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akcrono
Joined: 11 Mar 2010
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 Posted: Thu May 26, 2011 3:28 am Post subject: Writing a guide for newbies, please criticize! |
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I remember how crazy moving here was and I want to make something to help all the newbies transition and thrive in this environment. This is the resulting guide I typed up. I'm sure I missed a ton of stuff, so if you guys don't mind reading the wall of text, I'd really appreciate the input.
Korea living guide
There are many aspects to coming to Korea. Everyone has different things that work for them, but I will do my best to put together an up to date comprehensive guide for living in Korea that has worked for me. Note that this guide assumes the reader is going to Seoul, but many things are applicable in other parts of the country.
What to bring:
Clothes:
Korean people are generally skinny and shorter than your western counterparts. Clothes are really important to bring if you don�t fit that description, as getting clothes your size is limiting and inconvenient (and frequently costly). If you�re larger than a size 10 shoe you�ll need to bring extras of those as well. Make sure you know the dress code of your work before you come here and plan accordingly, packing a decent amount for both casual and professional situations. It gets cold in the winter and hot in the summer, so you should pack both a winter coat and shorts. Those who are shaped more like Koreans can afford to buy more clothes in Korea.
Food:
Is there anything that you simply can�t live without? If it�s a specific spice or sauce, it�s probably best to bring it here. Personally, I brought over Frank�s Buffalo Sauce and taco seasoning. I have yet to see the buffalo sauce in Korea, and have only seen the taco seasoning online. Many common sauces, however, can be found here (such as A1 sauce and Heinz ketchup to name a few). If you�re not sure, post in Dave�s asking about it and you�ll probably get a helpful answer.
Electronics:
This is more up to the individual as to what you want to bring. A desktop computer is generally a bad idea unless you really use it all the time and have the bag space (they�re bulky and easily damaged). I brought a laptop, beard trimmer, Wii, and US cell phone to use as an alarm clock (since even if the power were to go out it would still work) and camera. There are a wide variety of cell phones available here, but if you have a popular phone in the US, there�s a decent chance it will work here depending on the carrier (post in the Dave�s tech forum for questions about specifics). The best advice I can give here is to bring a power strip from your home country. This way, you can buy 1 transformer (they�re only like $30) and hook up all your foreign electronics easily. Some electronics, like laptops, can run on the 220v here with only an adaptor (check the power supply to find out what kind of voltages your device can support), but the power strip (which SHOULD NOT USE AN ADAPTOR) makes it more convenient since you don�t have to buy a bunch of adaptors.
Packing too much?
The airlines (or at least the ones I flew with) had a limit of 2 50lb. bags (100lbs. total). Any more would cost around $60, which is actually a big value, and I recommend you add an extra bag instead of doing some online shopping from your home country once you get there (its way cheaper than shipping and won�t get held up at customs).
Living and Budget:
Coming to Korea is a brutal transition when it comes to startup money. Expect to get paid around 6 weeks after your first day teaching. If you have the opportunity, contact your school before you get here and ask if you can get a small cash advance a couple weeks in. That really helps stretch your money a bit. In general, you should have around $1,000 when you arrive. This will allow you to get basic furnishings and still have a decent social life and eating habits before your first paycheck. If you can quite get that much, VISA and MasterCard are accepted at a lot of places here; enough that you won�t have to worry about meals or social sacrifice. Check with your CC company to see what they have for international fees.
That being said, the more money you can bring with you the better. If your goal is to save money, a fully furnished apartment will help you save money both by cooking at home and making you less inclined to go out all the time. Another bonus is that you can get back part of the money you spent on everything by selling it to other teachers before you leave.
Generally, the things I would suggest you get are basic cookware (pots/pans/dishes/silverware etc). You should also get alternate cooking appliances, like a toaster oven or a rice cooker (depending on what you expect to eat). Other things, such as a larger refrigerator can help you store a lot of frozen things. This goes hand in hand with Costco.
What Kind of budget should I expect?
This depends a lot on what you want to do. Expect to spend around $30-35 a month for internet, anywhere from 10-70 a month on a cell phone (depend on what phone you get and your phone habits). TV is either already setup or is cheap ($10 a month or so, enough channels in English). Gas and electric depend on the size of your apartment. Expect around $100 for both combined during the extreme weather months if you turn the heat/ac off when not at home. Food budgets can vary by a lot, but using the below method costs me around $300 a month for food (which is probably below average). Entertainment also depends on your habits, but around $50 a night good for a reasonable night out ($100 is probably more accurate of you wanna live it up).
How much can you expect to save?
