A group of college students gathered on Monday to experience what it's like to be poor by attempting to live for one week on a budget of no more than NT$400.
More than 100 students are taking part in the contest, organized by Tseng Kuo-jung (曾國榮), a National Chengchi University religion-major graduate student, to see if they can lead a normal student life with the least possible amount of money.
Tseng said he and several of his friends at a Christian society initiated the contest to stimulate reflection among the younger generation.
Over-indulgence by today's youth, such as students running up huge bills on their credit cards to be repaid by parents, is a reflection of their lack of social responsibility, which has invited condemnation, Tseng said.
The participants in the contest are divided into two groups -- those who live in dorms or rented homes off campus and are required to spend less than NT$400 in the one week, and those who live with their parents and are required to spend no more than NT$200.
Most of those in the NT$400 group have decided to cook for themselves, searching out bargain buys at sunset markets for groceries or seeking cheaper food alternatives -- such as replacing meat with eggs or tofu, or bottled fresh milk with canned milk powder -- to save money.
Those student who live with their parents have reduced expenses by altering their lifestyles in different ways, such as by dining at home instead of dining out or canceling trips to KTV parlors after classes.
Contest organizers said that the competition is based on an honor system, with participating students going unsupervised and only having to return to National Taiwan University (NTU) at the end of the week to report on their "ordeal."
Wang Ying-hao, a student in NTU's international business department who is taking part in the contest, said that she does not have many material needs and thinks happiness does not simply come from being well-off.
Lee Jung-hui, a senior in NTU's entomology faculty, said he can make it through the week easily on NT$400.
He said he does it by thinking of his grandfather, a military veteran from China's Jiangxi Province who eats nothing but rice and pickles for his daily meals.
RSS