Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Pablo]

Basically all everyday expenses, excluding gym type fees and any expensive hobbies. No rent, taxes, insurance, pension, utilities, out of town travel, etc.

[jondepoer]

About 800,000 between my girlfriend and I. That's a rough estimate, and it varies. Interestingly, it stays about the same regardless of whether we go grocery shopping or eat out.

[fezmond]

i aim for 600 a month but usually spend closer to 800. included in that is eating out most days, my t-money and booze. would be much lower without any beer though.

[The Floating World]

A frugal month which would include my evenings and weekends consisting of downloaded shows and movies, only drinking Korean booze outside with my friends and eating Korean food or doing my own cooking would be 600,000 won plus bills.

That would in no way be a hardship / poverty experience that was in any way whatsoever difficult to do.

A month where I go to an expat bar two weekends a month and eat foriegn food at weekends and foriegn snacks in the evening would be around 800,000 won.

Hell these days a real blowout month will only set me back 1mil and at my age it's rare I can be bothered with that any more.

I used to (in my first two years) somehow blow almost my whol epaycheck every month. I then started saving a mil or more each month as soon as I got paid and bizarelly founf my lifestyle was exactly the same anyway. Lord knows where all the extra cash used to go in those first two years...

Korea is a very easy place to live comfortably in on an esl teacher's wage and still save an minimum of 1mil a month on even a 2.1 mil salary.

[VTsoi]

In a normal month, I don't find it difficult to keep it at around 400 to 500k.


Even with travel or impulse purchases I've only spent more than 800k in one month once, and that was because of a vacation abroad.

[CPT]

I'm usually at about 200 a week, eating out most meals, but not going out drinking very often.

[jonpurdy]

If I don't shop, about 800k. If I shop or travel somewhere, about one million won.

[CanadaSteve]

A totally ridiculous amount. Just food is 1m. Throw in going out (although we dont go often), supplements and discretionary spending and it's easily 2-3m a month for just two people. Need to cut way back

[motiontodismiss]

For what you get, way too much. You basically have third world wages and Europe COL.

[PatrickBateman]

1,000,000+

Shopping.
Going out.
Shopping.
Going out.
Shopping online and having things sent to me.

[adzee1]

I spend approx 200,000 per week and that is considering I am paying for 2 people ( me and my wife). If i were single i think i could survive on half of this.

I spend about 100,000 on food ( which includes 2 / 3 meals out per week) and the rest we cook at home.
Then the other 100,000 on either shopping, going out usually once per weekend and any trips we may take.

After I pay bills I am usually left with about 1.2m to save.

[kraggy]

I don't understand how people can live on less than 600,000 per month, never mind 400,000.

I try my best to be frugal and can't get below 700,000.

Example of daily food

Breakfast
cereal (with milk)

lunch
sandwiches (bread, cheese, mayo), bananas

dinner
potatoes, broccoli, carrots, ommelette

That sort of daily diet together with toothpaste, washing detergent, water, washing up liquid, shampoo, soap, etc together with my subway to and from work means I have a minimum daily spend of 12,000.

That's 84,000 per week. But that's before

Cinema (9000)
A few cheap beers bought from Homeplus for a Friday night (e.g. 10,000)
One night out in a bar per month (50,000)
Eating out once per week (I cook every day except at weekends; 15,000)
Other things, like last week I HAD to buy a pair of Jeans (38,000).

I feel like I'm really watching every cent but I just can't get below 700,000 per month (outside of bills).

Anyone who spends just 400,00 per month can't have much of a life. I spend every weekday evening in my aparment, I couldn't imagine doing it at the weekends as well.

[adzee1]

[sirius black]