Boy, oh boy!
I am a simple woman who has very few vices, but nothing quite sends my body into absolute ecstasy like the way spending money does. I love it, but it is a guilty pleasure that I have rarely been able to act on. If I had chosen my life, I would be an oil heiress. Every morning I would be woken up to the tune of Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No 3, a live orchestra, of course, would play this. I would be assisted by a team of servants in tasks ranging in everything from bathing to studying for exams. I would gargle with Chanel No 5 and I would eat diamonds for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
That is in theory, but in reality, I am a penny-pinching college student. I count my daily wages as I earn them and assign them to strictly budgeted categories. My daily regiment includes looking for opportunities to save money, and I always worry about unexpected expenses. I am no heiress, but I am me, so that is close enough. You could imagine my delight when I learned that 1 United States Dollar equals approximately 7.06 Chinese Yuan, I was ecstatic. I felt that it would be the first time in my life where I would be able to live comfortably, and I was right.
Expectations vs. Reality
I have grown to love many things about China, but I love their bargaining culture the most. So much so that I literally try to bargain for everything and it works sometimes. As a foreigner, I think that merchants always decide to charge you more because they assume that you have more money. They seem to size a person’s finances up by their physical appearance, and everyone gets different prices.
If I were a merchant, I would take full advantage of this, but as a financially savvy college student, it is one of my favorite games to play. My first bargaining experience was at Hongqiao Market (Pearl Market). I thought that I had done my research; I had watched Youtube videos from bargaining masters such as Collin Abroadcast. I truly believed that I was ready to bargain against those shop owners, and boy was I wrong. I was finessed; I had failed Collin.
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Winner Winner Chicken Dinner
It’s easy to get distracted once you enter the market, all of the shop owners are vying for your attention, and you feel like a celebrity. Shop owners tell you that you are beautiful, sexy and every other compliment from the book. They start with unreasonable prices, such as 500RMB (~$70) for a shirt, I had no experience haggling so I thought that asking for less than half the cost would be a right amount to pay 200RMB (~$28). I was so wrong, at the time I had little understanding of the exchange rate, but once I got hme, I realized how much I had paid.
Next time would be different. I would be ready! They started with the usual compliments, “oh, you’re so pretty,” “oh, you’re so sexy,” but I ignored it. I was only concerned about the price. I wanted to purchase an “I love Beijing” shirt. She started around 500RMB (~$70) for a shirt. I scoffed in her face. I countered to her price with 10RMB (~$1), she looked disgusted at my offer, and I almost burst out laughing.
We went back and forth with the pricing, and we settled on 25RMB (~$3), I had finally won! This power was new to me, and I was able to spend money while also under the impression that I was saving money. I was immediately addicted; I went around the market, racking up deals. I would even bargain for my friends who had joined me at the market. This was one of my most memorable experiences in Beijing, and I would gladly return to the country to cure my bargaining fix.