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schwa
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
Location: Yap
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 Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2014 1:40 am Post subject: |
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| PureLuck wrote: |
| ... which makes me wonder even more why people throw around these bloated figures like $1000 as your minimum startup cost for living a month alone. |
I'd guess most people would like to enjoy their introduction to a new country beyond cup ramyeon subsistence & having to walk everywhere. Being able to buy basic necessities for your home, eat out occasionally, or make new friends over a beer or two are hardly "bloated" expectations. |
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PureLuck
Joined: 06 Jun 2014
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2014 1:46 am Post subject: |
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| schwa wrote: |
| Being able to buy basic necessities for your home, eat out occasionally, or make new friends over a beer or two are hardly "bloated" expectations. |
Key word: "Minimum." |
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verok
Joined: 11 Aug 2014
Location: United States
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| Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2014 11:12 am Post subject: |
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| PureLuck wrote: |
I arrived with $500 CAD and have been here about a week. Like you I have my parents as a backup plan but I'd rather not bother them.
Actually, I've found it pretty easy to live on a subsistence diet. Cup ramen is tasty and dirt cheap, cereal-with-milk is nutritious though a touch more expensive. And bananas are cheap like they are everywhere, packed with vitamins and fiber which will make your digestive system forgive you for the cup ramen.
So far I've lived on bananas, ramen, tuna, canned peaches, milk and cereal. My two grocery trips were 30k won and 10k won respectively. So at this rate I'll be able to live on about 40k worth of groceries per week (about $40 USD). I'm not even going hungry, but depending how Western-sized your appetite is you may not be able to do this like I have.
Keep in mind that one of your first mandatory expenses is going to be your health exam, which will cut about $80 out of your budget (in my case that's what i was). You'll also want to get living necessities for your apartment eventually but if you're anything like me, you can live a pretty minimal lifestyle until you can afford that.
Again, I've only been at it a week but I'm already optimistic. Are you living close to work? If so you can walk there and that'll save you transit costs.
Based on the advice I see thrown around here (well-intentioned though I'm sure it is), people tend not to realize how easy it is to subsist frugally on a temporary basis. Hey, you may even lose some weight.
Let me know how things go for you. I'm going to try and document my successes if I DO pull this off so I can safely contradict people who say it's impossible. Having a backup plan is always nice, though, so if you can fall back on your parents then that helps. |
Let me know how things go for you as well. I think I could perhaps, if I have a "farewell party" and my extended family is feeling generous, reach $650-700 USD, but there's no way in hell I'll get to $1000 (let alone $1400 like someone suggested).
I find the number surprising as well, because the previous country where I lived I had to pay my rent deposit, I went away for a weekend, paid my hostel until it was reimbursed, and still managed to stay under $800 my first month (I was living in Istanbul, which isn't that much cheaper than Seoul from what I've read).
Once my visa arrives I'll message my recruiter and ask her if receiving a paycheck advance is possible, but for now $1000 is just highly unrealistic. |
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northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2014 2:01 pm Post subject: |
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| Shouldn't this be a non-issue if you have a credit card? |
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verok
Joined: 11 Aug 2014
Location: United States
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| Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2014 6:41 pm Post subject: |
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| northway wrote: |
| Shouldn't this be a non-issue if you have a credit card? |
Yes, IF you have a credit hard.... |
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northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2014 8:03 pm Post subject: |
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| verok wrote: |
| northway wrote: |
| Shouldn't this be a non-issue if you have a credit card? |
Yes, IF you have a credit hard.... |
Can't pretty much anyone get a credit card in the States? My girlfriend has three and she's only 21 and has never made more than $8.50 an hour. You could probably have one within a week if you applied, unless you've already done everything you can to annihilate your credit. It's not like getting a credit card is some labyrinthine process. |
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sligo
Joined: 15 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2014 10:22 pm Post subject: |
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If, when you book your ticket you opt for an open return, it will allow you an escape option, and remove the need for having a cash reserve in case of things going *beep* up. The ticket may cost a little more, but it will provide peace of mind.
$1000 is an amount that will allow you to do anything in the first month. It will allow you to travell a bit, as well as set up an apartment as a home. Frrom my experience, the last owner usually leaves essentials. There will (probably) be pans, plates, cutlery, cleaning supplies and bedding already in the place.
It is nice to have extra cash to make the first week feel special. That is wehen the doubts will creep in. The more you can do to make it feel awesome in the first week, the more chance you will last the year.
Another way to save is to pack essentails from home. The chances are your favourite snacks will either not be available here, or will be expensive. Do a search and pack what you need. |
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Fox
Joined: 04 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2014 10:46 pm Post subject: |
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| le-paul wrote: |
You really dont have to eat shit everyday (cup noodles etc) to live on moderate/low budget - in this or any country.
Do an internet search and find cheap, healthy meals that you can cook at home. I can do my regular, weekly food shopping on around 20/30,000 for 3, good meals a day. I vary where I buy certain things to save money. Veggies for eg, are much cheaper from the street sellers. If you cook for a week and refrigerate for example (as I do), it costs feck all.
Buy a bag of flour and have pancakes with bananas for breakfast or whatever... |
That's good advice. And here in Korea in particular, buying a big twenty kilogram bag of rice will make it very easy to eat cheap. A lot of schools will provide a rice cooker along with your furnishings, and if you pad every dinner with rice the way Koreans do, your food budget will stretch a lot further. |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2014 11:09 pm Post subject: |
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| verok wrote: |
| Once my visa arrives I'll message my recruiter and ask her if receiving a paycheck advance is possible, but for now $1000 is just highly unrealistic. |
No.
