A guy breaks down his monthly budget to figure out why he's broke living alone

He makes about 2.55 million won a month and lists every expense trying to find where it's all going.

Translated by Klore · Published

Source & context
Trending on a Korean communityView original post ↗
● Anyone gets itDaily lifeMemeHow much Korea-context this story assumes. English translations and context by Klore.
Community postEnglish translation
Anonymous

[Chat] Living alone, my money really just doesn't pile up[잡담] 혼자 사니깐 돈이 진짜 안 모이네

I make about 2.55 million won255쯤 버는데

Rent + maintenance: 250,000월세 관리비 25만

Loan interest + phone bill: 100,000이자 통신비 10만

Subscriptions: 20,000정기결제 2만

Savings (적금): 700,000적금 70만

Alcohol: 80,000술값 8만

Figures: 1,000,000피규어 100만

Food: 300,000식비 30만

Arcade: 50,000오락실 5만

Hospital bills: 50,000병원비 5만

So there's basically nothing left over, or I'm in the red....하니깐 남는 돈이 거의 없거나 마이너스더라....

What the hell is the problem here대체 뭐가 문제인거지

Trending on a Korean communityView original ↗
💡 Wait, is he seriously asking what's wrong?
He's spending a full million won on plastic figures — four times his rent — while insisting he can't spot the leak in his budget.vs. Reddit: like an r/personalfinance post listing a $700 Funko Pop haul as an unavoidable line item.Klore note
💡 Why does 'savings' even count as an expense here?
적금 is a locked monthly installment savings account, so common in Korea that people budget it like a bill rather than leftover cash.vs. the US: closer to an auto-deducted retirement contribution than a normal savings deposit.Klore note

What Koreans said

12 top comments on the original thread, translated
  1. 71 upvotes on the original thread
    Anon· on the original thread

    Turns out he's actually a solid, responsible guy

    알고보니 건실한 친구

  2. 90 upvotes on the original thread
    Anon· on the original thread

    It's definitely not the figurines... so what is it...

    피규어는 절대 아닐테고... 뭐지...

  3. 15 upvotes on the original thread
    Anon· on the original thread

    The answer's obvious, the savings account is the problem

    딱보면 답 나오잖아 적금이 문제지

Read all 12 translated repliesShow fewer replies
  1. 20 upvotes on the original thread
    Anon· on the original thread

    Just break the savings account

    적금을깨자

  2. 5 upvotes on the original thread
    Anon· on the original thread

    We've socially agreed to call a savings account 'the act of saving money'

    우리는 적금을 '돈을 모으는 행위'라고 부른다고 사회적 합의했어요.

  3. 5 upvotes on the original thread
    Anon· on the original thread

    So you're saying the savings account isn't actually saved money?

    적금은 모이는 돈이 아니라는 거냐

  4. 5 upvotes on the original thread
    Anon· on the original thread

    If you break the savings and start using a credit card, you'll have more spending money

    적금을깨고 신용카드도 쓰면 쓸돈이 늘어난다고

  5. 21 upvotes on the original thread
    Anon· on the original thread

    Let's just try cutting down on the drinking money

    술값만 좀 줄여보자

  6. 14 upvotes on the original thread
    Anon· on the original thread

    Damn how do you only spend 300k on food... my lunch alone costs more than that

    와 식비 30 어떻게 쓰는거지... 난 점심값만 해도 30 더 나가는데

  7. 7 upvotes on the original thread
    Anon· on the original thread

    Booze, food, and arcade money are the problem. On 2.55M won a month you gotta cut back on fun stuff!

    술, 식비, 오락실이 문제네 월 255면 유흥을 줄여야함!

  8. 6 upvotes on the original thread
    Anon· on the original thread

    The figures aren't really an issue since he'll soon run out of space to put them anyway

    피규어는 곧 둘데가 없어서 못사게되니까 별문제안되긴해.

  9. 5 upvotes on the original thread
    Anon· on the original thread

    Can't he cut food to like 30k won? Everything else feels like a basic human right you can't give up...

    식비를 한 3만원으로 줄일 순 없나? 나머진 인권같은건데 포기할수도 없고..

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