Going by a standard salary of 2,000,000 won (after taxes, for the sake of easy math) It is possible to save around 1,000,000 won a month. This is what I do: in my cupboard I have 5 envelopes. At the beginning of the week, I take out 800,00 in cash and divide it among 4 envelopes. Each envelope represents a week of spending. Food money also comes out of this budget. Monthly shopping, like Costco trips, comes out of all 4 envelopes equally. Any money that is left over goes into the 5th envelope marked �travel� (my travel budget). Non-recurring expenses, such as buying new clothes, come out of my bank account, as do utility bills. I typically go out about twice a week, so I frequently have around 10,000-20,000 left over.
The 2 ways of converting money for use back home that are most effective are bank transfers and traveler�s checks. Bank transfers are safe and the rate tends to be favorable, but there is always a fee involved in every transfer. Travelers checks don�t have a fee (although I don�t know if the rate is better or not). A great technique for getting the checks home is to date them 2 weeks into the future and then mail them to someone you trust. If they don�t receive them before that date, you can cancel them and get new ones. Bank transfers are better if you have a large amount of money to transfer and you found a time when the exchange rate is favorable.
There are other things you can buy that will help you save money in the long run. I sunk a good amount of cash into a big TV and a nice computer (both used). While that may seem counterproductive if I�m trying to save money, it actually helps, as my apartment is a place where I actually want to spend time and therefore I go out less. When I leave Korea, I can sell these items, thus not actually losing that much money. If computer stuff isn�t your thing (and with the internet and TV content, I don�t know why it wouldn�t be), there are plenty of other things you can do cheaply at home. Get a guitar and learn how to play (there are plenty of online resources for that). You could also buy a Korean book and start learning (if you need help there are around 25,000,000 people to practice on and most of them will be happy that you�re trying to learn). There are many more things you could do, such as studying a skill (I�ve heard that you can get the equivalent of a master�s degree online or in a library), knitting, or some type of exercise. Even getting a girlfriend might be a money saver in the long run (depending on the girl), as having someone at home makes staying in less lonely. Also, having a nice place means that your friends have a cheap place to hang out.
Where to shop:
Food costs are probably very different in Korea compared to where you�re from. Some things, like rice and garlic, are cheap, while other foods, like beef and cheese can be very expensive.
One of the best places to shop is Costco. Costco is a great place to get a ton of food (western and Korean) at bulk prices. Some people don�t like it, some people do. There�s little doubt, however, that they have the best value for western food (especially cheese). It also needs to be said that not everything in Costo is a value. There are plenty of things everyone should avoid because of the price, but there are also plenty of good deals there as well. Things like bulk cheese, cereal and frozen food are all good to get and you can put what you don�t use in the freezer.
Online shopping is also a great way to get food. G-market has things at a cheaper price than you can get at most places (ex: 10kg of chicken for 60,000). It usually helps to have some outside help with it; ask your coworkers or people on Dave�s.
Things I usually make/eat/cook:
Quesadillas; Easy and cheap. Taco seasoning makes them 4x better.
Bread: Make the dough yourself. Really cheap. They have whole grain dough on G-market.
Pizza: See bread. More expensive, but tastes awesome.
Chicken breast: cheap when in bulk. Fairly healthy.
Stir fry: easiest to make (every mart has the ingredients), cheap. Great sauce for it at Costco.
Spaghetti: Can buy the pasta and sauce in bulk really cheap at Costco. Or make your own sauce.
Cereal: if you want to save money (and/or like cereal), have it for dinner too!
Chicken nuggets w/ buffalo sauce (from home): yum.
Mandu: Korean dumplings. You can get them in the freezer section. Delicious and cheap.
Ravioli from Costo: Not particularly cheap, but tasty.
Hamburgers from Costco: See ravioli
Omelets: All kinds of cheap. |
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nstick13
Joined: 02 Aug 2009
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| Posted: Thu May 26, 2011 7:39 pm Post subject: |
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My recommendation:
Most of your food advice centers around costco, a place I have not been in the year + that I have been in Korea. I haven't done well saving on food (I go out to eat too often) but I know it's possible. The best advice would be to learn to like the local food. Eat from your local establishments.
Other non-food advice would be to learn hangul prior to arriving in Korea. www.talktomeinkorean.com is a terrific website for this, as are many others on the internet. The amount this will help someone when they first arrive is immeasurable, and it lets you take that first step towards learning the language.
The last advice is to be patient, initially, until you learn the people you work with and your school, and as needed become more firm/stubborn. Never be afraid to say no. |
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shapeshifter
Joined: 29 Nov 2005
Location: Paris
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| Posted: Thu May 26, 2011 9:33 pm Post subject: Re: Writing a guide for newbies, please criticize! |
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| akcrono wrote: |
I remember how crazy moving here was and I want to make something to help all the newbies transition and thrive in this environment. This is the resulting guide I typed up. I'm sure I missed a ton of stuff, so if you guys don't mind reading the wall of text, I'd really appreciate the input.
