Queens, an area heavily populated by Chinese residents, is the fifth most expensive area to live in the United States. As the cost of living continues to rise, everyone is trying to be more creative and to save money with food, shelter, clothes and recreation. They want to lower the cost of maintaining their current standards of living.
In the area of food, everyone knows that they should eat out less and cook at home more in order to save money. However, there are other strategies. Mrs. Li, who lives close to St. John’s University, said that she shops at Chinese supermarkets and buys items that are on sale. Based on her experience, Chinese supermarkets not only have fresh products but also prices that are relatively cheaper than other ethnic supermarkets, especially for fruits and vegetables. Some supermarkets also discount fruits and vegetables at a set time at the end of the retail day if there is still produce left over, at which point the prices become even lower.
“If you pick the produce wisely, much of it is still fresh. It is better than the produce in other supermarkets,” she said.
Ms. Chang, who lives in Whitestone Bridge, is good at using coupons to buy everyday items. Every time she goes out shopping, she makes a list and then finds coupons for the items on sale. Items on sale can be had for very little money and sometimes for free. Some large supermarkets also use double coupons, which are even better deals. In addition, she compares store brands with more well-known brands, choosing the cheaper brand if the quality is not substantially different.
In terms of clothes, Ms. Lin takes advantages of each company’s return policy. If she sees something that she likes better or that is cheaper than something she has bought, she returns the clothes. Although salespeople occasionally give her a hard time, she is happy to save the money. Some companies are even offering price-adjustments and refunds to the customer if the merchandise they bought goes on sale later.
As for getting around, there are many strategies for that too. Ms. Liu lives and works in Flushing. In order to save money, and get exercise at the same time, she walks to work. Mrs. Chang, who travels between New Jersey and New York for work, buys her gas in New Jersey, where it is cheaper, and saves money.
When it comes to housing, many Chinese have opted to divide their houses into different apartments. Mr. Lin owns a two-family house in Elmhurst. He lives on the first floor and rents out the 2nd and 3rd floors as well as the basement. The incoming rents cover more than his monthly mortgage. In order to save money on entertainment, he’ll go to a matinee showing of a movie, or he’ll borrow books and DVDs from the library for free.
