I had the added thrill of wondering if my cell phone battery and power bank would last long enough to eventually summon a Didi. And it did.
But it was nice to see that even at a super late hour, people were still up. I was surprised that people were celebrating western New Year’s. And it was nice.
I’d been off a few weeks for winter break, so my calendar was off. There was even one week where I wasn’t quite sure what day it was. I keep a journal, but somehow I’d lost a day. But soon I was back on track. I’d expected I wouldn’t do much over my break. I was exhausted from the previous semester, but only five days in, I was starting to work on stuff.
Cleaning my apartment was one of the several things I wanted to accomplish. A little at a time, I was getting stuff done. I bought planners, one for school, one for personal matters. I got into the habit of writing things down that I needed to do, then checking them off when I was done. I also had my trusty list which I filled with tasks large and small. It kept me motivated. And I ended up doing a lot more than I thought I would.
So Chinese New Year caught me by surprise. I had stayed home a good part of the week, and decided to go out shopping Friday for more cleaning supplies and some groceries. I was in one store, dubbed “Store of Weirdness” (see video here) to look for a decent scraper for my stove and range hood. I was approached by a employee, and I couldn’t understand what she was saying, but then I noticed the shutters in the front pulled down. Ooops! They were closing I guess. So I apologized and went to the front and paid. I went to the grocery store to get fancy lettuce and blue cheese to make an apple pecan chicken salad. I was about to leave when I thought I should see if they had Granny Smith apples. They aren’t a popular apple here in China, but wonder of wonders, they did. YAAAAAAS! I had pecans at home. Not sure how edible they would be, but even if they weren’t, there was a store downstairs that carried them. But I noticed Olé was closing early too. I thought I’d stop by Subway to get a sandwich, because I’d barely eaten all day.
But I was too late. Robinson’s Galleria front doors were locked. And it dawned on me that this was probably Chinese New Year’s Eve. I hoped the trains would still be running. They were, so I went home. I walked home from the subway station on a deserted sidewalk.
I felt comfortable with what I’d accomplished this past week, and today. I got nearly everything on my list. Time to relax. So Chinese New Year’s Eve was spent binging the first season of The Handmaid’s Tale. The explosion of fireworks at midnight reminded me it was the Year of the Dragon.
Maybe next year I’d remember. I looked it up just to be sure. Tuesday, January 28. Maybe I’d go somewhere to see a fireworks display in person, instead of watching from my balcony.
The last blog post was a little longer than normal, and so will this one, probably. Here are a few more YouTube channels that I enjoy.
90 Day Dumpster Fire
90 Day DumpsterFire: There are several videos on this channel, and they have a theme. They mostly concentrate on 90 Day Fiancé, but some of them also cover other subjects, like 2010 television moments. These clips range from 5 to 15 minutes covering the stars of 90 DF, studded with hilarious edits. There’s a 90 DF “villains” video, creepiest men, scenes that live rent-free in the creator’s head, and so forth. If you’re a 90 Day Fiancé fan, you’ll love this channel. This is another channel I fall asleep to.
Arthur TV
Arthur TV: Arthur is a nice young chap from England who offers some very spot-on interpretations of the 90 Day Fiancé nuts. It’s refreshing to see content creators who have a better sense of what a good relationship is than the idiots on the show who are twice Arthur’s age. Arthur covers entire episodes of several couples. He has a very pleasant voice and it’s nice to hear his armchair psychiatrist analysis of why these people act the way they do, and why the relationships don’t work. Check out Arthur’s channel.
Your Wet Sock
Your Wet Sock: Las Vegas native Nick also offers a great insight to 90 Day Fiancé “actors” and calls them out on their bullshit with hilarious edits. Like Arthur TV, Nick has great delivery. Even if you have never seen a single episode of this show, Nick and Arthur give a brief rundown of each couple, so you get a sense of who these idiots are. And this show makes me glad I’m single. Nick gives out good vibes, even if sometimes says something his fans don’t like. He, like Arthur, has a good head on his shoulders for being young, and you get the sense they wouldn’t make the mistakes people twice his age are making for the world to laugh over and make content about. Check YWS out here.
Sixteen Leo
Sixteen Leo: Based in Australia, Sixteen Leo keeps it real. Originally from South Africa, he offers another international perspective about the show, and frequently calls out Shaun Robinson, a favorite target for the previous content creators I’ve mentioned. One regular criticism of Shaun is always sticking up for the American half of the couple, and not giving the foreign have time to talk, or not wanting to hear about whatever problem is going on. He, like YWS, punctuates his videos with funny edits, sound effects and visuals. Check out Sixteen Leo here.
The Quick Slice
The Quick Slice: Another 90 Day Fiancé content creator. His videos always leave me wanting more. I’ve only recently discovered TQS because I’ve watched Arthur TV, YWS and Sixteen Leo so much, I’ve been wanting fresh content. Maybe TQS isn’t exactly fresh content, because I happen to like the classic 90 Day couples, but I’m hopeful to see some new commentary on a familiar couple I’ve already seen on the other channels. TQS is still very worth checking out if you’re a 90 Day Fiancé junkie like me.
Missed the first part of this series? Check out my first post on YouTube creators I like here.
No, this isn’t the end of it. I have more channels I want to talk about, and you’ll see that next week.
No Way! Laowai! 
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