The LAST thing you want to do is to get the recruiter involved in this. It may get you left at the curb (or standing abandoned at ICN).
Bring what $$ you can. Others have done it before you. Others will do it after you.
AFTER you have a week or two of work under your belt is it usually OK for a newbie to request an advance on your pay to tide you over until your first payday.
Paycheck? Not in Korea. The term isn't even used in Korea (except perhaps by a few 'mercans".
Cash is pretty common for your 1st pay at a hagwon. Direct deposit to your ATM account is the most common after that. There are no "checking accounts" in Korea.
Welcome to "It's NOT LIKE HOME.
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le-paul
Joined: 07 Apr 2009
Location: dans la chambre
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| Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2014 11:35 pm Post subject: |
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| ttompatz wrote: |
| verok wrote: |
| Once my visa arrives I'll message my recruiter and ask her if receiving a paycheck advance is possible, but for now $1000 is just highly unrealistic. |
No.
The LAST thing you want to do is to get the recruiter involved in this. It may get you left at the curb (or standing abandoned at ICN).
Bring what $$ you can. Others have done it before you. Others will do it after you.
AFTER you have a week or two of work under your belt is it usually OK for a newbie to request an advance on your pay to tide you over until your first payday.
Paycheck? Not in Korea. The term isn't even used in Korea (except perhaps by a few 'mercans".
Cash is pretty common for your 1st pay at a hagwon. Direct deposit to your ATM account is the most common after that. There are no "checking accounts" in Korea.
Welcome to "It's NOT LIKE HOME.
. |
I think this guy is getting the concept of 'recruiter' and 'mother' somewhat mixed up... |
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Died By Bear
Joined: 13 Jul 2010
Location: On the big lake they call Gitche Gumee
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| Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2014 12:25 am Post subject: |
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| le-paul wrote: |
| ttompatz wrote: |
| verok wrote: |
| Once my visa arrives I'll message my recruiter and ask her if receiving a paycheck advance is possible, but for now $1000 is just highly unrealistic. |
No.
The LAST thing you want to do is to get the recruiter involved in this. It may get you left at the curb (or standing abandoned at ICN).
Bring what $$ you can. Others have done it before you. Others will do it after you.
AFTER you have a week or two of work under your belt is it usually OK for a newbie to request an advance on your pay to tide you over until your first payday.
Paycheck? Not in Korea. The term isn't even used in Korea (except perhaps by a few 'mercans".
Cash is pretty common for your 1st pay at a hagwon. Direct deposit to your ATM account is the most common after that. There are no "checking accounts" in Korea.
Welcome to "It's NOT LIKE HOME.
. |
I think this guy is getting the concept of 'recruiter' and 'mother' somewhat mixed up... |
He was okay up until about the last 12-14 months. Then something snapped and he went into meltdown.  |
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SHGator428
Joined: 05 Sep 2014
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| Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2014 2:30 am Post subject: |
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| Having enough to subside on during a first month or two plus a stash to get out if it blows should be the standard, right? |
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Died By Bear
Joined: 13 Jul 2010
Location: On the big lake they call Gitche Gumee
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| Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2014 2:35 am Post subject: |
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Ask yourself this question: Do I really want to travel half way across the world with $400.00 in my pocket? Anything could happen. Then what? I know a lot of ppl have done it on less, borrowed money, etc. But if you can't put together $1500.00 before you commit yourself to moving across the ocean to a foreign country, you put yourself at risk and you potentially give your employer the upper hand when it comes to other things. SOME employers might try to take advantage of you because you came penniless. With some Koreans, you will find that asking to borrow money comes at a price. (Just like back home for all the apologists).
Get yourself a cushion, THEN make the commitment. Works much better. |
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SHGator428
Joined: 05 Sep 2014
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| Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2014 2:46 am Post subject: |
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| Died By Bear wrote: |
Ask yourself this question: Do I really want to travel half way across the world with $400.00 in my pocket? Anything could happen. Then what? I know a lot of ppl have done it on less, borrowed money, etc. But if you can't put together $1500.00 before you commit yourself to moving across the ocean to a foreign country, you put yourself at risk and you potentially give your employer the upper hand when it comes to other things. SOME employers might try to take advantage of you because you came penniless. With some Koreans, you will find that asking to borrow money comes at a price. (Just like back home for all the apologists).
Get yourself a cushion, THEN make the commitment. Works much better. |
I ask myself that question if I'm going shopping. Do I really want to risk not being able to pay for my items and be embarrassed at the checkout if I've gone over? It's a slippery slope. Best to be prepared. |
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candy bar
Joined: 03 Dec 2012
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| Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2014 3:19 am Post subject: |
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| verok wrote: |
| Fox wrote: |
| It is not unheard of for jobs to vanish out from under people's feet here. Coming with only $400 is a risk; it's enough to get by until your first payday assuming nothing goes wrong and you live frugally, but what if that payday never comes? What if you need to fly yourself back home? At the very least having either a line of credit sufficient to buy a return ticket or a relative or friend willing to do so for you if things went sour would be wise. |
Thank you for the slap of reality. That being said, I could get someone to lend me the money for a flight if worse comes to worst. The only reason why I don't ask said people for a bit of money beforehand (*cough* parents *cough*) is because I'm an grown ass 25 year-old who should be over the whole asking for money thing. I'd like to save that moment for when I really need it.
Hopefully, though, given that I'll be working at a big, well-known school, this incident would be highly unlikely.
| radcon wrote: |
| Are you from northern California, OP? |
No. I'm extremely far from any part of Cali. |
Make sure you have access to a way back home, just in case. There's nothing worse than an empty-pocket grown ass 25 year-old who went through his $400, lost his job, and can't afford to buy a plane ticket to get back home. |
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