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gogophoto
Joined: 20 Feb 2010
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 Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 4:17 pm Post subject: |
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| Scriabin wrote: |
Lets say 500k expenditure a month.
16.5k a day.
Is there anyone here pulling this off in Seoul?
I don't mind living a monastic lifestyle, if I can save money. |
I live just outside of Seoul in Anyang, and I say that your goal there is doable. However, you won't be doing much. here is a breakdown of my regular expenses:
30,000 won maintenance fee (I live in a villa apartment, so if you live in an officetel it can easily be over 100,000 per month)
30,000 won internet--and damn fast, too
~30,000 won cell phone; I have the contract through LG where you pay a base amount and then get metered per your usage. I suppose my usage isn't that high, but it isn't particularly low either.
Electricity is negligible (5,000 or so) outside of the summer months when my air conditioner can make it run 40,000 won.
Gas/water is negligible (5,000 or so) outside of the winter months when it can run around 70,000 because of the floor heat.
So right there I have spent approximately 150,000 won on average per month doing almost nothing. Let's look at the other big costs of your living here: food and (to a lesser extent) transportation.
You can eat a solid meal here for 5,000 won--eating out, that is. You can eat somewhat cheaper if you cook at home. However, the cost of food goods here has gone up quite a bit in the last couple of years, and it appears to be rising even more as of late. If you really want to be cheap, you can eat ramyeon and frozen vegetables with eggs--I did this in the States, and that won't cost you much, maybe 2,000 won total.
Transportation is generally quite cheap here, with a bus or subway ride costing you between 700 and 1,500 won depending on distance. I spend approximately 10,000 won per week on public transportation, getting in and out of Seoul on the weekend mostly. Taxis are cheap by western standards, but but getting across Seoul will still run you 15,000 won or so. If you are doing this alone, or often, it will add up.
If you drink, all bets are off. Drinking beer here is comparable in price with drinking in the US, and the beer is worse. Mixed drinks tend to be more expensive, but I did spend most of my time in the US in a college town so take that into consideration. Soju, however, is criminally cheap!
To wrap it up, here is my general expense plan: 50,000 won total Monday through Friday. I don't do much after school and I get to walk to work. For the weekend, (which technically includes Friday for me) I keep myself to 100,000 won. Mostly this goes to eating more interesting (and expensive) food, and drinking. Occasionally a jazz club with the gf, and a cab.
Altogether, thats 50,000 X 4 = 200,000
Plus 100,000 X 4 = 400,000
Plus monthly expenses = 150,000
Plus 10,000 X 4 (transportation) = 40,000
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~ 800,000 won per month.
This doesn't include the purchase of regular household items; however, they generally come in large portions so I only ever buy them once per 3 months or so--and they don't end up being that expensive. I say if you cut out the drinking and eating more expensive food, you can live on 80,000 won per week with transportation. That will drive your costs down to just about 500,000 won.
But what kind of life would you be living? Who would your friends be? When they go out, what will YOU do? |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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| Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 4:32 pm Post subject: |
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| edwardcatflap wrote: |
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| That's the difference that will make it possible for you. In those cities, should also be able to find a gym for cheaper than 60/month. I pay 60/month for a nice gym in Seoul |
Haven�t you guys seen Rocky 4? Rocky trained in an old shack in the forest lifting logs and going for runs in the snow while the Russian guy had a state of the art gym and regular steroid injections, and guess who won the fight? Save 60,000 by lifting dictionaries/water bottles, doing push ups and jogging round the park. In some areas there is even outside gym equipment you can use for free. I lived in Europe for a month once on 2 pounds (3,600 won) a day. 1 loaf of bread and a big sausage, half the bread and sausage for lunch and half for dinner with enough left over for a packet of ciggies. Useful for taking away the appetite. |
Rocky was fiction. Lifting dictionaries/water bottles will only get you so far. Sure it's possible to build a better physique doing what you mentioned if one is out of shape to begin with. But for most people if they want to build a better than average physique there is really no good alternative to a gym. I'm not going to hike for a hour through the forest looking for logs to lift when I could spend that time in the gym. |
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decolyon
Joined: 24 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 4:40 pm Post subject: |
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How gogophoto lives like that and has a gf I don't understand. Unless his gf is Western and is also trying to live frugally.
To the OP and that other guy, if you plan on getting a Korean gf (which I highly suggest) or even dating, be prepared to go off budget and spend extra. I find that Korean girls expect to live like Carrie from Sex and the City. That means they expect you to have a wallet like Mr. Big.
