18-year-old woman in Hunan spends 50 yuan to stay in company’s restroom, sparking debate

On March 23rd, a topic titled “Girl Pays 50 Yuan to Rent a 6-square-meter Company Bathroom to Live In” sparked heated discussions on the internet.

Recently, a young woman posted a video claiming that she had rented a company’s 6-square-meter bathroom for 50 yuan (Chinese currency) and slept in it every night.

According to a report by the Xiangxiang Morning News on March 24th, the individual, Ms. Yang, told the reporter from that newspaper that she works at a furniture wholesale store in Zhuzhou City, Hunan Province, mainly responsible for sales. The bathroom is located in the showroom of the store, and she had been living in it for 27 days. “I don’t want to burden myself, I just adapt to the convenience it provides.”

Ms. Yang explained that last year, she got a job at this store through an acquaintance and used to live at the store owner’s house. This year, she decided to move out and couldn’t find a suitable, affordable, and single-occupancy apartment in Zhuzhou City. As a solution, she discussed with the store owner to sleep in the company’s bathroom and pay 50 yuan for water and electricity per month. “I insisted on paying this amount. Originally, I planned to pay 200 yuan, but the store owner only accepted 50 yuan,” she said.

She mentioned that the showroom was too spacious to live in, and the office had no door, causing safety concerns. So, she bought a folding bed, placed it at the bathroom entrance during the day, and slept in the bathroom at night. The unfolded bed perfectly blocked the bathroom door.

Ms. Yang also arranged some clothes and daily necessities in the bathroom and sometimes cooked noodles and snail noodles in it at night. “The bathroom has no smell; I keep it very clean.”

“For me right now, having a place to stay is enough. I don’t want to spend a lot of money renting an apartment. I’m only 18 years old, spending 800 yuan on rent is definitely not easy,” said Ms. Yang. The store owner plans to install a door in the office, and once it’s done, she will move into the office. During this job period, she doesn’t consider renting outside accommodations.

Ms. Yang mentioned that her monthly salary is less than 3000 yuan, with expenses of three to four hundred yuan. She saves the rest for buying a house or a car in the future.

This incident immediately sparked discussions on the internet.

Users commented: “The event reflects how some young people achieve savings goals through extreme frugality despite its sustainability and health risks being worthy of caution.” “Sadly, she may not be able to afford a house even if she lives frugally for a lifetime.” “High housing prices and rents make it difficult for young people to establish themselves in cities, forcing them to sacrifice living standards for lower living costs.”

“The size of the room doesn’t matter, warmth matters, but how can she live in this bathroom? However, it’s quite tough for a young girl just graduating, especially those ‘Northern Drifters’ who face the need for money in everything from meals, accommodation, transportation, water, clothing, and more, often having no money on hand, worrying every month.”

“At 18, being able to endure such hardship shows maturity and undoubtedly suggests she has faced many challenges since childhood. I hope she has a better life ahead, and I hope the store owner installs a door in the office so she can move out of the bathroom soon.”

The founder of Zixinyouth and prominent Weibo influencer Geng Xiangshun said, “If due to low wages, lack of money, saving rent money for food and living expenses, choosing to live in a company bathroom can be understood.”

“When I graduated from high school, I worked summer jobs, squeezed into a rundown warehouse converted into ‘staff dormitories’ with a dozen minors; and right after college graduation when I had little money, I temporarily slept in storage rooms, it was because there weren’t many choices and having a place to sleep and eat was already decent.”

“But if conditions and income permit, it’s best not to endure hardship unnecessarily. Being overly frugal is miserly and greedy, and excessive frugality is also harmful.”

“In life, it’s important to live within your means, have a frugal lifestyle, save deliberately. Avoid spending recklessly or living beyond your means; however, don’t be excessively frugal. Money that should be spent must be spent. Excessive frugality, being overly harsh on oneself and family, is also harmful.”