Creating Investment Plans with GPT - AI Wealth-Building Strategies

Introduction

You resolve "I need to save," but don't know where to start cutting. "I'm already spending the minimum?" "What more can I cut?" Sound familiar?

But when you actually look closely at your budget, there's quite a bit of money leaking without us realizing it. Morning convenience store coffee (2,500 won × 20 days = 50,000 won / ~$38), evening taxi rides home (10,000 won × 4 times monthly = 40,000 won / ~$30), impulse-bought clothes and accessories (average 100,000 won monthly / $75)... These add up to over 200-300,000 won ($150-225) monthly.

Using AI, you can closely analyze your spending patterns to find items you can cut without pain. It distinguishes between "cutting this would make life too uncomfortable" and "cutting this probably wouldn't be too inconvenient," providing realistically actionable savings ideas step by step!

Category-by-Category Savings Ideas

Real Example 1: Reducing Fixed Costs

My input:

Fixed costs are too burdensome. Tell me how to reduce them.

Fixed expenses:
- Rent: 600,000 won (~$450) (1 year left on contract)
- Maintenance: 120,000 won (~$90) (electricity+water+heating)
- Internet: 38,000 won (~$29) (SK 100Mbps)
- Phone: 65,000 won (~$49) (unlimited plan)
- Netflix: 17,000 won (~$13) (Premium)
- YouTube Premium: 14,000 won (~$11)
- Melon: 13,000 won (~$10)
- Coupang Wow: 4,900 won (~$4) (annual fee)
- Gym: 70,000 won (~$53)

Total: 942,900 won (~$707) / month

Claude's response:

Fixed Cost Savings Plan

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Immediate Action (Starting this month):

1. Reduce utility bills (-28,000 won/month)

Item	Current	Improvement	Savings
Phone	65,000	38,000	-27,000
Internet	38,000	37,000	-1,000

How to improve:

• Phone: Unlimited plan → 11GB data plan

  • "Do you really use unlimited every month?"
  • Check last 3 months usage: Settings → Data usage
  • Usually under 8GB is sufficient for mid-tier plan
  • Budget carriers recommended: 50,000 → 28,000 won (same network)

• Internet: SK → Inquire about KT/LG change

  • New subscriber promotions (6 months free, etc.)
  • Threaten to cancel with existing carrier → Get retention discount offer

2. Organize subscription services (-18,900 won/month)

Service	Current	Improvement	Savings
Netflix	17,000	9,500	-7,500
YouTube Premium	14,000	0	-14,000
Melon	13,000	10,900	-2,100
Coupang Wow	4,900	Keep	0

How to improve:

• Netflix: Premium → Basic

  • How often do you actually watch in 4K?
  • On phone/laptop, quality difference barely noticeable

• YouTube Premium: Cancel

  • Are ads worth 14,000 won monthly?
  • 168,000 won savings annually!
  • If really inconvenient, use Brave browser (blocks ads)

• Melon: Individual → Student/family plan or YouTube Music (free)

3. Reduce maintenance (-15,000 won/month)

Item	Current	Target	Savings
Electricity	~50,000	35,000	-15,000

How to improve:

• Cut standby power (turn off power strips): Save 5,000 won monthly
• Refrigerator optimal temp (fridge 3-4°C, freezer -18°C): 3,000 won monthly
• Electric blanket/heater → Thermal underwear+blanket: 7,000 won monthly (winter)
• AC time adjustment (late-night electricity): 5,000 won monthly (summer)

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Mid-term Plan (Within 3-6 months):

4. Gym → Home workout (-70,000 won/month)

Current:

• Gym: 70,000 won/month = 840,000 won/year

Alternative 1: Public gym

• District sports center: 30,000 won/month
• Savings: 40,000 won/month = 480,000 won/year

Alternative 2: Home workout (1-year basis)

• Yoga mat (50,000) + Dumbbells (40,000) + Bands (20,000) = 110,000 won
• Use free YouTube home workout channels
• After 1 year calculation: 840,000 - 110,000 = 730,000 won savings

