Korean Job Discussion Forums

[swoodman]

If I eat at a Korean place in Busan it normally costs under 5000 won. When I was in the supermarket yesterday (Im new to the country) I saw that a pizza costs about the same and making pasta is no cheaper. So, my question is, should I just stick to eating out? I occasionally like to cook, but find cooking and cleaning up in general a bit of chore, I'm mainly drawn to it as a way to save money. So, as a general rule, should I stick to eating out and enjoy the convenience of it or continue to eat in as a money saving measure?

Opinions needed. Thanks

[ennoncha]

I eat in 5/7 nights of the week and pack my lunch for school everyday. I'm began so eating out is exhausting for me and whoever my server is. I like cooking at home, I know exactly what I'm eating and that it's fresh and healthy. Also, its cheap, really cheap. I try and pick up alot of my fruit and veggies from sidewalk vendors, it saves a tonne of money. A few days ago I bought two giant bags of clementines for 1,500. Hello a week plus worth of breakfast. Tofu, soy beans and leafy greens are really cheap, too. I usually pick up a few things from the actual grocery store and foreign food marts every two weeks. My groceries never cost me more than 40,000 KRW and I eat super well.

However, I totally get eating out, its cheap and fast, its just not really an option for me.

[The Goalie]

Even if you just buy some pre-cooked rice (microwaveable) and a package of sauce (curry or whatever) to put on it, you'll only be saving about a dollar. Don't cook at home to save money, do it to eat stuff you can't get at Korean restaurants. Being a newbie, I would recommend eating out a lot, trying lots of different stuff... it's cheap (for the most part), healthy (for the most part), and really good (for the most part). So much of Korean culture is wrapped up in the food, and you'll gain so many brownie points for being food literate here, that even the inevitable unpleasant experiences are sure to pay dividends. Something to talk about in class if nothing else...

[Xuanzang]

Do both.

[storysinger81]

When I was single, I mostly ate out (or ordered awesome delivery service--so convenient!) Now that I'm getting married, I cook a lot more at home. It's more fun to cook for two than for one.

Generally, cooking at home costs about the same as cheap places, but I can prepare the food how I want (more veggies, fresher, different spices) and I tend to eat a lot healthier.

I think, over time, I do actually save a little money not eating out. I definitely eat healthier (no odeng or ramyeon and I make brown rice at home--or at least mix the white with the brown) and more variety (I love the global market nearby with south asian ingredients).

[The Goalie]

[storysinger81]

The fact that it's so processed that I have no idea WHAT it is actually made of, for me, qualifies as less healthy than fresh, whole veggies, fruits, and grains.

And it's salty and rarely served with more veggies than a few slivers of green onion.

[adventurrre]

If you eat out 2 meals a day (say 5000/meal), that's 70,000/week. If you only cook and eat at home, you could easily get by on 50,000 a week. So you could save an extra 100,000/month eating all your meals at home I'd say.

But realistically just mix it up. Eat cereal at home cuz it's cheap, easy and western. Eat some dinners out. Pack a lunch some days, eat out some days.

All of one or the other gets old. The first 2 months I ate out EVERY meal except 2. Then the 3rd month I started doing a 50/50 split and I say I enjoy doing both a lot more now, and I think I'm definitely saving more.

[VanIslander]

Eat Korean food in restaurants and cook Western dishes at home (save a ton of $$ that way).

Don't cook Korean at home (not even white rice or gimchi, as: Isn't there enough when you eat out? for me, twice or thrice a week is enough); don't eat Western dishes out (even Indian curry dishes can be made cheaply using recipes on the 'net and spices at import shops; and certainly a full steak dinner with greek salad can be made relatively cheaply, especially if you are selective with the meat prices, finding places and cuts that are less, and split the cost by sharing with someone, as with home cooking there's almost always enough for two).

[Old fat expat]

I took two lovely young teachers out to lunch here in Korea.

One thanked me for eating her out.

She wanted to know what she said that was so funny.

So I explained

[The Goalie]

[Hightop]

[DorkothyParker]

OP: If you make meals at home, just remember that equals uber leftovers. Well, if you make real food and not just steamed veggies and a piece of meat. Either freeze or plan to eat the same thing for two or three dinners (4-5 if soup).

Old fat expat: and then what happened?

[curiousaboutkorea]