Korean Job Discussion Forums

Dazed and Confused · Joined: 10 Jan 2003

Bake my own bread, make my own yogurt, pickles, sausage, cappucino and cheese.
Take a brown bag lunch to work.
Only go to the cinema when I really want to see a blockbuster or 3D or 4D movies. Just wait for the romantic comedy crap to come out on
DVD. Laughing

Trade for books instead of buying them.
Take the bus or carpool.
Use stuff till it breaks instead of buying the newest and latest items.

Sector7G · Joined: 24 May 2008

seonsengnimble · Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 3:52 am Post subject:

Instead of cooking, which unless you're only cooking ramyeon or rice and kimchi ends up costing more than eating out, I eat a diet of mostly street meat. Wake up, eat some cereal, go to work, come home and get some sundae.

I've also ducktaped old textbook covers to my windows instead of buying shades or curtains.

conrad2 · Joined: 05 Nov 2009

I give my soiled condoms a little rinse out, line dry, and they are good as new for a second go round. Prophylactics aint cheap

Sergio Stefanuto · Joined: 14 May 2009 Location: UK

I'm tighter than a bull's arse in fly season.

Once, rather than purchase Ross King's Continuing Korean, which was an outrageous $50 at the time, I borrowed my friend's and photocopied the entire book - all 554 pages of it.

Hyeon Een · Joined: 24 Jun 2005

recessiontime · Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 10:40 pm Post subject:

i used to unplug my fridge and tv to save on electric like someone mentioned on this forum ages ago.

Would just eat 3 meals at school for 50k a month.

Used the school internet, didn't get my own.

Walk a mountain trail once a week and use the school's gym equipment.

I'd also drink the school's coffee and snacks.

The one thing i payed for was my cell phone that was 30k a month - only to make a couple of calls each month. I'd also pay for 5k haircuts once a month but they were worth it just for the massages.

I saved a lot in Korea but when I look back on it I regret not spending more of it to just to enjoy myself. Things were cheap and decent, not like back home where the same things (like restaurant korean food) are expensive and terrible.

Senior · Joined: 31 Jan 2010

Senior · Joined: 31 Jan 2010

The easiest way to be frugal is to make more money. Then you don't have to worry about stupid stuff like drinking shitty school coffee and filling up your water bottle from the cooler.

Just keep your expenditure constant and increase your income. Simple.

Another thing. Why does everyone want to be frugal? Unless you have a reason (ie, pay off loans, savings goal), being frugal is completely stupid, and probably makes you poorer in the long run.

toniyellow · Joined: 30 Sep 2009

Being frugal isn't stupid. If you pay attention to where you money goes is smart. Loads of people take a taxis everywhere because its easier, buy brand names because they're well known, buy single serving packets because it is convenient. Those of the kind of things with the most mark-up are where I see most friends wasting a lot of money.

The best thing I do in Korea to be frugal is talk to a Korean about anything I want to do. They have frugal down to an art, and if there is a performance or anything I want to go to I can bet that someone will naver it and produce a coupon or have a credit card that they can book the tickets for me and save 20%.

I also cook my own food about 5 out of 7 nights a week. I don't get why people think eating out is cheaper than cooking at home. Yes restaurants are cheap in Korea, but so is produce. How else would the restaurants be cheap?

NYC_Gal · Joined: 08 Dec 2009

I cook a lot and shop at the traditional markets, where I've developed a few relationships with the grocers, so that they give me extras here and there, and round down.

I make my own cottage cheese. I brought a bunch of vegetable-based rennet tablets and whenever my milk has a day or so left, I make some for the next day's breakfast. I'm going to start making yogurt next week, so this will cut my weekly grocery bill dramatically, as I use that in my cereal.

I also turned my apartment into a BYOB darts "pub." My friends come over to throw some arrows and drink imported beer or my tasty smoothies and not be surrounded by smoke. It costs a heck of lot less for them as well, as the bottled stuff costs way more at the bars. It's nice to be able to play a few games, then relax and watch a movie or some American Cable a-la-slingbox.

chellovek · Joined: 29 Feb 2008