Behold the Korean electric bill!
Last June we burned over 800 kilowatts…or roughly $350 US dollars.
(And that was the smallest of our summer bills.)
At the height, we paid just under $700 – and don’t be confused, thinking we were living at a constant 68 degrees. Oh we were constant alright, constantly miserable.
Our bedroom at night would cool down to a chilly 83 degrees – just cool enough to toss & turn on night on top of the covers. And that was with running the room’s a/c unit non-stop.
With the move coming up in December, we’ve been trying to squirrel away money left & right – moving is costly enough, but having to move halfway around the world again…massively expensive…and the Army only covers so much.
So this year we went to extremes.
We moved our bedroom into the smaller upstairs bedroom and we converted the downstairs bedroom into our living room. Each has it’s own a/c unit – there’s no such thing as central heat & air in Korea.
I bought tension rods to hang in the door frames & put up black-out curtains to keep the cold air in, but still allow the dog & cat to come & go without us having to constantly get up to let them in or out.
So essentially we’ve been living in 200 square feet.
I don’t cook in the kitchen at all – unless it’s the microwave or the crock pot. Most dinners are made on the grill outside.
Yes, we look like hillbillies. Yes, we’ve been mocked by neighbors thinking we’re crazy. But at this point, I just don’t care – laugh all you want.
Our bill this month was only 104,000 won! That’s only $98 US!
41°F
OMG !!! $98 That is AWESOME! Great job.
I’m happy if I can keep it under $300.
Hillbilly schmillbilly … Let them mock you all they want, food on the grill is great.
The’ve obviously have never been to Texas were we grill out all year long.
Next time ya’ll are home we need to have a BBQ !!!!
I am so impressed, and you could not be more correct about needing money upon your return. Now Keep in mind I did not get TLA for our return so the cost was pretty high. I think food lodging and everything ran us around 500$. But then we had to come up with 1,250 to get into our new house (which I love!), and then had too purchase another 500$ worth of stuff to have airbeds to sleep on and sheets and dishes. (Family of 3 at this point). I left the twin beds behind in Korea to dump weight and purchased two new fulls cause the boys are getting big, 700$. I purchased a bed because my back could not take any more airbed time (MRI reveals bulging disks in my mid back and neck). So, super ultra supreme matress on clearance 485$. Ok we splurged on a huge tv, but it was the display model on sale at Walmart (OHHHH how I love Walmart!) 420$. The same tv would be 1,200$ at the px there!. So, score. Ummm, yeah. New used car 14,500$. Paid in 6,000$ down payment. Now I have a car payment for 146$ for the next 5 years, or until the next 2 tax returns pay it off. How did it all get paid for? 3 years of saved up tax returns, I kid you not.
Grand total 16,260$ US.
Where I’m living (in the states) our first summer electric bill was over $400. Come to find out, no one around here cooks inside in the summer. There’s not even a Papa John’s because no one is willing to use their own oven. Hillbilly would be using the crock pot outside. But really, your neighbors have chickens in a pink crate in the backyard. I think you’re good.