Alternative 3: Hybrid

• Mainly home workout + Day pass (twice monthly): 20,000 won/month
• Savings: 50,000 won/month = 600,000 won/year

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Long-term Plan (When contract expires):

5. Rent renegotiation or moving (in 1 year)

Strategy 1: Renegotiation at renewal

• "I'll stay another year, please reduce by 50,000 won"
• Landlord perspective: Wants to avoid vacancy period
• Success rate 30-40%, can save 30-50,000 won monthly

Strategy 2: Use jeonse loan

• Increase deposit, lower rent
• Rent 600,000 → Deposit 30 million + Rent 400,000 won
• Loan interest (4%): 100,000 won monthly
• Actual savings: 100,000 won monthly

Strategy 3: Move

• Station-adjacent → One station away
• Rent 100-150,000 won cheaper
• Considering increased transit costs (30,000 won monthly), net savings 70-120,000 won

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📊 Stage-by-Stage Savings Summary

Stage	Item	Monthly Savings	Difficulty
Immediate	Utilities	28,000	⭐ Easy
Immediate	Subscriptions	18,900	⭐ Easy
Immediate	Maintenance	15,000	⭐⭐ Moderate
Mid-term	Gym	40,000	⭐⭐ Moderate
Long-term	Rent	50,000	⭐⭐⭐ Difficult

Immediate execution: Save 61,900 won monthly In 1 year: 742,800 won savings!

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✅ This Week's Action Items

Monday:

• Check phone data usage last 3 months
• Search budget carrier plans (freet.co.kr)

Tuesday:

• Call internet provider to threaten cancellation (get discount offer)
• Change Netflix plan (Premium→Basic)

Wednesday:

• Cancel YouTube Premium (backup playlists)
• Check Melon plan

Thursday:

• Check home standby power (unplug unused appliances)
• Buy power strips (with individual switches)

Friday:

• Check gym attendance rate (in app)
• Consider canceling if twice/week or less

Weekend:

• Search public gyms (ourtown-sports.com)
• Look up home workout videos (test for 1 week)

Real Example 2: Reducing Variable Costs

My input:

Too much money leaking every month. What specifically should I cut?

March variable costs:
- Taxi: 80,000 won (~$60) (4 rides home after drinking)
- Convenience store: 120,000 won (~$90) (late-night snacks/drinks/snacks)
- Delivery food: 150,000 won (~$113) (3-4 times/week)
- Cafés: 90,000 won (~$68) (5 days/week)
- Drinking/dining: 180,000 won (~$135) (twice/week)
- Impulse purchases: 250,000 won (~$188) (shopping malls/Daiso)

Total: 870,000 won (~$653)

Claude's response:

Variable Cost Savings Operation 🎯

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Problem Diagnosis:

Variable costs of 870,000 won are considerably high!

• Single-person household average variable costs: 400-500,000 won
• You're spending 1.7× the average

Biggest Problems:

1. Impulse purchases 250,000 won (28.7%)
2. Drinking/dining 180,000 won (20.7%)
3. Delivery food 150,000 won (17.2%)

→ Just these 3 items = 580,000 won (67%)

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Priority 1: Stop Impulse Purchases (-150,000 won)

Current: 250,000 won Target: 100,000 won (only necessities)

💰 Specific Methods:

1. 24-Hour Rule

• Want to buy something? Just add to cart
• Still need it 24 hours later? Then purchase
• Experience shows 70% won't feel needed next day
• Savings: 170,000 won

2. Set Shopping Budget

• Transfer only 100,000 won to shopping account on 1st of month
• Shop only with that money
• All spent? Wait until next month

3. Note Before Daiso

• "Why did I come here?" → Classic impulse-buy pattern
• Buy only what's noted
• Savings: 50,000 won monthly

4. Block Ads

• Turn off shopping app notifications
• Unsubscribe from marketing emails
• Block Instagram shopping tags

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Priority 2: Reduce Drinking/Dining (-80,000 won)

Current: 180,000 won (twice/week, 45,000 won per time) Target: 100,000 won (once/week, 50,000 won per time)

Methods:

