Job Discussion Forums

[rap60]

ok, i realise this topic comes up a lot, so if you're bored move on and post your sarcasm somewhere else. my wife and i plan to move to Qingdao (got to aim at something) around July/August this year. I plan to have a teaching job in place etc etc. We have a 4 year old daughter and so the plan is for my wife to eventually (say after 2 months of settling in) find TESOL work that compliments my hours so we don't need to use kindegarten/play school facilities (unless we want to) Working on the average monthly salary of 6000/7000 rmb for me. Can my wife, daughter and I get by on 6000/7000 rmb until my wife starts working and/or i get private tution income. (assuming accommodation is supplied by the school of course) OK, to answer that I know you need to know how we live. Currently frugally as I lost my job of 21 years recently. i am a qualified chef and so we cook all our own meals (and would use the local markets to source ingredients) and would do so in China. we don't drink socially, sometimes a bottle of wine a week. We love a coffee out every now and then but can get by brewing our own for a while. We would need medical insurance in place but would have that set up before we leave australia. Anyone know how much gym fees are, say in Qingdao (ok I realise it may be an estimate) Gym membership is the one luxury we have maintained and would like to do so in China. So bottom line am I nuts to think we can eek out an existance/living on 6000/7000 rmb amonth for a few months till we both start earning. Thanks for taking the time to reply.

[Kysorb]

Assuming the apartment provided is decent enough, you could probably survive on 7k. Keep in mind that if your feeding 3 you won't be saving much, if any.

I live in Beijing, rarely cook at home, don't walk, etc etc, and I have trouble spending 3k on myself per month in living expenses. China is one of those wonderful places where you can live on 1000 a month or blow 1000 a day, its up to you.

A gym membership here at one of the 4 or 5 star hotels w/pool is about 2500 a year

My apartment is 3300 but that's another story.

Think carefully about packing up your family on this adventure though, I don't know about bringing your daughter. Remember that her social development is going to suffer when she cant talk to anyone and everyone stares at her...

[rap60]

thanks kysorb. well my daughter is 4. we all ready are home schooling. we adopted her from Guangzhou 2 years ago and she is familiar (through weekly classes) with mandarin words so we would be keen for her to socialise with local kids and learn mandarin/cantonese. I realise we wouldnt save anything in the months its just me working, but as long as its enough to live on thats great. i think it will be enough jus wanted some experienced peoples opinions. cheers

[The Ever-changing Cleric]

you can do it. cooking for three (esp. when one is a young child) isn't going to cost you much more than cooking for one. I cook but sometimes waste a lot since I eat alone and can't eat everything.

a salary of 6000-7000 and accommodation incl (any university job will offer the apartment) will allow you to live ok. the key is simply to control your spending urges and budget accordingly (no surprise there). I've seen through experience that the foreigners I know in China who seemed to be broke before every payday are the ones who live way beyond their means and don't think before spending. I live on a couple of thousand a month, live and eat well enough and don't want for too much. i bank the rest. the only time you'll need to dip into some savings is when you want to travel.

depending on where you end up gyms may not be that plentiful (never seen one where I live). but a decent university should have one you can use for free or for a modest fee. swimming pool as well. failing that, buy a set of dumb-bells and a bicycle.

should be a good experience for your family.

if you want any further advice or info, just send me a message and I'd be happy to help.

[choudoufu]

21 years experience? qualified chef?

why do you want to become a 'dancing monkey?'
that is, why teach engrish?

you've got a real skill. there should be opportunities
for an experienced chef in the larger cities (even some
of the smaller ones) to manage a western restaurant.
or teach western cuisine in one of the tourism management
schools. specialty pay gotta be better than for plain
vanilla engrish teachers.

[flyingscotsman]

7k a month can be tough in realistic terms. If you have savings make sure they are accessible while you are here. Remember you most likely won't collect a salary for 1-2 months until after you arrive.

Keep in mind you need to pay visa fees for the wife and kid - adds up quickly.

Qingdao has lots of foreign restaurants / beer gardens but don't expect a 5 star salary from any of them even if it's a 5 star place. Knowing that Australia is expensive life is cheaper here indeed.

Why shoot for 7k? Look harder for better paying gigs. University jobs give you more free hours but the salary is lower.