Korea living guide
There are many aspects to coming to Korea. Everyone has different things that work for them, but I will do my best to put together an up to date comprehensive guide for living in Korea that has worked for me. Note that this guide assumes the reader is going to Seoul, but many things are applicable in other parts of the country.
What to bring:
Clothes:
Korean people are generally skinny and shorter than your western counterparts. Clothes are really important to bring if you don�t fit that description, as getting clothes your size is limiting and inconvenient (and frequently costly). If you�re larger than a size 10 shoe you�ll need to bring extras of those as well. Make sure you know the dress code of your work before you come here and plan accordingly, packing a decent amount for both casual and professional situations. It gets cold in the winter and hot in the summer, so you should pack both a winter coat and shorts. Those who are shaped more like Koreans can afford to buy more clothes in Korea.
Food:
Is there anything that you simply can�t live without? If it�s a specific spice or sauce, it�s probably best to bring it here. Personally, I brought over Frank�s Buffalo Sauce and taco seasoning. I have yet to see the buffalo sauce in Korea, and have only seen the taco seasoning online. Many common sauces, however, can be found here (such as A1 sauce and Heinz ketchup to name a few). If you�re not sure, post in Dave�s asking about it and you�ll probably get a helpful answer.
Electronics:
This is more up to the individual as to what you want to bring. A desktop computer is generally a bad idea unless you really use it all the time and have the bag space (they�re bulky and easily damaged). I brought a laptop, beard trimmer, Wii, and US cell phone to use as an alarm clock (since even if the power were to go out it would still work) and camera. There are a wide variety of cell phones available here, but if you have a popular phone in the US, there�s a decent chance it will work here depending on the carrier (post in the Dave�s tech forum for questions about specifics). The best advice I can give here is to bring a power strip from your home country. This way, you can buy 1 transformer (they�re only like $30) and hook up all your foreign electronics easily. Some electronics, like laptops, can run on the 220v here with only an adaptor (check the power supply to find out what kind of voltages your device can support), but the power strip (which SHOULD NOT USE AN ADAPTOR) makes it more convenient since you don�t have to buy a bunch of adaptors.
Packing too much?
The airlines (or at least the ones I flew with) had a limit of 2 50lb. bags (100lbs. total). Any more would cost around $60, which is actually a big value, and I recommend you add an extra bag instead of doing some online shopping from your home country once you get there (its way cheaper than shipping and won�t get held up at customs).
Living and Budget:
Coming to Korea is a brutal transition when it comes to startup money. Expect to get paid around 6 weeks after your first day teaching. If you have the opportunity, contact your school before you get here and ask if you can get a small cash advance a couple weeks in. That really helps stretch your money a bit. In general, you should have around $1,000 when you arrive. This will allow you to get basic furnishings and still have a decent social life and eating habits before your first paycheck. If you can quite get that much, VISA and MasterCard are accepted at a lot of places here; enough that you won�t have to worry about meals or social sacrifice. Check with your CC company to see what they have for international fees.
That being said, the more money you can bring with you the better. If your goal is to save money, a fully furnished apartment will help you save money both by cooking at home and making you less inclined to go out all the time. Another bonus is that you can get back part of the money you spent on everything by selling it to other teachers before you leave.
Generally, the things I would suggest you get are basic cookware (pots/pans/dishes/silverware etc). You should also get alternate cooking appliances, like a toaster oven or a rice cooker (depending on what you expect to eat). Other things, such as a larger refrigerator can help you store a lot of frozen things. This goes hand in hand with Costco.
What Kind of budget should I expect?
This depends a lot on what you want to do. Expect to spend around $30-35 a month for internet, anywhere from 10-70 a month on a cell phone (depend on what phone you get and your phone habits). TV is either already setup or is cheap ($10 a month or so, enough channels in English). Gas and electric depend on the size of your apartment. Expect around $100 for both combined during the extreme weather months if you turn the heat/ac off when not at home. Food budgets can vary by a lot, but using the below method costs me around $300 a month for food (which is probably below average). Entertainment also depends on your habits, but around $50 a night good for a reasonable night out ($100 is probably more accurate of you wanna live it up).
How much can you expect to save?
