How to save money while teaching english in China?
All have different purposes of teaching english in China. Quite a few want to save enough money. Here are some tips.
- Do a part-time job
Actually almost all schools’ contracts will state part-time job or private tutoring is not allowed during the contract period. However, for public schools, international schools and universities, they usually don’t intervene, as long as you arrange everything well and do your full-time job well. For training centers, they don’t want you to do private tutoring especially when the students’ age is similar to what you will be teaching at their centers, that will affect the training centers’ enrollment rate. Therefore, if you teach at a public school, you could do a part-time job during your evenings and weekends. It could be private tutoring, recruiting models for a school and etc.
- Choose a less expensive city
A lot of foreigners like to work and live in a metropolitan city like Shanghai. It is good for sure, but it needs more money to live a good life. The pay might be high, but if your employer doesn’t offer a free apartment, it will be difficult for you to find a nice apartment below 3000rmb. Even though they provide free apartment, a monthly pay of 20000rmb couldn’t compare to a 15000rmb job in a smaller city. In a big city, there are to many things that attract you to spend money. If you want to save more money, working and living in a small city is the best choice. Some small cities could even offer a higher pay than those expensive big cities.
3.Live like a local Chinese
It’s always cheaper for a local Chinese to live in China, even though when they earn no more than 5000rmb a month. Since they usually eat Chinese food and cook a lot. Western foods are and drinks are evidently more expensive in China. Now that you have decided to come to China for teaching and want to learn more about Chinese food culture, why not try to live like a Chinese? That’s the best way to experience everything and help you understand better about the country and the way of their life. If you cook everyday, it is easy to live under 3000rmb every month. Eating outside sometimes is also fine.
- Work overtime
All schools will offer overtime pay, and it is mentioned in the contract you will sign. Some schools don’t arrange many classes every week, so you have the free time to do extra classes for extra pay, and the overtime pay is usually higher than what you are earning by hour.
5. Use Your Points Credit Card
This is the same for anyone travelling abroad or living abroad; racking up points on credit cards is a great way to save/make some extra money. This is especially useful for teachers moving to China because when you fly to and from the country, you’ll likely have to pay for your ticket upfront and then you’ll be reimbursed by the school when you complete your contract. This is the perfect way to gain some valuable points without actually having to pay for anything! Use your best flight points credit card to pay for your return flight, as well as any other expenses that you can charge while you’re teaching in China. This can add up significantly and really fatten your savings after a full year of teaching!
- Limit Your Expenses
This one may not be as exciting as the other points on this list, but it’s an important one. Luckily, as mentioned earlier, the cost of living in most Chinese cities is very low. You can still eat meals out with friends almost every day, go to parties, and enjoy lots of beer and fun times, but it’s still a good idea to limit your spending. While restaurants and street stalls are very cheap in China, some bars and night clubs charge very high prices for beers and meals. A night out in China can still cost you $100 or more if you’re not careful. You can also limit your expenses by buying yourself a bicycle. Taxis are of good value in China, but the costs still add up. If you can ride your bike to class every day instead of taking a taxi or a bus, you’ll save a lot of money in the long run, plus you’ll get some exercise.
In conclusion, China is an affordable country and you can live extremely comfortably, while putting some money away for future travels. No matter where you decide to cut back your spending,one item you shouldn’t scrimp on is your apartment. This will be your home for a year and you’re going to want to be comfortable. If you want to save $10,000 or more teaching in China, you can use the tips above to help you on your way. While we did list a few spending restrictions, there’s no need to limit your lifestyle completely. Teaching in China is an amazing experience and you should spend some money and treat yourself to an incredible life while you’re there.