Paying rent in Korea is a little different….ok, a lot different.

Korea is a cash environment - I told you that already, right?

So what does that mean?…

Well, it means you have to pay in Korean won.

No checks, no automatic payment set-ups, no military allotments.

Cash only…and you wind up counting it over & over to make sure you’ve got it all.

It doesn’t sound like quite a chore, but it is…and it’s a tedious, painful one.

Eric gets paid in US dollars which means we have to exchange it for Korean won.

And depending on which way the dollar is blowing our actual rent varies from month to month.

So while there is a fixed rent cost, we don’t pay a fixed amount.

When the won’s up, our rent is cheaper. When the won’s down, our rent is more expensive.

And unfortunately, Uncle Sam doesn’t compensate for the fluctuations. It’s one of those hidden costs of being stationed in Korea that no one tells you about & it makes budgeting harder.

It also means you walk around with a lot more cash than you’re comfortable carrying – or at least more than I’m comfortable carrying.

I feel like a drug dealer carrying all that cash.