Going by a standard salary of 2,000,000 won (after taxes, for the sake of easy math) It is possible to save around 1,000,000 won a month. This is what I do: in my cupboard I have 5 envelopes. At the beginning of the week, I take out 800,00 in cash and divide it among 4 envelopes. Each envelope represents a week of spending. Food money also comes out of this budget. Monthly shopping, like Costco trips, comes out of all 4 envelopes equally. Any money that is left over goes into the 5th envelope marked �travel� (my travel budget). Non-recurring expenses, such as buying new clothes, come out of my bank account, as do utility bills. I typically go out about twice a week, so I frequently have around 10,000-20,000 left over.
The 2 ways of converting money for use back home that are most effective are bank transfers and traveler�s checks. Bank transfers are safe and the rate tends to be favorable, but there is always a fee involved in every transfer. Travelers checks don�t have a fee (although I don�t know if the rate is better or not). A great technique for getting the checks home is to date them 2 weeks into the future and then mail them to someone you trust. If they don�t receive them before that date, you can cancel them and get new ones. Bank transfers are better if you have a large amount of money to transfer and you found a time when the exchange rate is favorable.
There are other things you can buy that will help you save money in the long run. I sunk a good amount of cash into a big TV and a nice computer (both used). While that may seem counterproductive if I�m trying to save money, it actually helps, as my apartment is a place where I actually want to spend time and therefore I go out less. When I leave Korea, I can sell these items, thus not actually losing that much money. If computer stuff isn�t your thing (and with the internet and TV content, I don�t know why it wouldn�t be), there are plenty of other things you can do cheaply at home. Get a guitar and learn how to play (there are plenty of online resources for that). You could also buy a Korean book and start learning (if you need help there are around 25,000,000 people to practice on and most of them will be happy that you�re trying to learn). There are many more things you could do, such as studying a skill (I�ve heard that you can get the equivalent of a master�s degree online or in a library), knitting, or some type of exercise. Even getting a girlfriend might be a money saver in the long run (depending on the girl), as having someone at home makes staying in less lonely. Also, having a nice place means that your friends have a cheap place to hang out.
Where to shop:
Food costs are probably very different in Korea compared to where you�re from. Some things, like rice and garlic, are cheap, while other foods, like beef and cheese can be very expensive.
One of the best places to shop is Costco. Costco is a great place to get a ton of food (western and Korean) at bulk prices. Some people don�t like it, some people do. There�s little doubt, however, that they have the best value for western food (especially cheese). It also needs to be said that not everything in Costo is a value. There are plenty of things everyone should avoid because of the price, but there are also plenty of good deals there as well. Things like bulk cheese, cereal and frozen food are all good to get and you can put what you don�t use in the freezer.
Online shopping is also a great way to get food. G-market has things at a cheaper price than you can get at most places (ex: 10kg of chicken for 60,000). It usually helps to have some outside help with it; ask your coworkers or people on Dave�s.
Things I usually make/eat/cook:
Quesadillas; Easy and cheap. Taco seasoning makes them 4x better.
Bread: Make the dough yourself. Really cheap. They have whole grain dough on G-market.
Pizza: See bread. More expensive, but tastes awesome.
Chicken breast: cheap when in bulk. Fairly healthy.
Stir fry: easiest to make (every mart has the ingredients), cheap. Great sauce for it at Costco.
Spaghetti: Can buy the pasta and sauce in bulk really cheap at Costco. Or make your own sauce.
Cereal: if you want to save money (and/or like cereal), have it for dinner too!
Chicken nuggets w/ buffalo sauce (from home): yum.
Mandu: Korean dumplings. You can get them in the freezer section. Delicious and cheap.
Ravioli from Costo: Not particularly cheap, but tasty.
Hamburgers from Costco: See ravioli
Omelets: All kinds of cheap. |
Your writing is awful. It reads like the work of a precocious child.
Last edited by shapeshifter on Fri May 27, 2011 1:42 am; edited 1 time in total |
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SeoulNate
Joined: 04 Jun 2010
Location: Hyehwa
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| Posted: Thu May 26, 2011 9:49 pm Post subject: |
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I wouldnt say it is awful. Boring, but not awful.
It is not bad advice, but the same thing has been written on Dave's 100's of times. Search for it.
On a standpoint purely for advice about your article: Costco is not worth it if you are just about saving money. It will end up costing you more in the long run since you will buy more comfort food and crap you dont need. I had a membership a few years back and never renewed it.
Whenever I would go to Costco I would easily spend 100,000+ for a week or so worth of groceries. When I go shopping anywhere else I spend less than half of that. |
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loubird
Joined: 27 May 2010
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| Posted: Thu May 26, 2011 11:00 pm Post subject: |
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I think the clothing thing is an outdated statement. Yes, maybe on average sixty years ago Koreans were more diminutive, but nowadays it is more than possible to buy clothes in Korea, unless of course, you're significantly overweight.