You might find one that just wants to see you on the weekend, but sometimes they want a night or two during the week as well. They want to go out and eat, they get tired of home food too. Often they want Western food which is more expensive. They want wine with their dinner and then want to go out for drinks after. This can add up to 100,000 or more for both of you fast. On the weekend they want to see a movie, and then get coffee after with a cake. Occasionally they want to go shopping and may try to get you to buy small things for them. If your apartment is small and dull, expect to hear "let's get a motel" maybe once a month or so. Oh, and they want taxis. Some are okay with the subway, but given that you and her are going to get a lot of strange looks from people and sometimes some old drunk fart is going to raise a stink over a precious and pure Korean girl out with a dirty foreigner, you may find yourself opting for taxis to avoid the hassle.
All and all, I found my biggest expense here has been women. If I didn't date or have gfs, I could put back well over a million won a month. As it stands, I sacrifice a little for female company. Sure, I guess I could just get a "pro" but in the end, I'm sure she costs just as much and then there's the added expense of all those antibiotics to get rid of the clap.
So for you noobs, beware the Korean woman. She will seduce and entice you like you've never imagined. She's softer, smoother, and more gentle than those old Western hags back home. She's kinder and seems to always be willing to please you. She wont argue with you and she'll put in the effort to look nice for you with nice clothes and good make up. (Btw white girls, it wouldn't hurt if you dolled yourself up a bit too.) But she comes at a price. And at times, that price can be non-negotiable. Most Korean guys our age don't have the throw away money like we do. They're out working 80hrs a week and working their tail off for pennies to save to buy a house and start a family. Some of the benefits of dating a foreigner are that we have more free time, have more free money, and have better manners (a whole other topic all together.) |
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ShaunB
Joined: 11 Nov 2010
Location: Seoul, Korea
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| Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 4:47 pm Post subject: |
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800k is definitely doable. 300k sounds a bit tight for me... and I don't go searching for western brands, etc... i do like to spend money though.
Simon, where in Cape Town you from? I'm from the Fish Hoek area.. |
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gogophoto
Joined: 20 Feb 2010
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| Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 4:47 pm Post subject: |
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| decolyon wrote: |
How gogophoto lives like that and has a gf I don't understand. Unless his gf is Western and is also trying to live frugally.
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My girlfriend is Korean, actually. But she is my age (near 30), is more interested in going to an art exhibition than a club, and she is a professional. She has lived on her own since she went to college, has lived in at least two countries besides Korea (the US for one year and Switzerland for 6 months) and has an established work history. I pay sometimes, she pays sometimes.
Has my monthly expenditure gone up because of her? Yes! But mostly because dating someone takes MONEY to do anything (although sometimes we do just go to the park for a while). Oh, and she likes to drink, so I spend more on drinking than I would usually. 
I'll add that because my girlfriend has a job and earns her money, she is less demanding with petty things like how small an apartment is or having me buy her small stupid things. She knows the value of money because she earns it herself. |
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winterfall
Joined: 21 May 2009
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| Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 5:04 pm Post subject: |
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| decolyon wrote: |
How gogophoto lives like that and has a gf I don't understand. Unless his gf is Western and is also trying to live frugally.
To the OP and that other guy, if you plan on getting a Korean gf (which I highly suggest) or even dating, be prepared to go off budget and spend extra. I find that Korean girls expect to live like Carrie from Sex and the City. That means they expect you to have a wallet like Mr. Big.
You might find one that just wants to see you on the weekend, but sometimes they want a night or two during the week as well. They want to go out and eat, they get tired of home food too. Often they want Western food which is more expensive. They want wine with their dinner and then want to go out for drinks after. This can add up to 100,000 or more for both of you fast. On the weekend they want to see a movie, and then get coffee after with a cake. Occasionally they want to go shopping and may try to get you to buy small things for them. If your apartment is small and dull, expect to hear "let's get a motel" maybe once a month or so. Oh, and they want taxis. Some are okay with the subway, but given that you and her are going to get a lot of strange looks from people and sometimes some old drunk fart is going to raise a stink over a precious and pure Korean girl out with a dirty foreigner, you may find yourself opting for taxis to avoid the hassle.
All and all, I found my biggest expense here has been women. If I didn't date or have gfs, I could put back well over a million won a month. As it stands, I sacrifice a little for female company. Sure, I guess I could just get a "pro" but in the end, I'm sure she costs just as much and then there's the added expense of all those antibiotics to get rid of the clap.
