Net Savings is a regular series in which we spotlight businesses and services that accept mobile payment methods like online banking, Alipay, WeChat Wallet, and Baidu Wallet.

I’ve written before about searching for deals and promotions on the Dianping website, but I recently discovered a nifty feature within the Dianping app: instant meal discounts upon checkout. This feature is so useful it has become a regular part of my dining out experience.

Since a friend got us 40 percent off at Guanghe Chaxuan, we’ve already used the app to get 15 percent off at Xiangcao Xiangcao (a Yunnan hotpot chain) and Jianghu Weidao (a Xinjiang restaurant).

The only caveat is that the bill must be paid in its entirety through the Dianping app using a mobile payment method like WeChat Wallet or Alipay. Note that the app works best for Chinese restaurants and is entirely in Chinese.

First, download the Dianping app (known in Chinese as 大众点评 dazhong dianping), which is available for iOS and Android.

Once you’ve created an account, find your restaurant (check my previous post for instructions on how to do this). Make sure it’s the right branch.

The restaurant page lists its address, contact details, overall rating, user reviews, and current promotions. You can save venues to your favorites by tapping the star icon on the top right corner of the screen.

Scroll down until you see a little orange icon with a lightning bolt and the word 惠 hui. Next to it is the phrase 闪惠买单 shan hui maidan (“lightning discount checkout”).

Underneath is a list of the restaurant’s current promotions. In this case, Xiangcao Xiangcao offers a 22 percent discount between 11am and 4pm and a 15 percent discount between 4pm and 10pm.

There are sometimes additional promos; for example, Xiangcao Xiangcao offers new users an extra RMB 50 rebate for orders of RMB 500 or more and existing users an RMB 12-50 rebate for orders of RMB 390 or more. (I’m not sure how the latter discount is calculated.)

When you’re ready to maidan, click on 闪惠买单.

A word on discounts: In Chinese, discounts are expressed as a percentage of the original price. That means “7.8折” (zhe) is 78 percent of the original price or 22 percent off and “8.5折” is 85 percent of the original price or 15 percent off.

Enter the bill total under 消费总额 xiaofei zong’e (“total amount”) and the relevant promotions will be automatically applied.

Some menu items, such as alcohol and meal sets, aren’t eligible for discounts; you can enter the total for these separately by checking the box underneath the main line: 输入不参与优惠活动金额（如酒水，套餐）shuru bu canyu youhui huodong jin’e (ru jiushui, taocan (“enter amount non-eligible for discounts”).

You can also use vouchers or promo codes under 代金劵／抵用券／优惠码 daijin juan/diyong juan/youhui ma. For example, here I have several Spring Festival vouchers that expire on March 1. However, note that lightning checkout promotions can’t always be used in combination with vouchers or discount codes.

All told, the total for this bill amounts to around 25 percent (RMB 390 down to RMB 294.2) – not bad at all.

Next, select a payment method (WeChat Wallet, Chinese debit card, QQ Wallet, or Alipay) and tap 确认买单 queren maidan (“confirm payment”).

Once payment is completed, the wait staff will usually write down the Dianping confirmation number for their records.

If you like lightning checkout, there’s a whole category dedicated to the feature on the Dianping home screen. Selecting it will give you a list of participating cafes and restaurants sorted by proximity to you. Happy exploring!

Sijia Chen is a contributing editor at beijingkids and a freelance writer specializing in parenting, education, travel, environment, and culture. Her work has appeared in The Independent, Midnight Poutine, Rover Arts, and more. Follow her on Twitter at @sijiawrites or email her at sijiachen@beijing-kids.com.

Photo: Creative Commons photo courtesy of Yasmina Haryono (Flickr)

Congratulations! You’ve got a new job! The fact that it’s thousands of miles away in a country you’ve never so much as visited before is a minor factor right now; you’re riding the crest of adventure and embracing change.