My husband is Korean American and on the short side of life. He was lookinf forward to a land of clothes made for people who looked like him. He has to get all of his pants tailored here. Unless you are abnormally large you can find clothes.
I'm in my third trimester of pregnancy and can't actually fit into most of the clothes I brought from home. Am I running around the streets of Seoul nude? No. I just bought new clothes--Korean clothes--and they fit. |
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nathanrutledge
Joined: 01 May 2008
Location: Marakesh
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| Posted: Thu May 26, 2011 11:07 pm Post subject: |
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It's the advice of someone who has been here a short time.
I have to disagree with a lot of it. For example, I've yet to be unable to find something I want in Korea. Food, clothing, whatever - I've always been able to find what I want. Now, this has to do with a combination of persistence and intelligence - keep looking and learn to use naver/daum and there is nothing you cannot find here.
Electronics - why bring a power strip when you can get the adaptors in korea for less than the power strip costs in both money AND weight in the luggage?
Costco is for the birds. I got a membership there this year and have yet to buy a single thing there for a combination of 1) distance and transportation, and 2) I just don't see anything there that I MUST have. Learning to use the resources around you is a better option than Costco. With careful research and planning, you can get the majority of what you want in your neighborhood or using GMarket instead of wasting the time and energy on Costco.
Also, you do know that rice is insanely expensive in Korea, right? As is garlic. They have a protective market here for these things. The big 20 kilo bags that cost 50,000 won can be had in the US for maybe 20 bucks.
Staying at home to save money is ridiculous. Who wants to spend all their time in their apartment? Their are literally a million things a person can do in this country that don't cost a thing other than bus fare.
Long story short - you're not a newbie, but your advice is only a single step above, IMO. Get a few more years under your belt and try again. |
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murmanjake
Joined: 21 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Thu May 26, 2011 11:10 pm Post subject: |
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| loubird wrote: |
I think the clothing thing is an outdated statement. Yes, maybe on average sixty years ago Koreans were more diminutive, but nowadays it is more than possible to buy clothes in Korea, unless of course, you're significantly overweight.
My husband is Korean American and on the short side of life. He was lookinf forward to a land of clothes made for people who looked like him. He has to get all of his pants tailored here. Unless you are abnormally large you can find clothes.
I'm in my third trimester of pregnancy and can't actually fit into most of the clothes I brought from home. Am I running around the streets of Seoul nude? No. I just bought new clothes--Korean clothes--and they fit. |
ummm, for men this really isn't true, can't speak for the women. if you're a large guy. say 6 feetish, and with a larger build, you probably have trouble finding clothes that fit. |
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shifter2009
Joined: 03 Sep 2006
Location: wisconsin
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| Posted: Thu May 26, 2011 11:16 pm Post subject: |
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| I think the advice also depends on if you live in Seoul or outside the capitol. I am sure you can find most everything you want somewhere in the Seoul city limits. Those who don't, however, have to be a lot more resourceful. |
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akcrono
Joined: 11 Mar 2010
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| Posted: Fri May 27, 2011 3:51 am Post subject: |
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I agree with the Costco observation, but I've found that I can sink maybe 200k into Costco and be mostly set on food for a month. I don't mind Korean food, but I could never eat it x3 a day the whole time I was here (and there are probably a lot of people who can't do that either). I will add a part about trying to adapt to Korean food though, that is sound advice.
As for being a newbie, yea. I've been here for a year. I also don't plan on staying longer than that; I'm going to save up the money I wanted to save and go home. I have a few friends considering coming here (which is why I'm writing this guide) and it would be nice if instead of hours of forum searching, a newbie can find a guide that can answer a lot of questions as well as provide a few tips.
For the clothes, I have a hard time finding them. Not that they aren't available (although this is almost true with shoes), but as a guy, I find it excruciating to have to find new stores that sell clothes I actually want to wear. Coupled with the fact that it is difficult to find my sizes, it just makes more sense to me to get the clothes at your favorite stores before you come here.
| nathanrutledge wrote: |
It's the advice of someone who has been here a short time.
I have to disagree with a lot of it. For example, I've yet to be unable to find something I want in Korea. Food, clothing, whatever - I've always been able to find what I want. Now, this has to do with a combination of persistence and intelligence - keep looking and learn to use naver/daum and there is nothing you cannot find here.
Electronics - why bring a power strip when you can get the adaptors in korea for less than the power strip costs in both money AND weight in the luggage?
Costco is for the birds. I got a membership there this year and have yet to buy a single thing there for a combination of 1) distance and transportation, and 2) I just don't see anything there that I MUST have. Learning to use the resources around you is a better option than Costco. With careful research and planning, you can get the majority of what you want in your neighborhood or using GMarket instead of wasting the time and energy on Costco.
