Korean Job Discussion Forums

[BS.Dos.]

Just wanted to get an idea of how much cash I'll need to get me through my first month.

I'll probably have round �400 (750,000 KW) in cash with my Mastercard as back up/emergency.

Can anyone give me an idea of how much a weeks groceries will set me back? I don't plan on living like a hamster so generous estimates would be welcome.

Incidentally, I read somewhere on Dave's that Korea is very much a cash based economy and that plastic is not as widely accepted as in the West. Is this true?

Thanks in advance.

[makemischief]

will you have furnished housing provided?

if so you�ll be fine on 750 for the first month.
mastercard is widely accepted- i�ve never had issues using it at any but the smallest stores.

good luck.

[MANDRL]

I think my fiancee and I lived off $1000 for the first month, and that was for two people. You should be fine. I think plastic is accepted just about everywhere here. I remember the first time we used our Visa we were buying about $150 worth of groceries from a store, and I was sweating as I didn't know if it would go through, but it did. Once you get here try to get a debit card from your bank. We bank with Shinhan and have a check card through them. We use it instead of cash every single day. Good luck!

[mrsquirrel]

400 quid aint a lot.

Not for a first month.

It's better to have more than less. I would seriously be aiming for closer to 750 pounds.

I arrived here with 300,000 in my pocket, a stuffed ATM card from the UK and a stuffed visa card from the UK (neither were working due to overseas tranactions being cancelled by banks at the time due to fraud).

Luckily my school was quick with the 300k and my airfare 850k so I had enough to happily do a month and have some spare just in case.

If you are going to use your mastercard how are you going to pay it off in the UK if you only have 400quid now?

[Zyzyfer]

If I were avoiding drinking to save cash and just working until I got that first paycheck, I could get by on 400k. Maybe 500 for the first month to get plenty of food in the cupboard. But I would be eating at home most nights on that.

Anyway, you should be fine with 750 if your place is furnished, you don't need to do a visa run to Japan, aren't an alcoholic, etc. It's about what I spend now in the average month.

[IncognitoHFX]

[Beeyee]

I went out drinking almost every night in my 1st month here. I also ate out at least twice a day. I spent 900,000.