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Weigookin74
Joined: 26 Oct 2009
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 Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2014 7:21 pm Post subject: |
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| Weigookin74 wrote: |
| EZE wrote: |
| Weigookin74 wrote: |
I use little heat in winter. I pay 60,000 won in winter.
I do use air con a lot though and pay 50,000 electric. Still cheap.
No water bill. Don't go to Thailand on vacation. Instead hang in Seoul for a few days as I rarely go there through the year. International enough for me, I guess. Lol.
I really had to tighten my belt as the bad exchange rate wasn't improving. Took me a couple of years to realize it wasn't recovering though. Going up somewhat now. Had to be cheaper and pay down debts. Sucks that friends who got here 2 or 3 years before me got a good head start on those debts as the exchange rate was better and living expenses use to be much cheaper back then.
Like you I avoid marriage even when women like me. Hopefully, there are no more teachers cut for a couple more years. I should finally be free barring no unexpected surprises. 
BTW, what's 184? 6'2 or more? Seems a large number of the waygooks coming over have all been 6 plus footers the last 2 or 3 years. Kids in high school here getting that way too. |
This month, my electric bill was 12,780 and my gas bill was 8,410. I was almost tempted to turn on the gas last night just to get my laundry to dry faster. It's taking a week for anything to dry. My clothing rack is loaded full, so now I have shirts, pants, a blanket, and a pillow case hanging from the corners of cabinet doors. It's starting to get ridiculous. 
It's 6'1". I don't know how many millions of additional won it would cost each year to buy the food that it takes to get as big as some people are, especially buying it at restaurants, but I don't want to find out.
Good luck on getting rid of the debts. It looks like you're making a lot of progress. I imagine you're steadily gaining momentum, being able to apply the money you're saving on lower interest payments onto the balance.
| optik404 wrote: |
Your life sounds terrible. I can understand the unnecessary items like an ipad, ipod, etc, but having no friends must get real old.
Curious what someone like you does in their free time. |
It's important for each individual to do what he or she enjoys. When I was a kid, I had to go to religious temples. I was miserable. When I was in my 20s, I went with my buddies a couple of times to nightclubs. I didn't enjoy them. It's just not what I enjoy doing. Many people enjoy those types of places and they should continue going. But it's not my idea of a good time.
I enjoy reading, exercising, playing basketball at night, watching college football games on the weekend on Skype with my dad, cooking, listening to music or podcasts while I cook, eating what I've cooked, investing, sleeping, taking long showers, watching movies and documentaries on YouTube, etc. These are the things I genuinely enjoy doing. It's the lifestyle I enjoy. I know it's not for everyone, but it's good for me as an individual.
I don't feel like I'm missing out on much, because it's pretty much how I was raised. Even though I'm only 38, my dad was born during the Great Depression and the USA was under war rations when my mom was born. Growing up, those of us at school with old parents were wearing $10 shoes while the kids with young parents were wearing Air Jordans. It was a whole different mentality, a generational gap. You see the same thing in Korea. The savings rate used to be so high, even in the 1990s. But as each generation has gotten further removed from the crushing poverty of the 1950s and '60s, the savings rate has plummeted to the point that household debt is a major problem despite good incomes that would've seemed completely unfathomable to Koreans just a few decades ago.
| optik404 wrote: |
| And how does a working adult get by without having a cell phone? Unless you're retired or independently wealthy like KimchiNinja. |
If I was a real estate agent, I'd buy a cell phone. But I'm just an English teacher. I don't deal with customers directly. I just teach their kids. |
Thanks, I'm getting there. I had modest credit card debts and other back home debts too. I let the credit cards spiral out of control after being here for 3 or 4 years. Interest on those eat you alive and pile up over time. Partially my fault there. Belt tightening it was after this. During Oct and Nov, my gas and electric should be the sae as you as I need neither air con nor heat. I do spend occaisonally to get myself set up for hobbies like biking, photography, etc as someone mentioned. But, have tried to be more frugal as time goes on. Provincial public school scales and rising won has and will help signifigantly. (That part can't be underestimated.) |
I go back on what I said. I though a falling Canadian dollar would insulate. But it appears to not be so. As of today a thousand won is $1.01 to $1.02 and falling everyday. *beep* this stupid country!! Put your fucking won up and keep there assholes!!!!! |
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Lucas
Joined: 11 Sep 2012
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| Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2014 7:54 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| I go back on what I said. I though a falling Canadian dollar would insulate. But it appears to not be so. As of today a thousand won is $1.01 to $1.02 and falling everyday. *beep* this stupid country!! Put your fucking won up and keep there assholes!!!!! |
You still wont leave though, will you? |
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Weigookin74
Joined: 26 Oct 2009
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| Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2014 10:47 pm Post subject: |
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| Lucas wrote: |
| Quote: |
| I go back on what I said. I though a falling Canadian dollar would insulate. But it appears to not be so. As of today a thousand won is $1.01 to $1.02 and falling everyday. *beep* this stupid country!! Put your fucking won up and keep there assholes!!!!! |
You still wont leave though, will you? |
Well, I would have been out of debt by now if it weren't for the bullshit exchange rate these last few years. I'll give it a year to see if this is a blip or not. The debt's got me by the balls. I'll just have to go further into debt doing a formal TESOL training and go where you can make some money. I swear to *beep* it's one step forward here and two steps back. You just can't get ahead here anymore. |
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Lucas
Joined: 11 Sep 2012
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| Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2014 10:57 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| Well, I would have been out of debt by now if it weren't for the bullshit exchange rate these last few years. I'll give it a year to see if this is a blip or not. The debt's got me by the balls. I'll just have to go further into debt doing a formal TESOL training and go where you can make some money. I swear to *beep* it's one step forward here and two steps back. You just can't get ahead here anymore. |
What % of your pay to you save now? |
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Roman Holiday
Joined: 22 Sep 2014
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| Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2014 11:12 pm Post subject: |
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| Weigookin74 wrote: |
| Weigookin74 wrote: |
| EZE wrote: |
| Weigookin74 wrote: |
I use little heat in winter. I pay 60,000 won in winter.
