Job Discussion Forums

Kara Murray · Joined: 15 Jul 2005 Posts: 10 Location: Los Angeles, CA

Hi,

I'm wondering how much would be advisable to have saved up before venturing into the world of teaching english overseas. I'm not expecting to make a windfall and I'm fine with that. But I have a very small amount saved right now and I'm wondering if that's enough to up and move to another country. (Assuming I have a job).

How much of a cushion is good? Oh, and the areas that I'm thinking about are Eastern Europe, S. Korea & Japan.

Thanks so much!

Chasgul · Joined: 04 May 2005 Posts: 168 Location: BG

Little more precise than Eastern Europe? Standards in Bulgaria differ from those in Poland...

If you have enough for a ticket home you should be okay.

Kara Murray · Joined: 15 Jul 2005 Posts: 10 Location: Los Angeles, CA

I was thinking more along the lines of Poland.

Basically I'm just trying to figure out what kind of incidental costs to expect to pop up. Sorry if that's kind of vague, thanks for the input!

denise · Joined: 23 Apr 2003 Posts: 3419 Location: finally home-ish

Depends a lot on the country. Basically, airfare home, as previously stated, plus enough to get by for a couple of months--give yourself time to find housing and pay for both the rent and the deposit, find a job, and get that first paycheck (which can take a month, depending on when you start and how often your school pays you). And unless you want to return home to an empty bank account, you should leave enough money behind to get on your feet again. (Assuming you go to Eastern Europe, where you probably won't make enough to save anything.)

When I went to Prague, I had about $1,000 with me. My TEFL course and first month of rent were paid for, and I got incredibly lucky by finding a job (with paid rent) before the end of the course. If things hadn't gone so well, or if any emergencies had come up, I would have been in trouble.

You also mentioned Japan. For that, you need a few thousand dollars. Start-up costs are high there.

d

tedkarma · Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2005 7:32 pm Post subject:

What Denise said.

For Korea, you can get by with US$500 assuming you have landed a decent job and are fairly sure you will be working somewhere that pays you regularly and not late.

That's "get by" - I don't like to go anywhere without knowing I have enough money to bail out and go somewhere else and start again.

I LOVE EFL and the life it has given me - but it can get flaky from time to time (even major universities can be sh*tholes) and it is best to have a few resources ready just in case. I've always found that if I am prepared for the worst - it doesn't happen. Unprepared and . . . well, you get the picture.

moonraven · Joined: 24 Mar 2004 Posts: 3094

Somewhere between 2,000 and 5,000 dollars. Depending on the spot as well as on your emotional need to feel secure.