So for you noobs, beware the Korean woman. She will seduce and entice you like you've never imagined. She's softer, smoother, and more gentle than those old Western hags back home. She's kinder and seems to always be willing to please you. She wont argue with you and she'll put in the effort to look nice for you with nice clothes and good make up. (Btw white girls, it wouldn't hurt if you dolled yourself up a bit too.) But she comes at a price. And at times, that price can be non-negotiable. Most Korean guys our age don't have the throw away money like we do. They're out working 80hrs a week and working their tail off for pennies to save to buy a house and start a family. Some of the benefits of dating a foreigner are that we have more free time, have more free money, and have better manners (a whole other topic all together.) |
This is why I steer clear of korean girls. And also why I avoid western girls. There's no middle ground here.  Celibacy may be lonely as hell. But at least I'm not living paycheck to paycheck. For me knowing that I'll have food tomorrow is so much more important than getting laid now |
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peacemaker
Joined: 19 Sep 2006
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| Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 5:25 pm Post subject: |
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800,000 per month is certainly possible. My budget is 600,000 per month spending money, plus 200,00ish for bills and miscellaneous expenses. And I don't think I'm particularly frugal or good at budgeting. I drink a lot of coffee, both at home and at the coffee shop, eat a mix of Korean and Western food (I tend to cook at home though), and go out to drink with friends reasonably often (though usually low-key draft beer places--a night out in Hongdae will blow your budget away quickly).
The main thing to be aware of when doing a budget like this is that any deviation from your normal life can become a big expense quickly. That friend who wants you to go out in Itaewon for a birthday dinner and then Hongdae afterward for drinks until 4am? Yeah, that night is going to cost you...
Also, I have a contract phone through LG that I talk and text on freely and in two years I have never paid more than 25,000 won a month. |
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gogophoto
Joined: 20 Feb 2010
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| Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 5:51 pm Post subject: |
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| peacemaker wrote: |
The main thing to be aware of when doing a budget like this is that any deviation from your normal life can become a big expense quickly. That friend who wants you to go out in Itaewon for a birthday dinner and then Hongdae afterward for drinks until 4am? Yeah, that night is going to cost you...
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Definitely. What I outlined above is a normal month for me, no traveling. I like to travel around Korea, especially during the months with good weather. Fortunately, getting around Korea is fairly inexpensive and I don't spend much more on a weekend trip if I'm relatively frugal than I would usually wining and dining.
I've also cut out those long nights in nightlife hotspots; you can easily spend 100,000 in one night if you drink expensive drinks, eat western food and take a cab back at the end of it all. For my money, good food is better and more worthwhile than good alcohol. |
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edwardcatflap
Joined: 22 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 5:56 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| But for most people if they want to build a better than average physique there is really no good alternative to a gym |
Yes I'm sure guys who work in gyms would be quite keen to tell you that. And that before the invention of complicated and expensive gym equipment nobody had any well-defined muscles. |
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Scriabin
Joined: 19 Nov 2010
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| Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 6:00 pm Post subject: |
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GOGOPHOTO: Thanks for the breakdown. Perhaps if you continued your weekday budget into the weekend fri/sat/sun then you could hit 500,000 a month?
As for the unexpected expenses - I intend to make friends with fellow frugals.  |
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RMNC
Joined: 21 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 6:02 pm Post subject: |
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| winterfall wrote: |
This is why I steer clear of korean girls. And also why I avoid western girls. There's no middle ground here. Celibacy may be lonely as hell. But at least I'm not living paycheck to paycheck. For me knowing that I'll have food tomorrow is so much more important than getting laid now |
If you're good enough in bed then how much you spend on them won't be the reason they keep coming back  |
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gogophoto
Joined: 20 Feb 2010
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| Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 6:08 pm Post subject: |
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| Scriabin wrote: |
GOGOPHOTO: Thanks for the breakdown. Perhaps if you continued your weekday budget into the weekend fri/sat/sun then you could hit 500,000 a month?
As for the unexpected expenses - I intend to make friends with fellow frugals. |
Yes, I believe that if I continued to live on the weekends as I do during the week, I would only spend about 500,000 altogether. And there ARE many cheap-to-free things to do, especially in Seoul. I drink socially on the weekends and I like to eat; I think if you cut out drinking that's an easy way to save 50,000 per week. |
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winterfall
Joined: 21 May 2009
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| Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 6:34 pm Post subject: |
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| RMNC wrote: |
| winterfall wrote: |
This is why I steer clear of korean girls. And also why I avoid western girls. There's no middle ground here. Celibacy may be lonely as hell. But at least I'm not living paycheck to paycheck. For me knowing that I'll have food tomorrow is so much more important than getting laid now |
If you're good enough in bed then how much you spend on them won't be the reason they keep coming back |
Yea but you've got to get them there first. How much bling do you have to flash before they're believe your pimp cane is made out of Gold????  |
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RMNC
Joined: 21 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 7:17 pm Post subject: |
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| Mostly they're just curious to find out if everything really is bigger in Texas, and then it's hook, line and sinker. |
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northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 8:24 pm Post subject: |
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| My expenses start at more than 200,000 a month between officetel fee and electricity (120,000), internet (39,000 is the cheapest option in my building), phone (30,000), and the necessity of taking the subway to work as I live three stops away (1,800 a day, five days a week). Though I do get free lunch at school, it would be awfully difficult to do anything whatsoever if I was trying to stick to a budget of 500,000 a month. |
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