Cheap Thrills: Surviving Hong Kong on a Budget

Hong Kong Island, view from Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon

Money makes the world go round is quite true in a materialistic society such as Hong Kong, it is said that 6% among its adult population are millionaires and this figure is growing with soaring property prices. Coincidentally, Hong Kong is one of the best markets for luxury sport car maker Porsche, the other being Dubai. In Hong Kong, shoppers queue up a mile long for the Louis Vuitton's sale, prestige is EVERYTHING.

Imagine the challenge for an unemployed bum to live life on the cheap yet living within the expat circle, it's not easy but it is possible to tip toe around it.

Here's how I have been doing it:

1. Retail Therapy - Convert clothes/shoes/bag shopping to grocery shopping! Walking down the supermarket's aisle yield a whole new meaning when you are denied the luxury of real retail therapy, after all, who needs another Moschino t-shirt, Gucci dress, Armani underwear, Louboutin stiletto heels, another Louis Vuitton handbag? Seriously?!

Realistically now, grocery shopping can be so much fun when you make it to be, just imagine the fantastic gourmet you will cook up while browsing the many different food products on the shelves. Of course, it helps if you think cooking is an art and you love to eat, I do!

There are a few supermarket chains to choose from (even though most are owned by rival firms - Jardine Matheson Holdings and Hutchison Whampoa) - on my rich days I go to Citysuper or International to get my dose of foreign foods, on my normal days I grace the aisles of the local Park'n'Shop or Wellcome, on my strict budget days I check out Kai Bo Frozen Food Supermarket.

To make the experience last longer, make sure you check out every aisle, there is always something you will need in each supermarket aisle. Take your time while browsing, just like buying clothes, does the product looks good on my pantry? Should I get the large or the small pack? How many cans of chopped tomato do I need till the next time I shop again? See, grocery shopping is equally as sophisticated as clothes shopping...

2. Club Membership - Forget the expensive and snotty country clubs that are located miles away from the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong, I got mine by simply signing up with the Hong Kong Dog Rescue. When I first started out as a volunteer dog walker, little did I know it is really a club house filled with many cuddly, barking canines and volunteers in a situation similar to mine.

Like other clubs, this club requires its members to do some real exercise like walking the dogs (total body workout), cleaning the kennels (power lifting) or picking up poop (yoga). I got fit, made some good friends, get treated like a VIP by some dogs, and I feel good about myself - all while working out, what's more, membership fees is nada.

3. Cool Drinking Place - Anyone who has been to Felix's Bar on top of the Peninsula Hotel on Kowloon will attest to its million dollar view and steep pricing. It is possible to drink at a fraction of the price, think HKD12 bottle of beer (as oppose to paying HKD50), without compromising the fantastic view, by transporting yourself to the look-out by Star Ferry Pier in Tsim Sha Tsui.

There, you can stock up alcohol from 7-eleven, buy your favourite snacks at Okashi Land, wear whatever you feel like, then put your feet up and enjoy the view. Oh, the pier is also a good place for people watching if you fancy the touristy types and there is a public toilet nearby so you can drink more cheap alcohol. So what if you miss out on cool air-conditioned air? At least nobody is blowing smoke in your face and everyone else is sweating like a pig anyway. Now go and get me another bottle of Blue Girl, please?