Korean Job Discussion Forums

[weso1]

I used to joke with my Korean friends and gfs about living with their parents for such a long time. I'd call them a baby because mom still cooks and cleans for them and pays all their bills. All in fun of course.

Today my Kgf just told me she has about $40k saved and is on track to have about $100k by the time she's 30

I have some savings, but nothing nearing that amount. I pay my student loans and all my living expenses except for rent. I set some back to travel and vacation once a year or so, and always manage a few hundred in savings each month. But damn, I kind of wish I could still live with my mom after hearing that.

Thoughts?

[jamesd]

[weso1]

[radcon]

OP,
What's stopping you from going to live with your mom?
I would rather be penniless at the age of 30 than live with my parents for my entire 20's.

[weso1]

[wishfullthinkng]

[Jonephant]

She's gonna need all that money later in life when its her turn to take care of her parents.

[johnnyrook]

living with your parents and working sixty hour weeks, are these sacrifices you wanna make for your entire twenties? If I spent my twenties living like that in Australia I'd be able to save way more than 100k, but I also suspect I'd be pretty miserable the majority of the time.

Heck, any long-timer English teachers in Korea who came here straight out of college at 21 or 22 could be on target to make that much if they stayed here until 30.

[strange_brew]

Not always a usual situation. I know plenty of Koreans who live at home and haven't saved anything near that. Mind you, many of them do have more money than we might living on our own, but there's a lot of parental interference in what they can do with their life, money, etc. Is it worth it? I guess that's up to you. I would rather have less money, and not have my parents getting in all of my business. However, I could go live at home and they don't bother me at all, but I prefer to have my own space.

[nathanrutledge]

[Chimie]

Who the hell graduates college at 21? It's taking 4 1/2 years on average these days with many students going 5 years... Not sure I've heard of many who can pull it in 3 without some sort of caveat.

Anyways, I'm in a strange in-between right now, College ended May 5 and I don't move to Korea until Dec 2nd. My lease on my apartment ran out August 5th, and I didn't have anywhere to go. I couldn't sign a lease since they all lasted too long and month-by-months were too expensive.

I moved home with my parents (yay health insurance!) for these few months and it's been great. Not saying I'd live here for years on end and I don't think they'd let me stay here except as a stop-gap anyways. But, I can go out whenever I want, have a girl over, drink with friends here, whatever. Its not very strict... as long as I take out the trash and load the dishwasher every now and again. I could see how living this lifestyle, even paying for my own food and cooking for myself like I am, it would be possible to save up a big stack of cash if you had a decent job (not part-time).

[jvalmer]

My thoughts... who cares if others thing it's 'weird', if someone wants to live with their parents it's nobody's business. Traditionally most societies found it 'normal' to live with parents for as long as you are unmarried. And in many divorced ladies move back with their parents. It's just childish ridiculing someone for that choice, it's family and nothing wrong with wanting to live with family.

[radcon]

[PeteJB]

Ofcourse she has saved a lot - Korean parents usually don't force their kids to pay rent like in the West.

[johnnyrook]