Also, you do know that rice is insanely expensive in Korea, right? As is garlic. They have a protective market here for these things. The big 20 kilo bags that cost 50,000 won can be had in the US for maybe 20 bucks.
Staying at home to save money is ridiculous. Who wants to spend all their time in their apartment? Their are literally a million things a person can do in this country that don't cost a thing other than bus fare.
Long story short - you're not a newbie, but your advice is only a single step above, IMO. Get a few more years under your belt and try again. |
The guide itself is designed for a new person (who can't effectively use Korean search engines and may never be able to). If you come here with no knowledge and to not have helpful coworkers (like I did), finding some things is close to impossible. I have seen both of the major foreign food areas in Itaewon (Foreign Food Mart and High Street Market) and still haven't seen Frank's buffalo sauce. Costco certainly isn't necessary, but it can be used to great effect.
Rice is not expensive to eat. It may be more expensive than in other countries, but it is still a cheap ingredient. Same with garlic.
Adapters don't convert the power source, it just changes the plug shape. Since everything I brought couldn't handle 220v except my laptop, it was a godsend. Not to mention the fact that all the apartments I've seen are severely lacking as far as outlets are concerned, so you'd have to get a powerstrip anyway.
Staying at home isn't an everyday thing. I go out enough. I have vacations. But when I first got here my apartment was crap and I went out all the time. I saved no money for the first 6 months. If you're here to save money, you need to learn to be comfortable being home some nights.
Thanks everyone for the feedback. I'll try to edit it soon (I agree it was boring and wordy, but the point wasn't to entertain). Keep em coming! |
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Squire
Joined: 26 Sep 2010
Location: Jeollanam-do
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| Posted: Fri May 27, 2011 4:10 am Post subject: |
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Looks like a good basic guide to me.
I'd suggest for a basic and reasonably versatile meal; rice, peppers, carrots and diced pork or chicken breasts. Buy those curry sauces you get in boxes here and you can have a different tasting meal every night using the same basic ingredients. Also you won't have to rely on this Costco place you keep talking about.
I'd also suggest buying an umbrella and drying rack when you get off the plane here. They're hardly essentials though |
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cayce23
Joined: 19 Mar 2010
Location: Gwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Fri May 27, 2011 4:36 am Post subject: |
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That's nice that you want to put out a guide to help new foreigners, but I think a major part of the experience is feeling lost at the beginning-- having no one to spell everything out for you.
I always want to help like that too and have repeatedly try to start a guide like you did. However, I always get a little into it before I realize that I would have regretted it if someone made a guide for me. I liked having to figure it out myself. Thus, I only give the most basic and helpful tips to new teachers, so that they get the experience of the first month...no matter how crazy and frustrating it is. |
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Sinnerman
Joined: 19 Feb 2011
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| Posted: Fri May 27, 2011 7:39 am Post subject: |
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| There was a post around about helpful websites once in Korea. You might want to include something along those lines too. |
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marsavalanche
Joined: 27 Aug 2010
Location: where pretty lies perish
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| Posted: Fri May 27, 2011 8:38 am Post subject: Re: Writing a guide for newbies, please criticize! |
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| akcrono wrote: |
What to bring:
Clothes:
Korean people are generally skinny and shorter than your western counterparts. Clothes are really important to bring if you don�t fit that description, as getting clothes your size is limiting and inconvenient (and frequently costly). If you�re larger than a size 10 shoe you�ll need to bring extras of those as well. Make sure you know the dress code of your work before you come here and plan accordingly, packing a decent amount for both casual and professional situations. It gets cold in the winter and hot in the summer, so you should pack both a winter coat and shorts. Those who are shaped more like Koreans can afford to buy more clothes in Korea.
DEODORANT DEODORANT DEODORANT. Do I need to say it one more time? I know this probably doesn't fall under "clothes" but this is the #1 blunder weigooks make coming to Korea. You'll spend a lot more on it than what you would in the States, so bring a years supply. You can NEVER bring too much deodorant to Korea.
You can find clothes in Itaewon for cheap even if you're a bigger person. Suits as well. I'd go against the grain here and say pack lightly and instead using that room to put your favorite foods in your luggage. I once saw someone write here that you can't find large towels in Korea. Not sure where all of the "omgz foreign country do I bring toilet paper too?" BS comes from.
Food:
Is there anything that you simply can�t live without? If it�s a specific spice or sauce, it�s probably best to bring it here. Personally, I brought over Frank�s Buffalo Sauce and taco seasoning. I have yet to see the buffalo sauce in Korea, and have only seen the taco seasoning online. Many common sauces, however, can be found here (such as A1 sauce and Heinz ketchup to name a few). If you�re not sure, post in Dave�s asking about it and you�ll probably get a helpful answer.
