Job Discussion Forums

[rxk22]

Yeah buying bottled water is pretty dumb. Esp on a regular basis. Crazy expensive as well as being pretty bad for the environment.

Same with people who drink soda a lot. It is, even with 1.5 or 2l bottles taken into consideration, multiple times more expensive than tea

[ssjup81]

Actually I usually have two things of bottled water. About a liter or so. I just use the bottles afterwards by filling it with tap water. One bottle to use with visitors and one for me since I drink directly from it.

[move]

Avoid the jihanki.

Avoid conbinis for meals.

Eat less beef and more chicken and pork.

Beer can get pricey, but whiskey and other spirits aren't.

Cooking at home can be just as expensive or more expensive than buying bentos from the supermarket. Learn to cook with inexpensive yet nutritious ingredients.

If you don't have time in the evening to cook, then make larger portions on the weekend and freeze them.

Find the inexpensive supermarket in your area.

Use a regular keitai instead of a smartphone. My phone bill is about half as much as my friends'.

Track your expenses for a month. You might be shocked at how much you spend on some things. It might even get fun after a month to see how much you can save.

[rxk22]

I rode my bike instead of riding the bus and train to school. My case was a bit more extreme as I went 10 or so miles to my school. If lucky you may be close, and still save a good deal. I saved a good �1300 a day

[Vince]

- Check your local library to see if it has an English section. You can get a library card for the library where you live, as well as the library where you work. It's a good place to borrow movies and music too.

- Find out if there are any recycle shops nearby.

- Investigate any side roads in your town, especially if you see a lot of people walking through. I did that and found a little take-out place that had tasty okonomiyaki for a very low price.

- Another nod for tracking your expenses. You might be surprised to see how much you're spending at some places.

[Black_Beer_Man]

Sayonara Sales! Especially if you`re starting up an apartment, go on Gaijinpot.com or Metropolis Tokyo and check out the classified ads for teachers leaving Japan. Most are selling things for the apartment at cheap prices.

I like Gaijinpot`s classifieds because you can search ads quickly by area - Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Osaka etc...

Gaijin Pot http://www.gaijinpot.com/
Metropolis http://metropolis.co.jp/

BTW, I have found that most Japanese "Recycle Shops" are more like the expensive "Vintage Clothing Shops" than the cheap "Thrift Shops" you find back home.

[stumptowny]

don't drink. don't go out a lot, if at all. chase girls on the street (for free). no need to pay for any kind of sex/dating life here with all the tail milling around in public areas.. don't learn japanese or you will not have the balls to approach girls on the street. you will be another troll, following japanese dating norms, thinking with a stunted libido about politeness and non-sense. cheap food is plentiful. find it...

[teacheratlarge]

It is hard not to be a little cynical about some of these suggestions, but yet I know people who are tight back home, so it depends on what you're willing to put up with (and if you really need to, as I know when teachers first come here, it can be tough waiting for that first paycheck). I certainly know teachers here who rarely stay home and often hang around the work site much earlier than their working time.

Why you may ask? Because they don't wish to use their electricity at home. Sorry, for me I don't love the work place that much that I need to rush over there early. It is the same when it comes to travel; some people will hang at the airport over night or go on trains overnight sleeping on the benches to save a few bucks (or yen). Luckily I make enough and I am comfortable spending money sometimes so I can enjoy my vacations more.

That being said, some of the suggestions about buying food at night and not drinking out too much are valid to a degree. You can also live further out where the rent is lower if you don't mind longer commutes (be careful though as some companies will have a limit on how much of your commuting cost they will pay if you live too far away). Personally, I would rather spend less time on the train, but I can see some people trading time on the trains for more space and a better living environment (i.e. more trees, etc nearby and a little less urban sprawl).

[Black_Beer_Man]

If you`re a true yen pincher and you`re out and you have already drunk your refillable bottle of water, look for cheap drink vending machines with discounted can drinks.

120 yen is pretty steep for a can drink which is essentially water and sugar and has an actual value of maybe 10 yen. The huge profit margin on soda, teas and coffees explains why there are so many drink machines in Japan.

You can fight back by buying from machines in less convenient spots like on side streets, allies and even at train crossings. These machines are not on "prime real estate", so a drink may be 80 - 100 yen. Pay attention and remember where these machines are in places you regularly visit.

Some may laugh at this advice because the savings in only 20 yen, but that`s a bit over 20% savings. If you saved 20% all the time on all your shopping, that would be big. At the end of that day, it is you laughing all the way to the bank.

[kah5217]

Or just go in a combini instead of using the machine. Similar selection, with bigger sizes for the same price. If you like Fanta or Coke they usually have a 500ml can for 100 yen (while the machine cans will be smaller and more expensive).

[teacheratlarge]

I forgot to mention one thing I take advantage of sometimes. I currently use a smartphone outside my home, but since I currently have no Internet at home, I surf the net (and post here) at work only. A little inconvenient, but I just don't use the Internet at home, and thus save a little each month for a few beers.

[Sublime]

You can drink the tap water? Hoorrrraaaaayyy!

[jmatt]

[kah5217]

You'll find those evil machines everywhere. There is a one literally out in the middle of the rice fields here. Right next to the electric pole. You can't walk to it unless you're crazy, so it must be for the men in their little kei trucks after they've delivered their haul.

[Black_Beer_Man]

If you want a cheap and adequate sized meal, go to Yoshinoya and get the "nami gyudon" (regular size beef on rice) for 280 yen. For the longest time, I was ordering the next size up for 440 yen, but what I've discovered is all they give you is more rice. The nami size has the same amount of beef.

If you're really hungry, this may not be enough, but it was enough for me at dinner time.

If you want larger, go to Sukiya and get the "omori gyuddon" (large beef on rice). It's less than 400 yen.

These are among the best deals in Japan.