Hi Clare, how do you do?

After reading your post, I am going to have to tell you that any one of the jobs you take in Beijing will only allow you to live on a budget even if you don't really plan on saving too much money. You see the cost of food and daily items in China is so high now that even affording yourself a small luxury like a small pack of imported steak on regular trips to a bigger supermarket can run you an extra $10 U.S. dollars. You may also need to set money aside for clothes, cooking utensils, and a few electronics. Depending on the living conditions you might need to buy extra equipment for heating in the winter.

Let me just start by telling you that any "school" which has branches all over the city is not a public school. You may be advised that you will be teaching kindergardeners but you may be given a bait and switch. Earning 9000 rmb a month while busting your butt just as hard as you did back home working in a supermarket or a pastry shop isn't exactly a long vacation. You may not have a life working at this job.

As for the other gig, I wouldn't hedge on eating at the free cafeteria 3 times a day. I'll bet you'll get sick of it after 1 or 2 months and you will be dying to even get some KFC or Mickey D's. 5500rmb for that job with Jianhua will ensure that you will be eating at the street stands a lot more often, including on your birthday and holidays as a meager form of celebration.

Here's an example of a recent bill I had racked up while living in a city near Shanghai in 1 day.

Breakfast: 20 yuan (this was just eating at the food stands that are cheapest)

Lunch: 25 yuan (eating at a local Muslim Noodle shop with a couple of cheap dishes)

Dinner: Cooked myself and was over 30 yuan. I bought half a duck for 10 yuan, some grain bread for 2 yuan, shop dishes which ran to over 10 yuan, and some small beverages like milk and yogurt (just a cup or two). Also a small pack of sweet dessert.

If you're not careful, you can spend close to 100 yuan just on food eating outside every day! I wasn't even eating at any medium priced restaurants.

My advice to you would be too KEEP LOOKING. Beijing can always be reached via train or long distance buses and if you're really desperate you can save up a couple months worth of change and fly there. You don't need to live there to enjoy it. Most expats I speak to eventually get sick of the place and even end up hating China in general because of the experience. I would say try to find a job at a public sector (middle or high school with no more than 20 students per class) but you can try the International High Schools if you're willing to risk it, as long as you have the teaching certifications. Training centers are never a good bet and you shouldn't go to any university that's not a Top 50 school in China. Please tread carefully and make sure you get that Z Visa before landing in China. Good luck!