Assalamualaikum
Gigih buat poster sekali meletop tak? Haha
As promised, entry kali ni MD nak cerita pasal budget ke Korea based on my total expenditure while I was there. RM3232.14 total spend untuk 10 hari which is sangatlah melampau ya. I should be more careful berbelanja lepas ni. Anyway, MD siap buat pie chart kot untuk tengok where my money flow. Gigih tak gigih?
I will analyze based on categories in the above.
Flight (RM841.94 / 26% of total expenses)
I honestly think I did a good job on this one. Masuk bakul angkat seniri kan. Tak sia-sia rajin bukak website Air Asia dengan Jeju Air lik almost every day sebab nak check promo. The amount mentioned above tu dah include :
- Flight KLIA-Busan (RM199 ticket + RM24 fee) : RM223
- Flight Incheon-KLIA (RM367 ticket + RM89 luggage) : RM456
- Flight Busan-Jeju : RM82.63
- Flight Jeju-Seoul : RM85.31
- Food KLIA-Busan (RM19 nasi dagang + RM4 water) : RM23
Boleh jimat lagi kalau bawak makanan sendiri, and also by sharing luggage. Since MD solo traveler, bazir betul beli luggage 20kg tapi yang guna tu dalam 12kg ja kot. Kalau boleh share dengan travel partner memang boleh jimat.
Accommodation (RM668.84 / 21% of total expenses)
Untuk penginapan, for a budget traveler of course akan prefer cheap option which is dorm. Anggaran harga dorm per night area Seoul, Busan, and Jeju dalam 15000KRW (RM57.83). Seoul dengan Busan memang boleh dapat dorm yang selesa dengan harga tu tapi Jeju mungkin kena tambah sikit. My accommodation during the trip are :
- 1 night at Cube Guesthouse (Busan) : 15000KRW
- 2 nights at Rainbow in Jeju X2 (Jeju City) : 36000KRW (18000KRW/night)
- 1 night at Kkodak Kkodak Guesthouse (Jeju Seogwipo) : 15000KRW
- 5 nights at Dongdaemun Hostel (Seoul) : 107500KRW (21500KRW/night)
Dekat rainbow in Jeju I am willing to pay extra sebab dorm dia memang the best siap tirai lagi. Worth every won! And for Dongdaemun Hostel, actualy it is a single room sebabtu mahal. Patutnya boleh jimat banyak kalau stay dorm. The reason I chose single room sebab senang nak campak barang semua dalam bilik tu and boleh balik lewat malam sesuka hati. So dekat sini dah bazir dalam RM100 roughly. Patutnya stay 9 malam boleh ja dapat RM550 camtu.
Souvenirs (RM501.07 / 16% of total expenses)
Part ni lah yang paling tak boleh terima sekali. Souvenir jadi top 3 kot paling banyak habis duit. RM500 untuk souvenir? Tersangatlah out untuk konsep "budget traveler". 10 helai stokin untuk souvenir diri sendiri? Adeh nafsu semua tu. Even untuk keychain orang pon spend lebih dari RM100. Self reminder, don't think too much on what to buy for others sampai diri sendiri merana. Patut limit souvenirs RM200 ja barulah boleh dapat total spend bawah RM3000.
Transport (RM487.66 / 15% of total expenses)
Yang ni tak boleh komen banyak sebab necessity. This is the price you have to bear for the public transport in Korea. BUT! Ada several occasions jugak la yang MD terpaksa guna teksi for convenience. Lebih RM100 jugak guna untuk teksi which korang boleh jimat kalau naik ramai-ramai. Solo traveler should really avoid using taxi whenever possible.
Meals (RM320.99 / 10% of total expenses)
A typical budget traveler akan bawak sambal bilis, tempe, serunding semua tu untuk jimat. I did the same, beli ja instant rice and makan dengan lauk yang bawak tu. Tapi tapi tapi! Macam rugilah kalau datang tempat orang tapi tak makan makanan local dekat sana. Ok ja kan kalau nak makan luar maybe once per day. So banyaklah duit mengalir singgah kedai-kedai like Nakji Bibimbap dekat Jeju, Nakji Bokkeum in Bukchon, dua kali makan Alchon in Ewha, Jjajangmyeon in Baplex and others. Nope I didn't regret a bit pon on this part. Happy tummy is life kot. Hoho. Kalau korang nak jimat kurangkan makan luar. Oh and another tips kalau nak beli instant rice, better beli yang in bulk dekat local supermarket instead of dekat franchise convenient store macam 7-eleven tu! Boleh jimat kat situ. Jimat banyak i tell you.
Snacks (RM232.38 / 7% of total expenses)
Snacks ni include street food, susu pisang, coffee, buah dan lain-lain. Senang cerita makanan-makanan tambahan yang tak mati pon kalau tak makan. Hah camtuh. Sepatutnya beli just nak merasa ja. Tapi kalau hari-hari nak minum susu pisang tu merasa apa lagi ni. So dekat sini korang boleh jimat kalau berjaya tahan the temptation of Korean street food yang sedap nak mampus tu. Haha. Susah weh nak control but yeah, you have to, kalau nak jimat. I should only limit this part for RM150.
Entrance fees (RM102.16 / 3% of total expenses)
No need to elaborate on this part. Entrance fees are fixed.
Others (RM77.10 / 2% of total expenses)
Yang ni boleh jugak dikatakan spending yang unexpected. Contohnya terpaksa beli payung sebab baju hujan yang bawak tu asyik terbang melayang ja sebab Jeju angin kuat. Beli shaver sebab dah berjambang. Beli hotpack sebab sejuk sangat. Dekat sini pon boleh jimat sebenarnya. Sebab most of the spending just for leisure and convenience. Kalau kedekut bolehla jimat. Biar ja jambang tu tumbuh sampai buleh ikat tocang. Takpayah beli shaver kan dah kedekut sangat.
Final words
Bila tengok balik, untuk dapat budget below RM3000 memang tersangatlah boleh. Remember my trip was during duit RM jatuh teruk tu which is 1000won = RM3.855, sebabtu total damage jadi lagi banyak. Anyway, just watch where your money flow. Jangan shopping tak hengat dunia. Faham kan the moment kawan-kawan kirim air liur ja suruh beli souvenirs. We should put our own happiness as the priority. Pastu makan tu control sama. Kalau hari-hari nak minum susu pisang / coffee plus street food lagi memang dompet tebal terus jadi nipis lah. And another thing yang MD perasan, travel with partner would cost less on certain occasions bila share duit taxi, twin room, luggage and so on. Of course there's pro and con to have a travelmate but kalau nak jimat, go in pairs. Tapi kalau partner kaki shopping and asyik ajak makan ja tak boleh jadi jugak.
