The 100RMB Challenge - Day 7

The last day.. For a late breakfast, I made a simple congee out of some left over rice and the remainder of the minced pork I bought yesterday.

For lunch and dinner, I also just used up whatever I had left in the fridge - vegetables, eggs, dumplings, chicken wings..

So I didn't end up spending any money. However, after dinner, I was feeling a bit celebratory, so I went down to the corner store and with the remaining money, bought some random cravings - a bottle of Coke, blueberry yoghurt, chocolate ice cream and some jelly candies.

So now that the challenge is over, what did I take away from this experience? Well, first of all, I was pretty amazed that I actually lasted the whole week. It did get a little tough half way through, and I probably don't want to eat another bowl of noodles for a while at least, but other than that, with a little determination, creativity, and patience, it was totally doable.

Second, I have a new perspective of daily living in China, and a new appreciation for the value of a dollar. You know the saying, "Do as the locals do". Well, I did, and it was fine, even enjoyable. And I actually discovered some new and interesting things along the way. In fact, I'll probably incorporate more of it into my daily routine.

Third, I found that living simply actually pushes your creative thinking - it's so easy to just pay for your happiness, but to create or do something meaningful out of little or nothing, that is a more interesting (and often more rewarding) prospect. It makes you open your eyes to new opportunities, and forces you to think of alternative ways of doing things.

This is not to say that I've been converted to a completely new way of life. In the end, I'm more than looking forward to getting back to my western restaurants, and taxis, and going out on the weekends. But perhaps from now on, I'll just be a little more conscious of my spending.

Ultimately, this challenge was just a reminder that you don't always need money to be happy..