Young Chinese adults are taking frugality to the extreme, sharing unusual tips online to cut costs. Among the most bizarre suggestions is eating bread worms as a cheap, high-protein food, reportedly tasting like “milky almonds.”
These ideas have circulated in an online group called the “Thrifty Men’s Association”, which boasts over 240,000 members. Members call themselves “Thrifty Stars”, seeing their lifestyle as a form of resistance against consumerism.
One viral post introduced bread worms as a surprisingly nutritious and cost-effective protein source. According to the poster, bread worms cost just 12 yuan per kilogram (around RM8.50) — cheaper than chicken breasts — and contain about 20% protein. Meal worms can reproduce continuously, ensuring a steady supply, and some members even grind them into a paste to make dumplings or patties.
“Yesterday, I had three meals with them and only ate about half. The total cost was just over 3 yuan (RM2.10),” the poster wrote. He also claimed an unusual bonus: keeping a bowl of worms by his bedside at night, listening to their crawling, helped cure his insomnia.
Other extreme frugal strategies include:
- Freezing a beaten egg in an ice cube tray to stretch it into three meals.
- Using chicken skin, bones, and leftover oil to make soup or stir-fry rice.
- Renting flats below someone with underfloor heating to save on winter energy bills.
- Taking cold showers and sleeping on the floor in summer to avoid air-conditioning costs.
One member proudly shared: “I used to spend more than 30,000 yuan (around RM21,000) a year. Now, including tuition fees, I spend just over 10,000 yuan (around RM7,000) annually.” Some even claimed that extreme frugality allowed them to save enough to buy three flats.
The bizarre hacks sparked lively online discussion. One netizen wrote: “This is really thrilling. I am in awe.” Another commented: “Maybe I am just not desperate enough to save money. I really could not do this.”
Whether admired or laughed at, the “Thrifty Stars” community highlights how far some young adults are willing to go to live frugally in today’s consumer-driven world.
