How to save $$$s by drinking carefully

[madizi]

I think you've used an awful lot of words to say 'If you want to save money buy cheap things and take buses'. A list of prices for various products, and comparing expensive / cheap options will be useful, but the focus on saving is unnecessary I think.

You forgot water. You can save some cash by drinking water at water machines in your school and not buying it in store. At least when you have classes.

[heifeng]

You forgot water. You can save some cash by drinking water at water machines in your school and not buying it in store. At least when you have classes.

hahah, I was going to mention that...and yeah, sure if you have "classes"... the same thing with 粥~usually university cafeterias have it for free.

The same thing for Mcdonalds and TP.....

[imron]

Then, you can also scrounge around in bins to find plastic bottles and sell them to the recyclers

[heifeng]

Oh, yeah, make sure you know the people who buy scrap in your neighborhood in general...I try not to scrounge fore too many plastic bottles personally, but I do return the bottles I actually buy

[johnd]

Heifeng, how much do you get for scrap plastic bottles? Just out of interest

[heifeng]

To be honest, I never truly calculated (I just know the bigger bottles are worth more hehe). I am sure the local trash collecting peeps take a percentage, but usually when 1 garbage bag is full it amounts to about 5+ yuan, no matter if me or my Chinese friend return them.... I'll try to get an accurate per bottle number next time I return some:wink:

[kdavid]

Has anyone else noticed the recent craze for "Snow Beer" bottle caps? Apparently on some of them you can win money?

[heifeng]

hmm, I was not aware of that, however, I don't see that beer around as much as tsinghua or yanjing though. I did win 10 yuan once from scratching off my receipt at a restaurant...

[madizi]

Hmh, I was half serious about drinking water. I mean, if someone is from a country where tap water is potable, then buying water in China could be for him/her an additional expense. Doctors recommend that everyone should drink at least 2 liters of water per day. But China is very hot, so you need to drink more water. Let say that someone needs 3 liters per day. That's around 10 kuai per day (I don't know exact price of water, so maybe I'm wrong), around 300 in a month. Not to mention that you help to protect environment. But, of course, you need at least one bottle at home in refrigerator. So, not buying at least 2 liters a day can still save some money and environment.

[imron]

A big 19 litre bottle of water will set you back 5-10 kuai (including delivery). If you're cost-conscious regarding water, it's far more cost effective to be buying these instead of individual bottles, even taking into account the money you'd get back from recycling your empties.

[roddy]

I felt this deserved it's own thread

Where do you get 5Y water refills imron? Never saw them quite that cheap.

Also, has anyone calculated whether it's cheaper to go the delivered water route or boil tapwater? Assume you're using mains gas supply to boil the water.

[imron]

Where do you get 5Y water refills imron? Never saw them quite that cheap.

Where I used to live..... in Nandaihe

[madizi]

A big 19 litre bottle of water will set you back 5-10 kuai (including delivery). If you're cost-conscious regarding water, it's far more cost effective to be buying these instead of individual bottles, even taking into account the money you'd get back from recycling your empties.

Well, that's better, although I've never heard about this 19 litre bottles. Is it ordinary bottle in big format or special bottle which needs special "machinery" to use it?

[roddy]

That's a 水桶, fits on top of a water dispenser - usually only get them in offices in the UK, not sure about the rest of the world.

[imron]

That's the bottle that goes in a typical water-cooler, and is probably the kind you'd be taking water from if you were just getting it from your school. Although it's easier to use if you have a water-cooler, it's possible to make do without one if you're happy pouring out of 19 litre bottles (this can get tricky when they're full ).

[madizi]

Oh, i c, ordinary bottles for water coolers. That means that if I want to use this bottles, I also have to buy water cooler. Do you know the price of this machines? I don't want to use them without water cooler, of course. As you said, it can get tricky.

[cdn_in_bj]

That means that if I want to use this bottles, I also have to buy water cooler. Do you know the price of this machines?

You can get a simple one with just boiling function (no cooling) for under 200 RMB. Some water supply places give you the dispenser for free if you prepay for x number of jugs.

Also consider that buying water in the 1.5L bottles is not that much more expensive, around 2.5 RMB each. Ok, so it's like double the cost compared to the dispenser route, but still a lot cheaper than buying the small bottles on the street.

[gougou]

With some bargaining talent, your landlord shoud buy it for you. Mine did

[roddy]

It's a hell of a lot more hassle though - nothing worse (except maybe famine. Plague. Etc.) than waking up in the morning and realizing there's no water . . .

The cheap water dispensers are ok if you just want hot water, but the cooling function might be just a fan. You really want with a proper refrigeration unit cooling the water if you are going to use it for cold water.

[madizi]

Of course, 1.5 L are cheaper as everywhere in the world (I think......). But there is still a lot of used plastic. A lot more than in case of 19 L bottles.

Is it a lot more expensive if a water dispenser also has water cooler? What about dispenser that just has tap and no hot/cool option (room temperature)?