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Young Chinese adults have been sharing extreme tips online on how to be frugal. One of the suggestions bizarrely recommends bread worms as a cheap, high-quality protein source, claiming they have a “milky almond” flavour. The ideas were shared in an online group called the “Thrifty Men’s Association”, which boasts more than 240,000 members. Members proudly refer to themselves as “Thrifty Stars”, viewing their lifestyle as an act of resistance against consumerism. One of the most viral posts introduced a quirky yet highly cost-effective way to get quality protein: eating bread worms. The plan is simple, cheap and according to the poster, surprisingly nutritious. He claimed that bread worms are significantly more affordable than conventional meat, costing just 12 yuan (US$2) per kilogramme. They are cheaper than chicken breasts and offer a 20 per cent protein content. The poster also revealed that meal worms can reproduce endlessly, ensuring a steady supply, and claimed they taste quite good, like milky almonds. “Yesterday, I had three meals with them and only ate about half. The total cost was just over three yuan (42 US cents),” he wrote. To save on cooking oil, he steamed them and even experimented with grinding them into a meat paste to make dumplings, then shaped them into patties like those from a fast food outlet. He even touted an unexpected “perk”. “One more bonus is that at night, I place the bowl of worms by my bedside. The sound of them crawling is like the echo of the ocean. It helped cure my insomnia,” the poster said. Another stand-out strategy involves freezing a beaten egg in an ice cube tray so that a single egg can make three meals, effectively spreading the cost. Also, the skin and bones of a single chicken can make soup. Even the oil from roasting chicken skin is not wasted; it is used to stir-fry rice. When it comes to saving on housing costs, one member suggested renting a flat directly below someone with underfloor heating to reduce winter energy bills. Some people recommend taking cold showers and sleeping on the floor in the summer to avoid using air conditioning. One member said proudly: “I used to spend more than 30,000 yuan (US$4,200) a year. Now, including tuition fees, I only spend just over 10,000 a year.” Some even claimed that thanks to extreme frugality they were able to save enough to buy three flats. The bizarre hacks sparked a discussion online. One person said: “This is really thrilling. I am in awe.” While another added: “Maybe I am just not desperate enough to save money. I really could not do this.”
