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MetaFitX
Joined: 23 Jun 2009
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 Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2012 6:17 pm Post subject: Worst financial situation in Korea you've been in? |
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Going to be a lame Chuseok for me. My boss informed me Friday that she had received a call from the local police station stating that they had found my bank card. She told that I could go get it after work. I never knew I lost the damn thing...
Work ended at 7. Went to the police station and picked it up. Walked to the nearest ATM to check the balance and low and behold...the ATM took my card ("stolen/lost card").
Banks are closed Saturday, Sunday and Monday so that means I'm going to be eating an awful lot of ramyeon noodles these next few days (got about 10,000 won on me).
Anyways, I'm curious what has been the worst financial situation you've been in? What did you do to scrape by and for how long? |
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Kepler
Joined: 24 Sep 2007
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| Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2012 6:21 pm Post subject: |
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| Can you use your bankbook to withdraw money? |
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lemak
Joined: 02 Jan 2011
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| Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2012 9:22 pm Post subject: |
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First time I came to Korea I landed at Kimpo with $300 in my pocket. Had my school decided to stiff me I would have be in serious trouble. Thankfully they were above board, but it took me all of about 5 minutes after landing to realize what a moron I'd been.
1st rule for newbies, always arrive with enough to get on a plane out if the crap hits the fan. |
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isitts
Joined: 25 Dec 2008
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Sat Sep 29, 2012 1:13 am Post subject: |
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| Kepler wrote: |
| Can you use your bankbook to withdraw money? |
Pretty sure you can.
But OP, don't put your bank book near your cell phone or you'll have another misfortune to add to your story. |
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schwa
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
Location: Yap
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| Posted: Sat Sep 29, 2012 1:49 am Post subject: |
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| Yeh, if you have a bankbook, that will work at a machine, but it has to be at a branch of your own bank. |
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The Cosmic Hum
Joined: 09 May 2003
Location: Sonic Space
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| Posted: Sat Sep 29, 2012 3:37 am Post subject: |
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| schwa wrote: |
| Yeh, if you have a bankbook, that will work at a machine, but it has to be at a branch of your own bank. |
Actually...it might work.
But sometimes you need to have a different secret code for the bankbook.
It is a 5 digit code...but guess it depends on the bank etc. |
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Son Deureo!
Joined: 30 Apr 2003
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| Posted: Sat Sep 29, 2012 5:48 am Post subject: |
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| My first month in Korea (a little over 10 years ago) I brought $500 with me in cash and traveler's checks, and assumed I'd be able to take out more with my US bank's debit card. I never found an ATM that would take my US card, so I had to live on that $500 for 5 weeks, when I got my first paycheck. I was down to W800 on payday. |
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Zackback
Joined: 05 Nov 2010
Location: Kyungbuk
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| Posted: Sat Sep 29, 2012 2:29 pm Post subject: |
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Ask a co-worker to lend some cash.
Have your girlfriend pay for the meals for the next few days...or find a girlfriend right now and explain the situation. If she helps out you know she's definitely "the one" for you.
If nothing else works buy as much kimbab as you can and just sleep as much as possible the coming days.
Lose yourself within yourself. |
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jonpurdy
Joined: 08 Jan 2009
Location: Ulsan
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| Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2012 3:53 pm Post subject: |
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| I came with around $300 when I first got to Korea. But I had my Canadian MasterCard which I put almost everything on. That was about as rough as it's ever been, haha. |
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heavymetalpancakes
Joined: 24 Sep 2012
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| Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2012 9:18 pm Post subject: |
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Always had more than 2mil in my account, even when I had just arrived (though at that time I had it in cash). I haven't been in this kind of situation in my life.
Anyway, even if you lose your bankcard you should still have some money stored somewhere. It's basic common sense. 
The fact that you didn't take these precautions and the fact that some of you are saying there were occasions where you had absolutely no money (not even in savings) yet manage to be an "adult" is worrying. You're supposed to be role models, not boozers that just moved away from their folks.
Not exactly the cream of the crop teaching over here... |
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Triple007
Joined: 29 Nov 2010
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| Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2012 10:59 am Post subject: |
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If you don't have any money just make sure you have a credit card. I have multiple credit cards that all work in Korea. Having a credit card gives you the ability to always get out of a situation requiring money. My girlfriend and I traveled in Thailand and we got quite sick. We had travel insurance (highly recommended) but the bills were quite high so I put it on a Captital One Venture Card. This card is FANTASTIC for traveling. No conversion fee and no foreign transaction fees. When we finished our trip we contacted the insurance provider. Provided them with MANY documents, some I seemed were unnecessary. But about 2 weeks later they deposited the full amount of money into my account. I paid maybe 14 dollars in interest, but this is a small price to pay. Always have a back up. If you don't have at least a few grand in the bank, at least have a credit card that can help you get out of a situation. Just don't start using your credit card like it is cash.  |
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YTMND
Joined: 16 Jan 2012
Location: You're the man now dog!!
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| Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2012 12:51 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| My first month in Korea (a little over 10 years ago) I brought $500 with me in cash and traveler's checks, and assumed I'd be able to take out more with my US bank's debit card. I never found an ATM that would take my US card, so I had to live on that $500 for 5 weeks, when I got my first paycheck. I was down to W800 on payday. |
| Quote: |
| Having a credit card gives you the ability to always get out of a situation requiring money. |
I actually had the opposite thing happen to me at a supermarket way out in a rural area. I tried to use my credit card and they wouldn't accept it. However, the debit card worked.
Since living in Korea and China, opening various bank accounts, I have learned you can get debit cards that need your pin number, cards that just need your signature, and cards which only work at ATM machines if you go abroad.
It's best to carry a mix rather than gamble on just one. |
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toby99
Joined: 28 Aug 2009
Location: Dong-Incheon-by-the-sea, South Korea
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| Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2012 2:05 pm Post subject: |
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| I've had to go a week with about 10K won a few times over the years. Ramen and triangle kimbap become your best bet. |
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yfb
Joined: 29 Jan 2009
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| Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2012 2:46 pm Post subject: |
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Worst financial situation I was in was during Seollal, in which an (unrelated) outage affected all Nonghyup ATMs.
Couldn't withdraw money with card
Couldn't withdraw money with bankbook
Banks are closed
Couldn't use card for any purchases at all |
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edwardcatflap
Joined: 22 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2012 3:21 pm Post subject: |
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| Don't you guys have any mates you can borrow money off? |
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