Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Dev]

This is true when you're trying to save money. I'd like to start a thread that lists activities that are "money saving" That means FREE or significantly cheaper alternatives.

You may mention actions that apply to living in Korea or you own country.

FREE
1. Exercise outdoors instead of buying a gym membership. Unless you're a bodybuilder that needs equipment to hit specific muscles, you "probably" don't need a gym. Go jogging or speed walking in a park or around your neighborhood early in the morning when it's easier to avoid people and pollution. Korea has amazing hills for hiking.

2. Borrow books from a public library or book club.

3. Carry tap water in a stainless steel bottle. This advice is more for you back in your home countries (because most restaurants in Korea provide free filtered water). In North America, every restaurant tries to sell you a 20 cent fountain soda drink for $1.50 or more. Yeah right!

4. Use email & Skype. Okay, one could argue that you still have to pay for internet access. While that's true, email & Skype are only one of many things you probably use the internet for. The point is that your long distance phone bill and budget for postage stamps every month is zero.

5. Go from A to B by bicycle. After you get a bicycle, your monthly transportation costs are zero or lower than they would be. It's true that for long distances, you will need public transportation and in bad weather.


CHEAPER

1. Carry food. Take lunch to work if that's a cheaper option for you. Carry granola bars or fruit with you when you go shopping or on weekend outings. Them, you can skip eating at those unhealthy fast food joints and save money and harm to your health.

2. Shop at thrift stores or websites that offer second hand goods. If you're in or just landed in Korea, look for foreign teachers that are leaving Korea and selling their stuff. Deals are to be had.

3. Watch older movies. Do you absolutely need to watch movies immediately when they open in the cinemas? There are so many great movies from the past that you can watch on YouTube or Netflix ($8 a month unlimited movies in the U.S.A. & Canada). Movies that came out on dvd just a year ago are available at garage sales really cheap.

Of course, there is also the download option for those people who want to do that too.

4. Don't go to big name concerts. Go to small name concerts. $100 to see a big name act in a sports stadium on a jumbo TV screen? These people are playing the public for fools. For say $30 or less, you can see some local or smaller touring acts in an intimate club and have a nice evening out.

5. Coffee lovers! Carry a refillable travel coffee mug. Many coffee shops will charge you the price of a small coffee even though your mug may be medium or large size simply because you're not taking a paper cup & plastic lid (which costs money to the store). Furthermore, I find the lids are more secure on reusable mugs and are thus far less likely to spill. In the end, you save money and help the environment. Sorry, I'm not sure how well this idea works in Korea. You may ask your Korean friends to ask their favorite coffee shops to"go green".

These are a few ideas. Let's get this thread rolling and save some money.