A lady in South Korea demonstrates her dedication to saving money from her regular paycheck
JI-HYEON KWAK – A 25-year-old from South Korea started saving at the age of 19, purchased an apartment at 23, and now has PHP12 million in the bank at 25.
Kwak first became famous in 2022 after appearing on a popular South Korean TV show called Master of Living. At just 23 years old, she became the youngest person in South Korea to buy her own apartment, which was a big achievement as it required having a lot of savings. She mentioned on the show that she started working when she was 19.
Over four years, she managed to save 100 million won or PHP4,483,508.40, earning her a place on the waiting list for an apartment. In South Korea, many people in their twenties find it hard to afford their own place because of money problems.
Even though she only earns two million won or PHP89,314.33 per month, which is less than the minimum wage in South Korea, Kwak only spends 8,400 won or PHP355.83 on groceries every month. She chooses what to eat based on what’s cheapest, cooking simple meals or ordering inexpensive food.
To save on transportation costs, she walks for two hours to and from work. Kwak uses various money-saving apps and uses coupons and discount cards to save money when she shops. She also scans all her receipts to collect points. She drinks boiled tap water and homemade tea to save money on drinks.
Recently, Kwak became popular again after posting a video on her YouTube channel, showing that she saved another 100 million won or PHP4,197,843.60, matching her previous savings in just two years. She also showed a picture of her savings account, which now has 200 million won or PHP8,398,342.44.
Sharing with her followers on social media, Kwak admitted that she was worried at first that she might not be able to save again, especially since it took her a lot of effort to save her initial 100 million won over four years. However, she was surprised to find it easier to save money this time around.
She wants to earn even more money and save even more, aiming to reach 300 million won or PHP12,597,351.05. Kwak continues to attract fans online who follow her journey to save money and try to use her methods, with 20,000 followers on YouTube alone.