Korean Job Discussion Forums

kchax · Joined: 01 Dec 2006

saving up in Korea becomes pretty easy bc of all the expenses i dont have compared to USA (tax/rent-mort./insurance/gas/food..blah blah)...

life style in Korea has made it easier to save for me.
I save almost 80% of my paycheck (without losing out on my lifestyle)..

so my dilemma is whether to stay another year to save for down pmt on a house or just go back home to the states to either start working then 9-5 job which I should be working on esp in this econ state..
btw, I WANT to go home (as in USA home home)...getting tired of Korea.. what would you do??
I know that saving will be harder in the states..

any sincere given replies is much appreciated!! thanks

calicoe · Joined: 23 Dec 2008 Location: South Korea

Well, I am mulling over similar questions, and I have decided to try and stay in Korea for a year, or go somewhere else. The economy and job dislocation in the U.S. is not cleaned up yet, and it will take a while to absorb the millions of unemployed and underemployed workers before we see a difference. Staying.

hey_waegook · Joined: 14 Dec 2009

leave

mc_jc · Joined: 13 Aug 2009 Location: C4B- Cp Red Cloud, Area-I

Right now- I would say don't go home just yet.
Things there are still not stable and although the economy is "picking up", unemployment is still pretty hairy at best.

I think a change of scenery might be in order- there are other places to go to earn money other than Korea.
For instance, Saudi Arabia is a good, stable place. And you can save alot more since you won't be wasting your money on alcohol and women. I guarantee you will save enough for a house after a year or two there.

storysinger81 · Joined: 25 Mar 2007 Location: Daegu

DeMayonnaise · Joined: 02 Nov 2008

kiknkorea · Joined: 16 May 2008

If you're tired of Korea, then it's time for a change.

I would go home and try to find something I liked. If that doesn't work out how you want, then consider returning to ESL, but check out other options before Korea.
True, you may not be able to save as much, but the experience could more than make up for the difference.

Try not to fall into the trap of returning to Korea because "that's where the money is."
You'll just end up resenting it more and counting the days until you can leave, which is no way to spend a year of your life.

Best of luck and enjoy your time at home, however long it may be. Smile

nomad-ish · Posted: Tue Dec 15, 2009 6:55 pm Post subject:

sometimes it's not just a matter of how you're feeling (unless you're downright miserable here), but you have to consider how well off you'll be at home. personally, i'd wait until the economy picks up before leaving a steady, decent-paying job in korea. however, if you could job search from korea and find a suitable position, that would probably be your best bet. why don't you check out some job sites and see what's available in your field?

redaxe · Joined: 01 Dec 2008

Go home while you still can, the longer you stay here the harder it gets to leave!

Triban · Joined: 14 Jul 2009 Location: Suwon Station

PaulPizzazz · Joined: 15 Mar 2006

to the OP:

Don't THINK about it, BE about it.

kchax · Joined: 01 Dec 2006

thanks for all the replies,

makes sense.. ill do what my heart tells me to do,
ill be broke at worst looking for a job, but at least ill be happy and sane at home.

thanks!!

ReeseDog · Joined: 05 Apr 2008 Location: Classified

whome? · Joined: 13 Nov 2009

Something to consider that hasn't been mentioned is currency value. The won will continue to rise over the next year and the prospects for the Greenback remain low. If you have cash on hand and you don't have to send it back, plus whatever you can make/save over another year, the value might increase by 10% over the course of the next 12-14 months.

kiknkorea · Joined: 16 May 2008