Upon landing in Shanghai, while on the bus on our way to our hotel, we were given tips and very helpful advise on shopping local. We were warned that markets can be overwhelming and that the local vendors are out to overcharged and take advantage of us in any way, shape and form they can. The rule of thumb is to go down 25% of the original price they give you, and to never pay more than half of what the original asking price. Pretty simple if you think about it, but I was confronted by guilt when asking for a lower price.

Overall, I think I did pretty good. There were just an abundance of products to buy, none of which I desperately need. But I managed to find few bracelets that I like, as well as belts. The original asking price for the bracelets were 50 Yuan Each ($8 CAD) but I managed to lock the deal at 50 Yuan for 3 — that’s about 2.80 Canadian Dollar each. The belts were 30 Yuan each, but I ended up getting it for 35 Yuan for 2, which equates to about 6 Canadian Dollars for the two belts. Not bad!