But keep in mind - inflation in China is high and the cost of living rises all the time. CHINA IS NOT CHEAP anymore. The only thing cheap is here is life ( for Chinese ).

[rap60]

thanks guys for your april 16 posts. to clarify, I am a qualified chef that is i have the equiv of a diploma in french cuisine. However the last 21 years I have worked in the glass industry which has involved travelling all over the world, i was laid off in 2010 and so have been looking for a change. Which is why i took a TESOL course and the rest is history. Who knows I may land a job in cheffing but am looking at teaching for now - who knows I may hate teaching, but until I try I wont know. And I might love it.

[xjgirl]

the main danger is how much stuff you're going to need to buy
for your apartment after you arrive. Most likely, a lot of stuff...

kitchen utensils, new bed-sheets etc, even the most basic stuff adds up
Since you're married to a woman, expect on NEEDING more than just the minimum basics

as for normal day-today cost, my partner and i tried to keep one month's living expenses under 5000rmb. I cook all meals at home. I even bake my own bread. we cycle everywhere. we don't spend any money on hobbies.
We FAILED

[xjgirl]

the main danger is how much stuff you're going to need to buy
for your apartment after you arrive. Most likely, a lot of stuff...

kitchen utensils, new bed-sheets etc, even the most basic stuff adds up
Since you're married to a woman, expect on NEEDING more than just the minimum basics

as for normal day-today cost, my partner and i tried to keep one month's living expenses under 5000rmb. I cook all meals at home. I even bake my own bread. we cycle everywhere. we don't spend any money on hobbies.
We FAILED

[xjgirl]

the main danger is how much stuff you're going to need to buy
for your apartment after you arrive. Most likely, a lot of stuff...

kitchen utensils, new bed-sheets etc, even the most basic stuff adds up
Since you're married to a woman, expect on NEEDING more than just the minimum basics

as for normal day-today cost, my partner and i tried to keep one month's living expenses under 5000rmb. I cook all meals at home. I even bake my own bread. we cycle everywhere. we don't spend any money on hobbies.
We FAILED

[Zero]

[xjgirl]

what happens if their fridge is too small?
What happens if their bed creaks?
what happens if they spend a 1000rmb a month on electricity because the aircons are too cheaply made?
And a thousand other possible variables...

Yes, you could buy something at a flea market..like a strainer or a spoon.
what about a coffee machine
an oven
baking equipment
and so on and so on


p/s regarding the expenses on food, i was just eating healthily

some people come on here and saw oh no but if you eat chinese, u can save blah blah blah

what is eating chinese?
a big bowl of dubious quality rice, with a 1 yuan bag of weeds picked from the side of the road and some tainted pork at 15 yuan a pound

no thanks

[rap60]

thanks XJgirl and zero. I have never lived in China. So I am reliant on information from those who have. I have travelled Asia extensively and to China 3 times. The basic feed back from this forum and private messages is that you can live quite well on the wage - as long as you put aside western expectations. My wife is looking to work too after a few months settling in, so we may be living on one wage for a month or 2 and supplementing from personal funds if necessary. I dont think that remark that I could find a lot else to worry about was meant to be ominous or was it?. i have been warned about a number of things - mainly bringing a child of 4 to China, adjustment issues etc. Our plan is for my wife to work in the kindy part-time that our daughter goes to - and we may have that gig already lined up. Our daughter was adopted from Guangzhou 2 years ago and so this is one way we can introduce her early to her birth culture (that is not the main reason for wishing to teach in China, but it is a good one) - yeah concensus seems to be that markets are the way to go if you want to live on a teaching wage of 5000rmb cheers Rob

[Zero]

Xjgirl: Definitely goes to show how cost of living can vary widely based on the person and individual standards/habits.

Rap60: Not meant to ominous. Just meant that as a family moving to China, there are a lot of things to think about, like obtaining health care, arranging child care and making sure that all family members are reasonably content. And if you stay several years, schooling is an important consideration.

The small stuff around the house need not cost you a lot, but yes, if you want to buy some bigger things like a decent coffee maker or an oven, you'll spend more. And of course, if you want to buy fancy and high-quality versions of things like curtains, you can spend a lot. Unless I planned to stay in China for many years, I would go with cheap versions of most things, with the exception of extension cords and small electrical appliances where there could be a fire hazard with the cheap ones.

[MisterButtkins]