1. Reduce frequency: Twice/week → Once/week

• Cut one weekday gathering
• Not "let's drink next time~" but
• "I have plans this week, let's go the week after next!"
• Savings: 50,000 won monthly

2. Don't go to round 2

• Round 1 only → Go straight home
• Round 2 cost: Average 20,000 won
• 4 round 2s → 2: Save 40,000 won monthly

3. Change drinking venue

• Beer house/BBQ (40-50,000 won) → Izakaya/Pocha (20-30,000 won)
• Similar atmosphere, half the price

4. Suggest home drinking

• If close friends, gather at someone's home
• Convenience store drinks+snacks: 8,000 won per person
• External drinking: 40,000 won per person
• Savings: 32,000 won per time

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Priority 3: Reduce Delivery Food (-90,000 won)

Current: 150,000 won (3-4 times/week, 38,000 won per time) Target: 60,000 won (1-2 times/week)

Methods:

1. Three times/week → Once/week (-90,000 won)

• Allow delivery only on Friday
• Other days: Easy meals/meal prep

2. Prepare easy meals (1-hour weekend investment)

• Sunday evening: Prepare next week's side dishes
• Just 3 items needed:
  1. Protein (chicken breast/eggs/sausage stir-fry)
  2. Vegetables (boiled spinach/bean sprouts/broccoli)
  3. Soup/stew (doenjang-jjigae/kimchi-jjigae)
• Weekday dinner: Rice + 3 side dishes (10-minute prep)

3. Pick-up instead of delivery

• Going in person saves delivery fee
• Delivery: 12,000 (food) + 3,500 (delivery) = 15,500 won
• Pick-up: 12,000 won
• Savings: 3,500 won/time

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Priority 4: Other Items (-90,000 won)

Taxi (-40,000 won):

• Current: 80,000 won (4 rides home after drinking)
• Target: 40,000 won (2 rides)
• Methods:
  • Fewer drinking sessions automatically reduces this
  • Or carpool with designated driver friend
  • End round 1 before last train

Convenience store (-60,000 won):

• Current: 120,000 won
• Target: 60,000 won
• Methods:
  • Resist late-night snacks (drink water)
  • Buy drinks/snacks in bulk at mart
  • Create snack storage at office

Cafés (-30,000 won):

• Current: 90,000 won (5 days/week, 4,500 won/time)
• Target: 60,000 won (3 days/week)
• Methods:
  • Use office coffee machine (2 days/week)
  • Bringing tumbler earns discount

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📊 Final Savings Simulation

Item	Current	Target	Savings	Difficulty
Impulse purchases	250,000	100,000	-150,000	⭐⭐
Drinking/dining	180,000	100,000	-80,000	⭐⭐
Delivery food	150,000	60,000	-90,000	⭐⭐
Taxi	80,000	40,000	-40,000	⭐
Convenience	120,000	60,000	-60,000	⭐
Cafés	90,000	60,000	-30,000	⭐
Total	870,000	420,000	-450,000

Save 450,000 won monthly = 5.4 million won annually! 🎉

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✅ Practice Checklist (First Week)

Change habits:

• Turn off all shopping app notifications
• Delete items in cart (fresh start)
• Sunday afternoon: Make 3 side dishes
• Fill office desk with snacks
• Put tumbler in bag

Practice restraint:

• Only 1 drinking session this week
• Delivery only on Friday
• Don't go to convenience store
• Limit cafés to 3 times/week

Record:

• Note daily expenses
• Sunday: Calculate this week's savings
• Report to Claude and get feedback

Prompt Template

My [monthly/category] spending is too high:

Current expenses:
[List items and amounts]

Goal:
[Current amount] won → [Target amount] won

Questions:
1. What's easiest to reduce?
2. Specific savings methods (actionable)
3. Weekly/monthly checklist
4. Expected savings amount

Conclusion

Savings isn't "not spending at all" but "spending wisely." Use AI's help to analyze your spending patterns, get actionable savings ideas, and create smart spending habits!

In the next post, I'll show you how to summarize your budget in monthly report format.

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💡 Today's Tip: Ask Claude "Savings challenge: Reduce 100,000 won this month" and it will check weekly progress and encourage you!