China’s young people are ‘revenge saving’ even as Gen Zers around the world are piling up debt
全球Z世代債務不斷增加,但中國年輕人卻在「報復性儲蓄」
Post-pandemic revenge spending is still continuing, but in one part of the world there’s something starkly opposite happening — revenge saving.
疫後報復性消費仍在繼續,但在世界的某個地方,卻發生了截然相反的事情——報復性儲蓄。
Rather than splurging on impulsive purchases, China’s young are saving ferociously as the world’s second-largest economy remains in the doldrums.
由於世界第二大經濟體依然處於低迷狀態,年輕人沒有衝動購物,而是瘋狂儲蓄。
Revenge saving has become a trend on Chinese social media websites, with Chinese youth setting extreme monthly saving targets.
報復性儲蓄已在社交媒體上成為潮流,很多年輕人設定了極高的每月儲蓄目標。
A 26-year-old with username ‘Little Zhai Zhai’ is detailing her attempt to cap her monthly spending at just 300 Chinese yuan ($41.28) a month, with a recent video showing how she curtailed her daily meal expenses to just 10 yuan ($1.38).
用戶名為「小齋齋」的26歲女子詳述了將每月支出限制在300元的過程,最近的一段影片展示了如何將每日餐費降至10元。
Others are finding “savings partners” on social media. These partners form a savings circle that ensures its members stick with their goals.
還有一些人在社交媒體上尋找「儲蓄拍檔」,組成一個儲蓄社群,確保成員堅持自己的目標。
Savings measures also include dining at community canteens usually for the elderly, where fresh meals are sold at relatively cheap prices.
其他手法還包括在為老年人開設的社區食堂就餐,那裡的新鮮食物相對便宜。
“Chinese youth have a revenge savings mentality,” said China Market Research Group’s Managing Director Shaun Rein. “Unlike youths in the 2010s who often spent more than they earned and borrowed money to buy fancy items like Gucci handbags and Apple iPhone, young Chinese have started saving more,” he told CNBC.
中國市場研究集團董事總經理說,「中國年輕人有一種報復性儲蓄心態,與2010年代經常入不敷出、借錢購買Gucci手袋和蘋果手機等奢侈品的年輕人不同,現在年輕人開始存錢了。」
Other telltale signs of younger Chinese tightening their purse strings are trending buzzwords such as “reverse consumption” and a “stingy economy.” The former refers to making a more conscious effort to cut spending, while the latter connotes actively seeking out discounts and deals when shopping.
年輕人省吃儉用的其他明顯跡象還包括「逆向消費」和「摳門經濟」等流行詞。前者指的是更有意識地削減開支,而後者則意味著在購物時積極尋找折扣和優惠。
This is in stark contrast to a wider trend among the youth, particularly Gen Zers. According to a Prosperity Index report by Intuit, rather than cutting expenses to boost savings, 73% of Gen Zers in the U.S. said they would rather have a better quality of life than extra money in a bank.
這與當下全球年輕人普遍的趨勢形成了鮮明對比,尤其是Z世代(1997-2012年出生)。Intuit繁榮指數顯示,73%的美國Z世代表示,他們寧願過上更好的生活,也不願在銀行存更多的錢,不會削減開支以增加儲蓄。
“Young people probably sense the same thing that everyone else does: the economy just isn’t doing that well,” said Christopher Beddor, deputy director for China research at Gavekal Dragonomics.
龍洲經訊中國研究部副主任Christopher Beddor表示:「中國的年輕人可能有同樣的感受:經濟形勢不太好。」