Relocation is an exciting change and presents many opportunities. If you have young children, they’ll experience a different culture from an early age, affording them the ability to make better- informed decisions about their own futures. You’ll meet new people, embrace a different lifestyle, and hopefully revel in the novelty of everyday life.

Of course, moving and adapting to a different way of life in a new country presents all kinds of challenges. No matter how supportive your HR department or how comprehensive your company induction program, there are bound to be unforeseen difficulties. Some of the challenges will relate to relocating to a different country, including unfamiliar surroundings, customs, and a language barrier.

However, some things are the same no matter where you live. We are responsible for our personal health and must ensure the money we earn covers our cost of living. So how do you save money in Beijing? Read on for our top tips on getting more from your yuan.

• Go Public: Opt for public transport rather than taxis. Beijing has 20 million people, so traffic is often horrendous; traveling by car or taxi is not only expensive compared to the subway, it can also take longer.
• Get on Your Bike: If the subway leaves you feeling claustrophobic, the other option is to get on your bike. According to the Katie Melua song, there are “nine million bicycles” in Beijing – and with good reason. Beijing is flat, getting around is easy, and there are repairmen who can fix your bike for a few kuai on every street corner. However, bike theft is fairly common so if you have an expensive bike it’s worth investing in a couple of foreign-made locks and always chaining it to something immovable.
• Buy Local: Many expats arrive in Beijing expecting everything to be cheap. Actually, the cost of living in Beijing is on a par with many of Europe’s capitals. As the political and cultural center of China, it is also the most expensive city in the country. Food, however, is relatively cheap – providing you buy local. Eating out can be less expensive than cooking at home, but do your research first.
• Eat Carefully: Street food doesn’t have to be a health hazard. Ask your friends and colleagues to recommend restaurants. If you’re eating street food, always ask them to cook your order fresh in front of you rather than serve you something that could have been sitting in the sun for some time. Choose a busy cart and stay away from salads and fruits, as these could have been washed in unclean water – a main cause of food poisoning.

• Ditch the Brand Names: If you aren’t brave enough to eat out or if you just prefer to cook your own food, you will almost certainly have a wealth of fresh ingredients on your doorstep with a fresh food market on virtually every corner. If, however, you continue to food shop as if you were still in Surbiton, your bill is going to be considerably higher. Western food is significantly more expensive; many items considered staples to the western diet simply do not exist in Chinese cooking, such as cheese and bread. Embrace the Chinese diet and your food bills will shrink.
• Can the Cappuccino: Like the brand-name foods in international supermarkets, global chains like Starbucks can also push the cost of living up in Beijing. Adopt more eastern drinking habits such as green tea, which is far better for you and much less expensive.
• Discounts Rock! Beijing has discounts if you know where to look. Many bars and restaurants have vouchers, discounts, and money-off coupons, so get canny and start coupon clipping. Watch out for schemes like the recently-launched and snappily-titled “Recycling Used Clothes by China’s Garment Manufacturers” campaign. Starting from June 14 for around a month, citizens can donate clothes made by designated companies in about 30 clothing shops in Beijing and will receive discount coupons in return.
•  Kill the Chill: Though summer temperatures can reach up to 40°C in Beijing, you’ll save a lot of money if you can endure not having the air conditioning on all the time. When you can, open a window or run a simple rotating fan instead; only turn the AC on when you can bear the heat no longer.
• Drive a Hard Bargain: This is China, so bartering for goods is a way of life. If you’re not used to it, it’s worth taking some tips from the experts before you embark on a trip to the silk market. Try a bit of psychology when you’re interested in buying something. Don’t get too over-enthusiastic about any particular item; feign disinterest, and adapt your other communication skills to the job in hand. It’s certainly more complex than nipping into the co-op for a pint of milk, but haggling can end up saving you a lot of money.

There are lots of other great tips around on expat blogs, and the new friends and acquaintances you make will want to share their experiences with you. Take time to listen and digest; make notes if you have to, as you’ll have a lot to remember. But whatever you do, don’t forget to have fun. Beijing is a fascinating, vibrant city, and you’re fortunate enough to be experiencing it first-hand.

