Money

Once cheap, China has long become increasingly expensive. However, simply knowing where and how allows you to live well within your means.

Some things are inexpensive here and other seem to be more expensive. Sometimes it is hard to understand.

For example, I had my hair coloured, cut and blow dried and it cost me $43. The next time I went it to the same hairdresser and had exactly the same done and it cost me $65. In a hotel I paid $6 for a cup of coffee and I had an all you can eat buffet and that cost $14.

Some items are less expensive in Australia ie cameras and computers are best ordered in Oz and shipped back to China - the place they were first made. Ipod's are the same. I'm still trying to decide what I will do, ie buy an Ipod from OZ and ship it or just buy an MP4 player in China??? I will make my decision next week when I go to Jinan.

Every night we go to the same restaurant and have a great meal. The meal cost us somewhere between $1 - $2.

Overall things are less expensive here which is good for us when we are also earning Chinese wages. There is a thought out there that wages will increase so I'm taking an educated guess that we will soon be paying more for the items manufactured in China.