Korean Job Discussion Forums

kentucker4 · Joined: 03 Sep 2007 Location: Georgia

How much are most of you saving up here every month? I am spending about $150-200 every week. I only spend $50 or so during the week and then splurge on the weekends.

nomad-ish · Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 6:20 pm Post subject: Re: Saving up money

ajgeddes · Joined: 28 Apr 2004 Location: Yongsan

I spend about $200 a week as well. The odd week I come out lucky and only spend $100, but then some weeks I spend more.

seoul101 · Joined: 13 May 2006 Location: Seoul

Probably about the same for me, maybe a little less - but occasionally spend a few hundred on expensive things. It sometimes amazes me to hear stories of people saving just 1 or 2 million a year here..

sojourner1 · Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 6:54 pm Post subject:

I spend around 150 to 200 a week too. The food is not cheap if you are buying fresh food to cook and eat at home as it does cost more to cook which is one reason why most people don't cook much at home. You can reduce your food cost if you have small restaurants within walking distance of where you live and work, because you could eat for about 10,000 won a day or 70,000 won a week. Even less if you scrimp by on street stall food as it is solo person fare. This doesn't include extras like beer, soda, and any other luxuries; only cheap Korean food such as gimchee jigae and gimbap. The problem I have with eating Korean food is that restaurants don't serve just one person and it is improper and strange to be alone. You really look like a nutter if you're alone in a restaurant, that is if they even let you in and serve you. If you can order for delivery via motor bike, then you could order for 2 if home alone. I just don't feel comfortable about trying to order delivery food.

I do enjoy Korean food with a Korean friend 2 nights a week with our favorite being gamjatang which I spend about 30,000 a week doing. Gamjatang has to be the best Korean meal, except for the 200,000+ won royal meals in Seoul I have only read about, though never eaten.

Beer drinking adds up if you are a regular drinker. Taxi rides also add up if you are running around a lot. Western restaurants will kill the wallet and are not worth it for what you get at those prices. Restaurants like TGIF and Outback steakhouse are NOT the real deal like you get in western countries so just forget about steaks and prime rib with baked potato for the time being.

normalcyispasse · Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 7:21 pm Post subject:

I spend about $150 a week on average.

$100 on food
$15 for gym

That's about it; I might spend more on some weekends wherein I travel, but I don't spend a lot of cash.

ella · Joined: 17 Apr 2006

Some of the fresh fruits and vegetables here can be pretty pricey. I'm not a drinker but I do expect good quality food. Add to that dry cleaning, transportation, utilities, medical/dental bills, English books, things shipped from home... all ended up being more expensive than I'd anticipated.

nomad-ish · Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 7:28 pm Post subject:

i only spend about 100,000W/week, and that includes some grocery shopping (i don't cook much), take-away, eating out and having drinks with friends 2 or 3 times a week. if i decide to go to seoul for a day to do some sightseeing, it's more, but i hardly do that every week.

Justin Hale · Joined: 24 Nov 2007 Location: the Straight Talk Express

poet13 · Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 7:33 pm Post subject:

With a wife and 3 year old, we burn about 180,000 a week on food and entertainment. We do eat well, but not 'western' at all. That's not including heating oil, electricity, internet, cable, and the regular household and clothing acquisitions necessary to get them settled here.

livinginkunsan · Joined: 02 Dec 2006

The wife and I have a budget of 1.7 million a month. We try to stick to that.

IncognitoHFX · Joined: 06 May 2007 Location: Yeongtong, Suwon

littlelisa · Joined: 12 Jun 2007 Location: Seoul

Travel costs more. I'm spending a lot this month because I'll be going on vacation for almost two weeks, and I already went on a trip to Daegu this past weekend.

I've only been working for a bit over two months so far, so there hasn't been a "normal" month; there've always been extra expenses for something or other. Last month, for example, I bought an oven and baking supplies. The month before I bought even more stuff to make my apt more lived in. This month I bought my plane tickets for my vacation. I still need some more things.. I want to buy a hand blender and a food processor, a candy thermometer, and a few other things.

The bulk of my spending so far has been on travel, food and swing dance. I don't eat out, but I buy fresh stuff to cook with. I buy stuff to bake with (flour, sugar, cream, unsalted butter) that I go through fairly quickly when I'm in a baking mood. I don't drink or go clubbing, but I go dancing 4-5 times a week (at 5,000 - 7,000 won each dance night). I also host dinner parties. I seem to average once a month.

But hey, I live well, and I'm still saving. I have no debts to pay, and would rather live well than scrimp and save. Despite having said that, though, I am a fairly cheap person in general, and tend to save more than I spend.

venus · Joined: 25 Oct 2006 Location: Near Seoul

Justin Hale · Joined: 24 Nov 2007 Location: the Straight Talk Express

Korea is the most overpriced place I've ever seen - and I've been around.

As I said, with the sole exceptions of public transport and plebian Korean food, the difference between the cost of goods and services in Korea and in the West is not appreciable and in the case of fresh fruit and veg, more expensive in Korea.

If you have a high tolerance for Korean alcohol, staying home with a good book on Saturday nights and soup and rice, you'll have little problem saving half a 2.2m salary. If you have a bit of taste, depth and discernment, on the other hand, forget it.