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Frugal/thrifty/simple Living in Korea: Money Saving ideas!!
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Troglodyte



Joined: 06 Dec 2009

PostPosted: Fri Feb 26, 2010 5:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

fbermingham wrote:
So.... if I move to Daegu, which is looking likely, is it reasonable to think I could live on 1 million won per month?

What is the average gas / electricity cost per month?


For 1 million a month, you could probably pay your own rent, utilities and food. If you're getting your rent covered by your school, then you can live quite well on 1 million a month.
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Harpeau



Joined: 01 Feb 2003
Location: Coquitlam, BC

PostPosted: Sat Jun 26, 2010 9:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This thread should be blended together with the new frugal thread.
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Troglodyte



Joined: 06 Dec 2009

PostPosted: Sun Sep 05, 2010 6:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Harpeau wrote:
This thread should be blended together with the new frugal thread.


Which one? There's a new one that comes out every month.

Personally, I think this thread was one of the most entertaining of the frugal threads.
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mohair_blues



Joined: 23 Aug 2010
Location: Bundang

PostPosted: Mon Sep 06, 2010 6:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

You should never have to pay for water. There are tons of water cooler around Soeul (department stores), and I'm sure your school has one, too.

if you do buy water, get those 2L bottles.

But you shouldnt be wasting money buying bottle of water.

Another suggestion is to pick up an inexpensive hobby to curb your drinking (alcohol).
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Died By Bear



Joined: 13 Jul 2010
Location: On the big lake they call Gitche Gumee

PostPosted: Mon Sep 06, 2010 2:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

If you have student loans, don't pay them back. The government will bail you out anyway - in a few more years.
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madoka



Joined: 27 Mar 2008

PostPosted: Mon Sep 06, 2010 2:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

mohair_blues wrote:
But you shouldnt be wasting money buying bottle of water.


I eat out every meal. I don't trust the free water in Korean restaurants. Therefore, I always bring a cold bottle of water with me to the restaurant from a nearby store. I feel bad about the waste involved, but it's really convenient and it's better than risking the runs.
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Slowmotion



Joined: 15 Aug 2009

PostPosted: Mon Sep 06, 2010 7:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Some of the stuff I read in this thread is ridiculous, but this one tops it:
frankly speaking wrote:
Frugality is the only way to live. I only spend 300,000 Won a month. I save the rest. I have simple needs and have learned to cut major costs.

I go to school a few minutes early twice a week with 2-3 1.5 ltr. bottles and fill up with the filtered water at school. That saves and average of 5,000 won a week. or 250,000 Won a year. Which Translates to me 1 month holiday in Vietnam.

Eating lunch at school helps a lot. Using soap and water instead of T.P. saves another 10,000 Won a month

Disgusting. What he probably never realized is he's spending more money on soap, not to mention probably using that same bar of soap on his entire body when he showers too Embarassed

Wow and this guy got married too apparently. Most shocking part is who would want to marry a man like that lol
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4seasons



Joined: 25 Mar 2007

PostPosted: Thu Sep 23, 2010 5:05 am    Post subject: eat out Reply with quote

When you eat out at the chain restaurants, it is cheaper if you go b4 4pm or if you use their discount cards.
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longlivetheclash



Joined: 08 Aug 2009
Location: Bundang/Seoul

PostPosted: Sat Nov 20, 2010 10:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I even buy my food used.


Draz wrote:
Rusty Shackleford wrote:


You need to plan for your future but you also have to live now. Trying to live on $100 a week is only going to lead to bigger problems down the road.


...like what?

I spent around 2.5 million won over my first six months in Korea. I'm not sure what bigger problems I have now. Student loan is paid off and I've upped my monthly "budget" to 1 million. I'm happy.

I'm still cheap though.

Rusty Shackleford wrote:
Quote:
Put a plastic soda bottle in your toilet, so it does not fill up with as much water and collect water from the sink/shower when you wash your hands etc...and then use it to manually flush the toilet. I am not joking...


I don't get it. Isn't water free? This seems to be even more retarded than those people who take water home from school.

I can appreciate that kids are expensive but how exactly does this save money?


Hi again. Water is not free. This one doesn't help me any because I pay 10k/month no matter how much I use or I'd probably do it. It's a good tip!

I like the one about turning off certain valves on your ondol but I just can't figure mine out! It has some Korean chicken scratch on it that doesn't translate to anything as far as I can tell. The only way is to turn one off, then crawl around on the floor seeing where it isn't hot. Haven't gotten to it yet.

- put that plastic shrink wrap around your drafty Korean windows. It's 10k for one kit at E-Mart. It's awesome.

- buy everything used.

- don't take taxis. Use this to find a good bus. If you really want to save that extra 100 won, take the bus instead of the subway. They don't charge extra for a longer trip, and it's faster if you can cut out a transfer.

- if you only need to heat the area around your body, like if you're just sitting around, use a small space heater. It's cheaper than ondol which is insanely expensive for how warm I have to be.
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longlivetheclash



Joined: 08 Aug 2009
Location: Bundang/Seoul

PostPosted: Sat Nov 20, 2010 10:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This is hilarious. I know people like this.

bundangbabo wrote:
I learned of some good money saving tips - perfected by some American/Canadian ESL teachers I was unfortunate enough to eat dinner with a couple of months ago...

When eating with a group of people - order your food and leave early.

When the bill is short - go around questioning other people of what they ate - even if the person you are accusing put double the amount of what he ate and drank.

I don't think a lot of the Americans here need any tips on how to save money (or how to act like a tight arse - exception to the rule is my mate Chuck! Hello mate! Very Happy )
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dudi



Joined: 15 Sep 2010

PostPosted: Sun Nov 21, 2010 3:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Why is water such a problem? Just buy a water jug for 1000won and boil a pot of water every evening, let it cool during the night. Works for me.
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tukmax



Joined: 06 Jul 2010

PostPosted: Sun Nov 21, 2010 5:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I found that using Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps have really allowed me to save some coin. I like them because it is made from 18 all natural ingredients. No chemicals. Also, it has a variety of uses. I use it as my body wash in the shower, shampoo, liquid hand soap, and as a household cleaner.

I ordered a 1 gallon (4 liter) jug from Iherb and it lasts me the whole year. Costs $47. I always use iherb as I love how quickly they deliver to Korea. Takes only four or five days to arrive. I purchased a plastic pump soap dispenser and a hoofa shower scrub for 1000 won each from daisu to use in the shower. The soap is highly concentrated so a couple of squirts will quickly lather up into a nice foam.

http://www.iherb.com/Dr-Bronner-s-Magic-Soaps-Hemp-Peppermint-Pure-Castile-Soap-1-Gallon-128-fl-oz-3776-ml/6983?at=0

If you use the discount code KOR909 it saves $5 off your first order at iherb.
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northway



Joined: 05 Jul 2010

PostPosted: Sun Nov 21, 2010 5:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

longlivetheclash wrote:
This is hilarious. I know people like this.

bundangbabo wrote:
I learned of some good money saving tips - perfected by some American/Canadian ESL teachers I was unfortunate enough to eat dinner with a couple of months ago...

When eating with a group of people - order your food and leave early.

When the bill is short - go around questioning other people of what they ate - even if the person you are accusing put double the amount of what he ate and drank.

I don't think a lot of the Americans here need any tips on how to save money (or how to act like a tight arse - exception to the rule is my mate Chuck! Hello mate! Very Happy )


So does everyone, but they most certainly are not exclusively American.
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