I do use air con a lot though and pay 50,000 electric. Still cheap.
No water bill. Don't go to Thailand on vacation. Instead hang in Seoul for a few days as I rarely go there through the year. International enough for me, I guess. Lol.
I really had to tighten my belt as the bad exchange rate wasn't improving. Took me a couple of years to realize it wasn't recovering though. Going up somewhat now. Had to be cheaper and pay down debts. Sucks that friends who got here 2 or 3 years before me got a good head start on those debts as the exchange rate was better and living expenses use to be much cheaper back then.
Like you I avoid marriage even when women like me. Hopefully, there are no more teachers cut for a couple more years. I should finally be free barring no unexpected surprises.
BTW, what's 184? 6'2 or more? Seems a large number of the waygooks coming over have all been 6 plus footers the last 2 or 3 years. Kids in high school here getting that way too. |
This month, my electric bill was 12,780 and my gas bill was 8,410. I was almost tempted to turn on the gas last night just to get my laundry to dry faster. It's taking a week for anything to dry. My clothing rack is loaded full, so now I have shirts, pants, a blanket, and a pillow case hanging from the corners of cabinet doors. It's starting to get ridiculous.
It's 6'1". I don't know how many millions of additional won it would cost each year to buy the food that it takes to get as big as some people are, especially buying it at restaurants, but I don't want to find out.
Good luck on getting rid of the debts. It looks like you're making a lot of progress. I imagine you're steadily gaining momentum, being able to apply the money you're saving on lower interest payments onto the balance.
| optik404 wrote: |
Your life sounds terrible. I can understand the unnecessary items like an ipad, ipod, etc, but having no friends must get real old.
Curious what someone like you does in their free time. |
It's important for each individual to do what he or she enjoys. When I was a kid, I had to go to religious temples. I was miserable. When I was in my 20s, I went with my buddies a couple of times to nightclubs. I didn't enjoy them. It's just not what I enjoy doing. Many people enjoy those types of places and they should continue going. But it's not my idea of a good time.
I enjoy reading, exercising, playing basketball at night, watching college football games on the weekend on Skype with my dad, cooking, listening to music or podcasts while I cook, eating what I've cooked, investing, sleeping, taking long showers, watching movies and documentaries on YouTube, etc. These are the things I genuinely enjoy doing. It's the lifestyle I enjoy. I know it's not for everyone, but it's good for me as an individual.
I don't feel like I'm missing out on much, because it's pretty much how I was raised. Even though I'm only 38, my dad was born during the Great Depression and the USA was under war rations when my mom was born. Growing up, those of us at school with old parents were wearing $10 shoes while the kids with young parents were wearing Air Jordans. It was a whole different mentality, a generational gap. You see the same thing in Korea. The savings rate used to be so high, even in the 1990s. But as each generation has gotten further removed from the crushing poverty of the 1950s and '60s, the savings rate has plummeted to the point that household debt is a major problem despite good incomes that would've seemed completely unfathomable to Koreans just a few decades ago.
| optik404 wrote: |
| And how does a working adult get by without having a cell phone? Unless you're retired or independently wealthy like KimchiNinja. |
If I was a real estate agent, I'd buy a cell phone. But I'm just an English teacher. I don't deal with customers directly. I just teach their kids. |
Thanks, I'm getting there. I had modest credit card debts and other back home debts too. I let the credit cards spiral out of control after being here for 3 or 4 years. Interest on those eat you alive and pile up over time. Partially my fault there. Belt tightening it was after this. During Oct and Nov, my gas and electric should be the sae as you as I need neither air con nor heat. I do spend occaisonally to get myself set up for hobbies like biking, photography, etc as someone mentioned. But, have tried to be more frugal as time goes on. Provincial public school scales and rising won has and will help signifigantly. (That part can't be underestimated.) |
I go back on what I said. I though a falling Canadian dollar would insulate. But it appears to not be so. As of today a thousand won is $1.01 to $1.02 and falling everyday. *beep* this stupid country!! Put your fucking won up and keep there assholes!!!!! |
Calm down. What goes down must go up.  |
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Weigookin74
Joined: 26 Oct 2009
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| Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2014 1:28 am Post subject: |
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Well, I hope so. I didn't spend 5 years waiting hoping only to have one good year and then go back. Anyhow, I've been researching more. It looks dire for the US dollar, but if the Canadian dollar will fall like it's suppose to, it will offset it a bit.
http://www.forecasts.org/won.htm
http://www.td.com/document/PDF/economics/finances/DollarsAndSense_20Nov2014.pdf
March, 2015 1111 to the dollar (US). 1111 x 0.86 (cdn) = 955 to the won.
So, hopefully, if these predictions hold true, one thousand won will be about $1.05 cdn. Not great but better than what Americans face. (Which would be 1000 won equaling 89 cents.)
But long term predicts the won being 1200 or more to the US dollar and the Canadian dollar rising to 90 cents US going into 2016. (Meaning by then a 1000 won will be 92 cents Canadian.) If wages are still being offered at a low rate, this gives many ESLers pause to think about their long term plans here. |
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