On average, I live very cheaply. I probably average less than 20,000 won a day in expenses, including: food, electricity, DSL, cellphone, transportation, and my magazine and book habit. That's around $16 at the current exchange rate, or less than $500 a month. I have no rent (that's covered by my contract). Of course, I have another set of expenses – about $350 a month support my US-side dormancy: storage unit, vehicle-in-storage, private mailbox. Those costs make sense in the view that living abroad is strictly "temporary" but I'm beginning to question that. But even including those costs, my overall "cost of living" is well under $1000 per month. Of course, by most people's standards, I have a stunningly boring life.
What's interesting to me is that although my income is about 20% of what it was during its peak years 2004-2006, I'm nevertheless saving at a higher rate of net savings in absolute terms! And I'm happier, besides. So, at least in my case, money does not buy happiness, nor does it even buy security.
These reflections on my cost of living were brought to the fore of my awareness because I had one of those rare "extreme spending" days: I bought two new pairs of glasses (much needed and much procrastinated), I paid for my tickets and some other reservations for my upcoming touristic trip to Japan, and I bought my last big installment of pre-move-out groceries, including my fix of good Dutch cheese, Spanish olives, several varieties of fresh kimchi (cucumber, white cabbage and radish being this time's selections), and some fresh fruits and veggies (I have some really excellent 국산 apples). So, after months of extreme-cheap living, I spent over $1000 today! It felt weird. Plus, I'm still shopping for a camcorder, and I want to buy some "souvenir" type items to send back to gift to people in the states upon my return.
Vocab Notes for Korean
받은 = received, accepted (regular past participle from verb 받다)
공장 = factory
폭동 = riot
가능하다 = be feasible, be possible
인하다 = be a consequence of, be due to [attached to preceding nominals in -로 (?)]
매미 = cicada, cricket, locust
울다 = weep, sob
매미가 울다 = a cicada sings
면담할듯 = will converse directly (? how does this end up future tense?)
즉석 = instant, improvised
계약종료 = end of contract
경기안내 = game guide (i.e. schedule)
필요하다 = to need, to require