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Korean Job Discussion Forums "The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Teachers from Around the World!"
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kangnam mafioso
Joined: 27 Jan 2003 Location: Teheranno
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Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2005 6:58 am Post subject: |
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how much money do you need to start over?
after 2 years in seoul, i returned to the states with $10,000. i'll be teaching high school next year. it will be a lot harder/ more hours than teaching at a uni in seoul, but it was time for me to get out of the ROK and get back to my roots/ culture. i want to buy a condo and then maybe travel some more -- at least during my summer breaks. i do feel a little trapped here at home though -- especially when you start paying for a house/car. at least in seoul, you don't have those expenses and can bugger off whenever you want.
maybe you should go home for a month and make sure you really want to relocate. |
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Adam J
Joined: 11 Apr 2004
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Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2005 10:06 am Post subject: |
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| Avoid that trapped feeling by keeping a "Plan B" and "Plan C". |
Zark gave some excellent, mature advice. Digest it.
Ja dude,
I am coming to Korea this August for the first time. The bottom line is, living in Korea will vastly simplify my life and allow me to save money. Two things I'm really looking forward to. Trapped? Living in the U.S. is probably the easiest place in the world to feel trapped, financially, career-wise, relationship-wise. Most young people deal with this by living in a fantasy world of tomorrow, loading up their credit cards.
For example:
Five years ago I lived with my wife in a beautiful two-bedroom Victorian home located downtown in the college town I live in. Tree lined boulevards, all that. Two cars. Four credit cards between the two of us. Two student loans between the two of us.
During the last three years I got rid of the wife, the Victorian home, one of the credit cards, and a third of my student loans. (interestingly, I couldn't have gotten rid of any of those if the wife had stayed). Next is my car and most of my worldly possessions. I call that freedom. It is my biggest accomplishment in life.
My goal is to have zero debt of any kind. My goal after that is to save enough money that I could live for a year without working. With that, I think I could laugh anything in the face.
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"From the produce, Wang Lung in this good year had a handul of silver dollars over and above what they needed and these he was fearful of keeping in his belt or of telling any except the woman what he had. They plotted where to keep the silver and at last the woman cleverly dug a small hole in the inner wall of their room behind the bed and into this Wang Lung thrust the silver and with a clod of earth she covered the hole, and it was as though there was nothing there. But to both Wang and O-lan it gave a sense of secret richness and reserve. Wang Lung was conscious that he had money more than he need spend, and when he walked among his fellows he walked at ease with himself and with all."
- Pearl Buck
The Good Earth |
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drgoo
Joined: 10 Feb 2005 Location: Home, sweet home
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Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2005 11:39 am Post subject: |
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Debt free is a nice place to be. I'm on the same path...
Happiness isn't the stuff, and it's not ridding yourself of the stuff, either. It isn't having more than you need, and it certainly isn't borrowing to buy what you don't need.
I salute the pursuit of happiness in its many forms.
Joy to all,
dg |
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redbird
Joined: 07 Mar 2005
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Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2005 12:30 pm Post subject: |
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I've been moving from city to city in the US and/or job to job every three or four years my entire adult life. I try to get rid of as many possessions as possible each time I move. When I moved from Seattle to Philly, all I moved was seven boxes, sent UPs. This time, I plan on getting rid of everything except maybe a couple boxes of misc personal stuff, plus enough clothes to get started with in Korea.
Getting rid of "stuff" is very cleansing. |
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