Here’s a breakdown of my utilities for my first month:
- Gas – 41,860 (~$37)
- Electric – 7,881 (~$7)
- Internet – 13,820 (~$12)
- Cable – free (landlord pays for it!)
- Water – free (as far as I can tell)
- Cell Phone – 18,590 (~$17) but it’ll be 35,000 (~$31) starting next month
Some of these prices aren’t for the whole month, so next month’s bills will be higher. That’s okay because I think it’s still pretty affordable! And, I don’t have to worry about rent or pay for gas(oline), parking, or car insurance. I spend more than I think on the bus and subway (950-1300/trip), but it’s still a lot cheaper than driving my own car. Overall, living in Korea is 100x better for me financially.
I could budget my money for food, travel and miscellaneous expenses, though. I usually load 10,000 onto my transportation card at a time, which gets me 7-10 trips. So, I can go downtown or out to other places 3-5 times a week on that money. I end up spending more on the weekends because I take multiple trips around town and sometimes take a cab. And I could eat at home more or choose cheaper places to eat at once in a while. That’s my plan from now on since I’ve gotten to try different things and enjoyed myself the past month and a half. I got a cash book to record my daily expenses. My goal for next month: budget my money and save, save, save!
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