Illustration: Luo Xuan/GT

I think it is fair to say that one thing a person gains from traveling is knowledge about different cultures. I have been in China only a little over seven months, and having gained many things from Chinese culture, the lesson I feel I will take away the most is the value of being debt free.

I have reflected on all the things my experience in China has taught me, and one of the biggest differences I see is the tendency for the average Chinese person to be debt free.

I spent some time talking to my Chinese coworkers about this recently. One colleague told me about participating in a teaching exchange in the US and needing a car to get to and from work. She said her search for a car was a daunting experience and that when she asked her American coworkers for help finding a used car she could afford on her salary, they laughed at her. They told her no one buys a car outright and suggested she get a loan and make payments on a car because that is what most Americans do. I am embarrassed on behalf of my country that someone would suggest she take on debt to have a year's experience, but, honestly, this would be a real experience.

My Chinese coworker said all her American coworkers laughed at her the next week when she showed up to work on a bicycle. She said she explained to them that Chinese people buy what they can afford.

Unfortunately, many Americans buy things they cannot afford so much so that debt has become a way of life in the US. It made life unbearable and drove me to look for life in another country. In the US, one usually needs a car to commute to work, and the average person does not make enough money to purchase a home outright.

In many ways, debt is unavoidable, and it begins at a young age. To get a decent job, many students are forced to take on thousands of dollars in debt, putting themselves in a hole before they even have a job. My brother graduated from university $80,000 in debt, and this is not uncommon. He still has no home and no real tangible asset to show for his debt.

Chinese culture teaches one to buy what they can afford, but I worry for the young Chinese students who are starting to follow the trend of indebtedness. Many Chinese have started to get credit cards and to acquire debt like Americans. If only I could share with them how much my life was changed by moving to China and becoming debt free, how much better my life has become, I would urge them to stick to their culture.

Many Americans assume all Chinese tourists are wealthy, and I have been talking to my friends back home and explaining that Chinese have more disposable income because they do not take on as much debt as Americans, making their quality of life far more enjoyable.

As we become a world that travels and learns from each other, I think it is valuable to teach the best parts of our cultures, and the Chinese have a valuable lesson on being debt free to share with the world.

This article was published on the Global Times Metropolitan section Two Cents page, a space for reader submissions, including opinion, humor and satire. The ideas expressed are those of the author alone, and do not represent the position of the Global Times.