Korean Job Discussion Forums

[hanguker]

Now that Korea is rapidly becoming one of the more expensive places in the world to live, I think it would be prudent to start a thread about living cheaply/frugally in Korea.

I'd like this to be a thread of good ideas concerning food shopping, eating out, electronics, travel, etc. where we can save as much money as possible.

I'll start the thread out with a few of my favorite tips, and I'll add to it as I think of more. Please note that I live in Busan, and prices may be different elsewhere. I've been in Korea for 10 years.

Please post your great money-saving ideas! Or if you have a question about getting the lowest price on something, go ahead and post it.


1. Eat near universities. W3000 for any common Korean dish...or on a university campus W2500.

2. Buy SMALL straweberries...and buy them from the back of a truck. Huge basket for W5000 (when in season).

3. Buy fruit in general from the back of a truck.

4. It takes a little Korean, but you can save a bundle if you buy your veggies from trucks or from street ajummas.

5. Do you like tofu. Buy the cheapest brand. (W1,100) The only difference is that it isn't made with local beans.

6. Buy imported beef, but watch out for mad cow

7. If you know Korean, buy anything over W10000 from Gmarket.

8. Don't skimp out on good shoes. Cheap shoes in Korea always squeak like crazy.

10. Buy a car off of a leaving foreigner.

11. Never buy a computer off of a leaving foreigner. They always want WAY more than its worth. Try a website called Danawa.com to find local cheapest prices before you bargain. You need to know a little Korean.

12. Date around the universities. MUCH cheaper, a really good atmosphere and great local food.

13. Don't join an expensive health club. Chances are, there is a beautiful mountain in your back yard. Koreans install nice little "health clubs" on the mountain trails, which include light weights, badminton, chin-up bars, and benches. All for free.

14. IMO you're crazy to buy organic here. I don't think there is any standard board or assurance that you are getting authentic stuff. Just wash all your fruits and veggies well.

15. Get internet/phone/IPTV/cellphone/etc. packages. You can save a lot from getting each service individually.

16 Drink Korean beer and spirits...if you can stomach them.

17. Use skype or other internet calling system. ***Thanks daemyann
NOTE: I recommend getting a calling card at $0.04/minute from a travel agent.

18. Ride a bike around. ***Thanks Underwaterbob

19. Don't live in Seoul. ***Thanks Underwaterbob

20. Addicted to good coffee? Make coffee at home and put it in a thermos for later consumption. Even expensive coffee by the kilogram is much cheaper than buying it at a decent coffee shop. ***Thanks cdninkorea
NOTE: Don't go to Starbucks! Try a small coffee shop that serve espresso-based coffee. I've had some great experiences!

23. Taxis are cheap, but buses and the subway are cheaper. Plan your time so you need to use taxis as little as possible. ***Thanks cdninkorea

24. don't go to booking clubs and pay for 5 korean friends to get drunk on cognac. you can save a lot of money with this one simple step. ***Thanks nicholas_chiasson
Note: WOW, you think!!?? LOL (get your rich businessman buddy to foot the bill on his expense tab!)

25. Buy large sizes of soda/pop and energy drinks. The small bottles are a HUGE ripoff! Pocari Sweat small (600ml) W1200, Large (1.5L) W1800. Powder is even better, if you can.

[daemyann]

1. Don't try to live like you're still in the west...

2. Use skype or an equivalent program for calls home.

3. Don't pay for the net if you don't have to. If you have a laptop, check for wifi where you'll be living before you get a package. I haven't paid for internet once since coming here. If you're more ethical than I am, frequent coffee shops and bibimbap shops, which commonly have a connection, or one very near.

[anyangoldboy]

Spend most of your time on Dave's and never leave the apartment...There you go...

[Underwaterbob]

1. Skip the car, pick up a bike on the side of the road. They are often abandoned for easily repaired reasons.
2. Consume as much 회식 as possible.
3. Don't live in Seoul.

[cdninkorea]

22. Addicted to good coffee? Make coffee at home and put it in a thermos for later consumption. Even expensive coffee by the kilogram is much cheaper than buying it at a decent coffee shop.
23. Taxis are cheap, but buses and the subway are cheaper. Plan your time so you need to use taxis as little as possible.

[Chicoloco]

Drink beers outside the convenience stores - who wants to pay !2,000 for chicken feet in a smokey back room!?

[Grab the Chickens Levi]

I don't get why you'd need to scrimp and save here. I live extremely well and still save an average of 1.4 mil a month from a 2.3 mil salary after deductions. I drink more than I should, eat out around twice a day and that's meals for 5,000 not gimbap and take taxis and go drinking at the weekend. I just honestly don't get these recent threads about Korea being expensive, perhaps I'm living in a parrallel universe or something, because in the Korea I live in an esl teacher's salary goes a very long way.

[JustJohn]

Eat rice

Cook your own meals

Don't drink, but if you must, go to the bars that have a "free drinks for foreigners" hour

Never buy electronics from department stores. Yongsan or the internet.

Hiking here is sweet and free or nearly so. Spend a couple weekends hiking instead of going out and you'll save a lot. Might even enjoy yourself more if you're not a fat lazy smoker.

[Grab the Chickens Levi]

[nicholas_chiasson]

don't go to booking clubs and pay for 5 korean friends to get drunk on cognac. you can save a lot of money with this one simple step.

[JongnoGuru]

You don't have to fly business class every time. Save yourself a bundle.

I've found that after half a dozen Bloody Marys, steerage feels just as good. I mean just as bad.

[hanguker]

[Harpeau]

For clothing, look around and compare prices. If the article is made in China, then let the storeowner know how cheap it is to make stuff there and ask for a discount.

If you have the time and the weather is nice, then walk to work. Carry a bottle of water with you in your napsack. Or better yet, make some green tea or jasmin tea at home, put it in a bottle and carry that with you for when you are thirsty. Or buy a few favorite herbal teas and have them available in your office. Buying a drink every few hours from the store might nickel and dime you.

If you are with a friend at a restaurant, order one Sam gye tang (whole chicken soup) and share it between the two of you.

Do lots of barter. Eg. Have a Korean teach you how to do Photoshop and you teach them English.

[IlIlNine]

right. If you're living it up, why bother even posting here?

My tips:

- ride your bicycle more. I found that the time difference to get to my classes between driving, motorcycling, and bicycling really is negligable. Driving can be significantly slower. Depends heavily on the weather, however...

- instead of cable, just stick with internet at home and torrent all of your fav shows.

- before buying something big, wait a week and see how you feel after. Impulse buys are dangerous (and resale values on our buy/sell board suck).

- sell stuff you don't use on Dave's. It'll get you a bit more pocket money and clear up the clutter.

- try to put a bigger deposit on your house to save monthly rent.

- if you must go to outback/TGIfridays/etc, try to go during lunch - it's much cheaper... and ...

- get one of those SK / LG / KTF cards. it's like free money.

- if you have a credit card, use it all the time. It will help you accurately account for your purchases and you get to take advantage of points benefits (I get 1% of everything I buy back!)

- don't be the last guy at the bar. You get stuck paying for all the deadbeats.

- buy your bread at Paris Baguette at night when they have their day-old bread bags for 3000. Same goes for some veggies -- look in the discount section -- often good stuff will be there cheaper than normal.

[NightSky]

steal toilet paper from work?

fill up water bottles at work...