The frugal trend that began in China during the economic disruption of the pandemic and deepened amid the crisis in the property market is intensifying as Gen Z shuns government calls to spend, spend, spend and doubles down on saving.

On China's Instagram-like Xiaohongshu, or RedNote as it is known in the West, many under-30s are swapping notes on how to spend less on office lunches and shop on the cheap.

Influencers are also sharing tips on turning financial discipline into a lifestyle. Posts on how to save money total more than 1.5 million with more than 130 million views.