Family has always played an important role in love and marriage in China. Therefore, most women do not wish to marry a man who has to travel a lot or has little time for home and hearth.

"Family-oriented" is the all-important non-economic requirement; the "budget husband" is a home body.                                                                           China Foto Press

    Lu, an auditor for a beverage company in Qingdao, has to fly around the country frequently for business. He is home in Qingdao no more than one week a month. Though nearly 30, Lu has never dated a girl. "My friends and relatives introduce young women to me, but I am unable to take the time to get to know them. On the other hand, they often refuse me once they find out I have to travel a lot," Lu shows his frustration. His parents' anxiety weighs on him too. "I'm intending to find a company that doesn't require so much business travel. After all, I do need to get married and have my own family," concludes Lu.

    Some women hedge their bets. "The man who becomes my husband should be more of a home body, may be not as big a money maker as the guy next door, or, if more of a money maker, not as much of a home body." This posting on the Internet has been widely circulated as a declaration of compromised criteria.

    A statistic from www.jiayuan.com shows that 60 percent of females now target the "budget husband" rather than their former favorite the "big spender." Consequently, men who have registered on matchmaking sites are compelled to update their information in compliance with women's new standards. "It does work! Now I receive more than ten emails everyday," testifies Yang, a member of a matchmaking site who is excited about the results of recently revising his online profile.

    It is believed that the rise of the "budget husband" is mainly a reaction to the financial storm that eclipsed the shiny luster of wealthy men. But in the eyes of mature people, it is a return to reality and a sensible choice for the modern female.

"Budget Wife"

    No surprise then that men also have their criteria for an ideal spouse – the "budget wife." Ladies who live simply and do not worship money are now the ones sought after.

    Zhang Jun, a self-styled "budget man" in his early 30s, had had several dates before he married a kindergarden teacher not long ago. He acknowledges that he used to focus on a young woman's appearance just as other young men did. But after years of this he realized that good-lookers are not necessarily perfect for family life – one that contains more daily monotony than romance. "I think it takes most young men some time to become conscious of the difference between love with and without family responsibilities," Zhang says. "My wife is very dutiful, and I believe motherly – capable of taking good care of our coming child."

    This is representative of the Chinese male's born-again attitude towards marriage: the long-term thinker turns to the "budget wife" without hesitation or regret. In the eyes of mature people, it is a return to reality and a sensible choice for the modern female.