The school will probably provide you with a fridge and gas hob. If you want to buy a small oven and microwave that will come out of future savings so you will need to price that up. It's probably better to not cook for yourself but rely on the slop the working Chinese eat at a maximum of 4 yuan a meal. But msny meals should only cost you two yuan in the street. Always take a flask and fill it with free water when you can. Nip in to KFC's but don't buy, rather steal the sauce sachets- enter their toilets and empty their soap dispensers into your own container.

Wait for students to buy you stuff- you are doing them the favour not the other way around.

Never accept an invitation to KTV, otherwise you will start smoking like a chimney and drinking like a fish.

Make sure any girlfriend buys her own noodles. You are doing her the favour of free English lessons, so accept all payments from her.

You should be able to support yourself on 800 yuan a month.