In the case of thriftiness, they could be that of Jewish or just about any race. Many 'rags to riches' successful entrepreneurs have these thrifty habits. Like the Malay saying, 'sedikit sedikit, lama lama jadi bukit' (or bit by bit, slowly it becomes a hill), it makes sense to save whenever possible. For any item that is re-usable, you would have saved on buying a new one. If an item is available in an ordinary grocery shop, why buy from a convenience shop? Other than occasional events, daily food and drinks from an ordinary restaurant (Economy rice) saves on the service charges and tax.
To youngsters who are likely to laugh out loud over this, spend any way you want if it is money you earn yourself, otherwise, you could be spending hard earned money of your parents!
What makes Chinese CHINESE!
1. You unwrap gifts very carefully, so you can save and reuse the wrapping (and especially those ribbons). (thrift)
2. When there is a sale on toilet paper, you buy 100 rolls and store them in your closet or in the bedroom of an adult child who has moved out. (because cheap, non perishable and saves on future trips or one less off the shopping list)
3. You keep a Thermos of hot water available at all times. (no longer true but if so, habit from old days when boiling water was a chore)
4. You save grocery bags, tin foil, and tin containers. You use the grocery bags to hold garbage. (thrift)
5. You hate to waste food:
(a) Even if you're totally full, if someone says they're going to throw away the leftovers on the table, you'll finish them. (Your mom will give a lecture about starving kids in Africa ).
(b) You have Tupperware in your fridge with three bites of rice or one leftover chicken wing.
(you will appreciate this when you have pets to feed)
6. You don't own any real Tupperware - only a cupboard full of used but carefully rinsed margarine tubs, take out containers, and jam jars. (thrift)
7. You have a collection of miniature shampoo bottles that you take every time you stay in a hotel. (kiasu)
8. You wipe your plate and utensils or wash them in a small basin of hot water before you eat every time you go to a restaurant. (sensible)
9 . You own a rice cooker and a slow cooker (why not?)
10. You wash your rice at least 2-3 times before cooking it. (sensible)
11. You fight (literally) over who pays the dinner bill. (pride, more honourable to be host)
12. You have a teacup with a cover on it. (sensible and practical)
13. If you're under age 20, you own a really expensive Walkman if you're over 20, you own a really expensive camera. (not sure about this)
14. You're a wok user. (tradition as well as very practical for stir frying, compared with a flat pan)
15. You only make long distance calls after 7pm. (thrift)
16. You prefer your shrimp with the heads and legs still attached it, means they're fresh. (could be because of more flavour; the Penang Hokien mee relied a lot on the prawn heads to make the stock or soup)
17. You never call your parents just to say, ' Hi. ' (non-racial trait?)
18.. If you don't live at home, when your parents call, they'll ask if you've eaten, even if it's midnight. (habitual; traditional, goes back to old days when having food was uncertain)
19. Your parents tell you to boil herbs and stay indoors when you get sick. They also tell you not to eat fried foods or baked foods because such food are ' heaty' (yeet hey in Cantonese).
20. You e-mail your Chinese friends at work, even though you only sit 10 feet apart. (if any, recent phenomenon, not typically Chinese)
21. You always cook too much. (nothing more shameful than having not enough food to serve guests)
22. You eat every last grain of rice in your bowl, but don't eat the last piece of food on the table.
(ingrained from young that otherwise your future spouse will have face full of pimples)
23. You starve yourself before going to 'All You Can Eat' buffet. (only kiasu people, now even Chinese are more health conscious)
24. You know someone who can get you a good deal on jewelry or electronics, computers. (not worth the trouble because of 'yan cheng' or you owe him a favour; usually for these items, that someone would be sought for his knowledge)
25 . You own your own meat cleaver and sharpen it. (only those who actually use one knows this is necessary)
26. Your toothpaste tubes are all squeezed paper-thin. (thrift)
27. You call a sausage a hotdog. (just like calling someone uncle even though you are older than him)
28. You wrap with napkins all the knives, spoons and forks of the airline that you fly on and put in your travel-bag as souvenirs (kiasu)
29. You never forget to take with you all the unused bath and facial tissues when you check out from the hotel because you believe that you have paid for it all. (kiasu)
Link
24. You know someone who can get you a good deal on jewelry or electronics, computers. (not worth the trouble because of 'yan cheng' or you owe him a favour; usually for these items, that someone would be sought for his knowledge)
25 . You own your own meat cleaver and sharpen it. (only those who actually use one knows this is necessary)
26. Your toothpaste tubes are all squeezed paper-thin. (thrift)
27. You call a sausage a hotdog. (just like calling someone uncle even though you are older than him)
28. You wrap with napkins all the knives, spoons and forks of the airline that you fly on and put in your travel-bag as souvenirs (kiasu)
29. You never forget to take with you all the unused bath and facial tissues when you check out from the hotel because you believe that you have paid for it all. (kiasu)
Link
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