Lee Joon (이준), a former member of the boy group MBLAQ and an actor, has long been known as the "original frugal idol." He is recognized in the Korean entertainment industry as a savings icon, rivaling Kim Jong-kook (김종국) in his thriftiness. Even after his income significantly increased following his debut, he continued to save diligently, rarely spending lavishly. Thanks to years of accumulated savings and highly disciplined living habits, he successfully purchased a home in his twenties. Fellow group members have previously revealed that they rarely saw Lee Joon go shopping, highlighting his impressive money-saving habits.
Recently, Gongchan (공찬), a member of the boy group B1A4, also revealed his own money-saving habits, which turned out to be equally surprising. He not only finds ordering coffee delivery unnecessary but also doesn't pass up snacks provided at broadcast stations, prompting laughter from the show's guests. He candidly admitted that since he now has to personally manage his own company, he naturally has to be even more cautious with spending, stating that he saves money with a "CEO mindset."
On January 29, Gongchan appeared on SBS Power FM's radio program Cultwo Show, hosted by Kim Tae-kyun (김태균) with special DJ Kwon Hyuk-soo (권혁수), and featuring singer Nam Yoo-jung (남유정) as a guest alongside Gongchan. During their conversation, Kim Tae-kyun curiously asked, "Is there anyone in your group who is particularly frugal and good at saving money?" Gongchan immediately replied confidently, "That would be me!"
Gongchan then revealed that older members of his group often order coffee delivery, but since he doesn't usually drink coffee, he couldn't understand why they would spend money on it. He explained, "When I go to the hair salon, they already have coffee; it's the same at the company, there's coffee on the first floor. Since there's coffee available at the company and the hair salon, why bother ordering delivery? Just drink what's already there!"
After hearing his reasoning, Kwon Hyuk-soo couldn't help but quip, "That's something only someone who doesn't drink coffee would say!" Gongchan responded that others always say delivered coffee tastes different, but he still couldn't grasp why they were willing to spend extra money for it.
It's not just coffee he saves on; he doesn't even let snacks go to waste. Kim Tae-kyun then mentioned that some celebrities take snacks provided in broadcast station waiting rooms, and Gongchan immediately admitted, "That's me!" which drew continuous laughter from the set. However, when Kim Tae-kyun further revealed that some even take snacks from other waiting rooms, Gongchan quickly distanced himself, saying, "That's not me!" amusing everyone.
As for why he is so meticulous about expenses, Gongchan also revealed the reason behind it. He admitted, "We have to save money because we are now running our own company, so we need to control expenditures even more carefully. I was already very frugal before, but now I save with a CEO mindset." His words highlighted that beyond his idol status, he also bears the responsibility of managing a company, making him exceptionally cautious with every expense.
However, when asked if there was anything he would absolutely not save on, Gongchan answered without hesitation, "For me, it's chicken breast!" He revealed that he loves eating chicken breast and orders various flavors to add variety to his daily diet. Hearing this answer, Kwon Hyuk-soo couldn't help but laugh, saying, "That's quite a luxury!" unexpectedly revealing one of the few small indulgences Gongchan is willing to spend on in his otherwise frugal life.