I've also yet to see Franks. But Emart has taco seasoning, and I've seen it at a small grocery store as well. Emart also sells tortillas now. I'd say for food if you have some obscure favorite drink/snack/cereal that you're sure you can't find in Korea (i.e. sugar free Red Bull, Corn Nuts, Pork Rinds, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, etc.) you should throw that in the luggage for special occasions.
Electronics:
This is more up to the individual as to what you want to bring. A desktop computer is generally a bad idea unless you really use it all the time and have the bag space (they�re bulky and easily damaged). I brought a laptop, beard trimmer, Wii, and US cell phone to use as an alarm clock (since even if the power were to go out it would still work) and camera. There are a wide variety of cell phones available here, but if you have a popular phone in the US, there�s a decent chance it will work here depending on the carrier (post in the Dave�s tech forum for questions about specifics). The best advice I can give here is to bring a power strip from your home country. This way, you can buy 1 transformer (they�re only like $30) and hook up all your foreign electronics easily. Some electronics, like laptops, can run on the 220v here with only an adaptor (check the power supply to find out what kind of voltages your device can support), but the power strip (which SHOULD NOT USE AN ADAPTOR) makes it more convenient since you don�t have to buy a bunch of adaptors.
I'd double check on the phone thing. We had some Canadians at my last job bring Blackberries and they were told they don't work in Korea.
Packing too much?
The airlines (or at least the ones I flew with) had a limit of 2 50lb. bags (100lbs. total). Any more would cost around $60, which is actually a big value, and I recommend you add an extra bag instead of doing some online shopping from your home country once you get there (its way cheaper than shipping and won�t get held up at customs).
Living and Budget:
Coming to Korea is a brutal transition when it comes to startup money. Expect to get paid around 6 weeks after your first day teaching. If you have the opportunity, contact your school before you get here and ask if you can get a small cash advance a couple weeks in. That really helps stretch your money a bit. In general, you should have around $1,000 when you arrive. This will allow you to get basic furnishings and still have a decent social life and eating habits before your first paycheck. If you can quite get that much, VISA and MasterCard are accepted at a lot of places here; enough that you won�t have to worry about meals or social sacrifice. Check with your CC company to see what they have for international fees.
You don't need $1000 when you first come here. Many foreigners will tell you they got by on half of that.
That being said, the more money you can bring with you the better. If your goal is to save money, a fully furnished apartment will help you save money both by cooking at home and making you less inclined to go out all the time. Another bonus is that you can get back part of the money you spent on everything by selling it to other teachers before you leave.
Eh, I never buy from other foreigners. Usually at ripoff prices on craigslist when it's always cheaper at Daiso or on the street. I just give my stuff to friends like I did in college. Never understood why foreigners sell all of their stuff to other foreigners when they leave.
Generally, the things I would suggest you get are basic cookware (pots/pans/dishes/silverware etc). You should also get alternate cooking appliances, like a toaster oven or a rice cooker (depending on what you expect to eat). Other things, such as a larger refrigerator can help you store a lot of frozen things. This goes hand in hand with Costco.
No mention of Daiso = fail. All of that stuff can be found at Daiso at a fraction of the cost most foreigners end up paying for them, only to dump them in the trash a year later.
What Kind of budget should I expect?
This depends a lot on what you want to do. Expect to spend around $30-35 a month for internet, anywhere from 10-70 a month on a cell phone (depend on what phone you get and your phone habits). TV is either already setup or is cheap ($10 a month or so, enough channels in English). Gas and electric depend on the size of your apartment. Expect around $100 for both combined during the extreme weather months if you turn the heat/ac off when not at home. Food budgets can vary by a lot, but using the below method costs me around $300 a month for food (which is probably below average). Entertainment also depends on your habits, but around $50 a night good for a reasonable night out ($100 is probably more accurate of you wanna live it up).
How much can you expect to save?
Going by a standard salary of 2,000,000 won (after taxes, for the sake of easy math) It is possible to save around 1,000,000 won a month. This is what I do: in my cupboard I have 5 envelopes. At the beginning of the week, I take out 800,00 in cash and divide it among 4 envelopes. Each envelope represents a week of spending. Food money also comes out of this budget. Monthly shopping, like Costco trips, comes out of all 4 envelopes equally. Any money that is left over goes into the 5th envelope marked �travel� (my travel budget). Non-recurring expenses, such as buying new clothes, come out of my bank account, as do utility bills. I typically go out about twice a week, so I frequently have around 10,000-20,000 left over.