Mark Matlaszek has lived in China for over ten years and is the director of BlueStar AMG in Beijing. He has been helping expat families plan for their children’s future education costs for the last decade, as well helping parents plan for their retirement. For more information on the company, visit www.bluestar-amg.com. If you would like a free consultation, contact Matlaszlek directly at mark.matlaszek@bluestar-amg.com.

Photos: Marco Antonio Torres, Nate Gray (Flickr)

Our years of experience in the industry and knowledge of the worldwide marketplace have given us a real insight into the benefits of both domestic and international policies. We would always recommend for expats to look beyond China when setting up savings plans, especially when it comes to something as important as their children’s university education.

Currency considerations
Taking out an investment policy within China means you will have to use Chinese yuan (RMB) as your currency. That’s fine if you’re planning to stay in the country long-term, but as an expat it’s likely that you will return to your home country or move on at some point. If the latter is the case, taking your savings out of China could prove problematic, as you will have to contend with stringent banking controls and foreign exchange restrictions.

It is much more straightforward to hold your savings in a currency or currencies of your choice overseas; you’ll have a greater level of flexibility if your circumstances change. Most expat children choose to study at universities outside of China, so holding a policy using RMB could be extremely limiting down the line.

A young investment climate
While China is one of the world’s most rapidly-growing nations, its stock market and investment plan portfolio are both still relatively immature when compared to more established countries such as the UK and the US. Therefore, it’s advisable to choose savings plans outside China as you’ll benefit from greater stability for your money.

This is vital when you have a clear, long-term financial goal such as saving for your child’s education. Of course, all investment comes with some risk, but with careful research you can guard against some of this uncertainty to ensure you’re getting the most for your money.

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket
Choosing to keep your money in China will limit your investment options considerably, as domestic policies are heavily focused on the local market. By looking internationally, you’ll have access to an enormous range of products and services, ensuring that whatever your budget or savings needs, there will be a policy to suit you.

It’s a cliché, but when you do your research and get the right advice; the world really is your oyster when it comes to finding the best deals. As any savvy investor knows, diversification is the key to a successful savings strategy.

Offshore investments offer lots of benefits
There are a multitude of other benefits for expats who invest internationally, including increased levels of investor protection and greater tax efficiencies. Working with an international brokerage also means there are no language barriers to overcome, while having your paperwork completed in English will ensure transparency and peace of mind when it comes to control of your investments.

The importance of planning ahead
Wherever you decide to put your money, the most important thing is thinking long-term about your children’s future needs. Getting a degree is one of the most expensive endeavours a person can achieve – and the costs are likely to rise even further by the time your offspring head off to university.

Did you know that the average cost of a four-year course in the US is just under USD 125,000, as high as HKD 495,000 (around USD 64,285) in Hong Kong, and GBP 33,000 in the UK (around USD 54,780)? Factor in the very likely increase in fees, and you could be looking at close to USD 300,827 for a course in the US in 18 years’ time. What’s more, these staggering amounts are for course fees alone – meaning that costs like accommodation, textbooks, food, or spending money still need to be accounted for.

So pat yourself on the back for putting plans in place now. With the right advice, you’ll be safe in the knowledge that you’ve chosen the best offshore investment plan for your circumstances, giving you peace of mind that you can support your child as they work towards achieving their educational goals.

Mark Matlaszek has lived in China for over ten years and is the director of BlueStar AMG in Beijing. He has been helping expat families plan for their children’s future education costs for the last decade, as well helping parents plan for their retirement. For more information on the company, visit www.bluestar-amg.com. If you would like a free consultation, contact Matlaszlek directly at mark.matlaszek@bluestar-amg.com.

Please note that beijingkids does not necessarily endorse the views presented in this article.

Photos courtesy of lendingmemo.com, 401 (K) 2013, Oscar Rohena (Flickr)