Groceries

While eating out here can be incredibly inexpensive, I'm having a hard time saving money at the grocery store even buying just the basic staple items. I'm thinking this might be because anything not produced in Korea is highly taxed to discourage from buying things that aren't local? There's definitely a lack of variety in the things you can purchase at the accessible stores and it requires some flexibility and creativity to adjust my cooking to what is available. Now that I'm a bit exhausted by eating Chamchi jiggae every day for a few weeks I'm not sure exactly what to cook. One thing that is really surprising is that I can't find beans here! Actually the store did offer two bean options: canned, baked beans, or canned pork and beans. No dried beans. There isn't much variety in produce or herbs and spices either and no cheese! Meat of all varieties is very expensive.


This was a sixty dollar trip to the grocery store - not including the plant, candle and folder which were already on the table... The wine was an indulgence at about 8,000 won or roughly $7 - and this is one of the cheapest bottles, and the coffee was an expensive necessity at around 15,000 won - also one of the cheapest bags they offer - and not very tasty.


But, hey, at least you get free socks with your cereal.


And the toothpaste fights calculus which is worth way more than 5,900 won!