The 2 ways of converting money for use back home that are most effective are bank transfers and traveler�s checks. Bank transfers are safe and the rate tends to be favorable, but there is always a fee involved in every transfer. Travelers checks don�t have a fee (although I don�t know if the rate is better or not). A great technique for getting the checks home is to date them 2 weeks into the future and then mail them to someone you trust. If they don�t receive them before that date, you can cancel them and get new ones. Bank transfers are better if you have a large amount of money to transfer and you found a time when the exchange rate is favorable.
God what a hassle. What the hell are you talking about in this paragraph? Have any foreigners actually taken the trouble to do this besides OP?
There are other things you can buy that will help you save money in the long run. I sunk a good amount of cash into a big TV and a nice computer (both used). While that may seem counterproductive if I�m trying to save money, it actually helps, as my apartment is a place where I actually want to spend time and therefore I go out less. When I leave Korea, I can sell these items, thus not actually losing that much money. If computer stuff isn�t your thing (and with the internet and TV content, I don�t know why it wouldn�t be), there are plenty of other things you can do cheaply at home. Get a guitar and learn how to play (there are plenty of online resources for that). You could also buy a Korean book and start learning (if you need help there are around 25,000,000 people to practice on and most of them will be happy that you�re trying to learn). There are many more things you could do, such as studying a skill (I�ve heard that you can get the equivalent of a master�s degree online or in a library), knitting, or some type of exercise. Even getting a girlfriend might be a money saver in the long run (depending on the girl), as having someone at home makes staying in less lonely. Also, having a nice place means that your friends have a cheap place to hang out.
A K-girl a money saver? Is this North or South Korea we're talking? Also this paragraph puts me to sleep. This is a guide to "newbies" in Korea. Not an essay about your frugality.
Where to shop:
Food costs are probably very different in Korea compared to where you�re from. Some things, like rice and garlic, are cheap, while other foods, like beef and cheese can be very expensive.
One of the best places to shop is Costco. Costco is a great place to get a ton of food (western and Korean) at bulk prices. Some people don�t like it, some people do. There�s little doubt, however, that they have the best value for western food (especially cheese). It also needs to be said that not everything in Costo is a value. There are plenty of things everyone should avoid because of the price, but there are also plenty of good deals there as well. Things like bulk cheese, cereal and frozen food are all good to get and you can put what you don�t use in the freezer.
Costco? No. Unless you live across the street from one, don't throw your money away on a Costco membership. I live in Seoul and live no where near one, so do all of my friends throughout Seoul. I won't even touch up on time + energy + travel costs to and from Costco to your apartment
Online shopping is also a great way to get food. G-market has things at a cheaper price than you can get at most places (ex: 10kg of chicken for 60,000). It usually helps to have some outside help with it; ask your coworkers or people on Dave�s.
Things I usually make/eat/cook:
Quesadillas; Easy and cheap. Taco seasoning makes them 4x better.
Bread: Make the dough yourself. Really cheap. They have whole grain dough on G-market.
Pizza: See bread. More expensive, but tastes awesome.
Chicken breast: cheap when in bulk. Fairly healthy.
Stir fry: easiest to make (every mart has the ingredients), cheap. Great sauce for it at Costco.
Spaghetti: Can buy the pasta and sauce in bulk really cheap at Costco. Or make your own sauce.
Cereal: if you want to save money (and/or like cereal), have it for dinner too!
Chicken nuggets w/ buffalo sauce (from home): yum.
Mandu: Korean dumplings. You can get them in the freezer section. Delicious and cheap.
Ravioli from Costo: Not particularly cheap, but tasty.
Hamburgers from Costco: See ravioli
Omelets: All kinds of cheap.
Cereal for dinner? What is this college? This is all stuff people already do in their home countries who can't cook. You might as well mention that there are 20 different kinds of instant ramen at grocery stores at this point.
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It's not bad. But your writing is really boring. Kansas boring.
But you didn't rave about Itaewon like it was your first trip to Disneyland and recommend buying all of your books from WhatTheBook. So points for that. |
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Koreadays
Joined: 20 May 2008
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| Posted: Fri May 27, 2011 4:38 pm Post subject: |
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the OP asked to critic his information! not his writing style.
jesus,.. some of you guys really need to stop bringing your work home with you.. |
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Mariella713
Joined: 22 May 2010
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| Posted: Fri May 27, 2011 4:53 pm Post subject: |
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Why not search the forums and gather information that people from Dave's have shared about things to bring, stuff to do, clothes, money etc...? You'll have a lot of invaluable info and be able to cover pretty much everything. I think you're off to a good basic start but use more info from the threads to make things more detailed.  |
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