life - Doing Shanghai scroogish

Shanghaiist was the first to note the arrival of the "Frugal Traveler" of the New York Times in Shanghai. The China Herald reported earlier about his where-abouts in Xinjiang. His assignment: to survive a weekend with "only" 500 US dollar in his pocket.
As Shanghaiist notes, even in Shanghai that is fairly easy to do and they take it as a challenge.

Matt had a great weekend in Shanghai, and anyone tracing his footsteps would likely also have an enjoyable visit. And by American standards, his selections were indeed relatively inexpensive. But does anyone else think he could have done a lot more with his money, perhaps allowing him to go out on BOTH of his nights, had he followed the spirit of frugality a bit more closely? Can Shanghaiist readers suggest some alternatives to his restaurant or accommodations selections?