Job Discussion Forums

[torentosan]

Wages seem to never go up in Japan. Can anyone save anything on 250,000? The information would help me a lot. If you could just state how much you save and why you think you save so much or so little.
thanks,.

[rxk22]

In what situation? Single, as a couple, as a family? In what area, Tokyo or Kyoto, or Tototri? Makes a huge difference.

[torentosan]

[PhoenixSpirit]

When I lived out there, I was really bad at saving money but I travelled a lot and went out a lot too. I was really good at saving my first month there and a few others. In the end, I probably saved around a months salary for the year, but I could have done a lot better.

I had a fellow friend who managed to save around 40,000 a week but I have to admit, I wouldn't recommend it as he didn't go out very often. By the way, I lived in Atsugi, 40 mins or so from Tokyo.

[fat_chris]

I lived in Shizuoka-ken as a JET ALT for five years so my monthly salary was about 262,000 yen and I lived in subsidized teacher housing with a rent of about 22,000 yen/month.

While I didn't really save anything, in any given month, I would send home to my U.S. bank account about 100,000 yen through the Japan Post. That 100,000 would go toward the payment of credit card and student loan bills.

In my first three years I traveled a lot and then did much less traveling in my last two years.

Warm regards,
fat_chris

[Rooster.]

Currently in Osaka I can save 60,000-80,000 yen a month. I expect it to be closer to the low end from now on.

[Pitarou]

You can certainly live on much, much less than 250,000 yen a month if:

- you don't go out much
- you don't travel
- you shop around carefully and cook & eat as the frugal locals do
- you live in lousy, inconveniently located accommodation (or you can get into low-cost housing by some other means)
- you have a basic phone with basic service, and no other fancy gadgets
- you have no dependents
- you are in excellent health

... and so on.

So, torentosan, why don't you state where you (plan to) live, and what kind of lifestyle you consider acceptable, and we'll take it from there.

[torentosan]

[Black_Beer_Man]

It's possible to save 100,000 yen, but, as others have said,

no clubbing or izakayas
don't go to the cinema or concerts (as they're very expensive)
eat cheaper Japanese foods like soba and tofu
don't buy drinks outside at coffee shops and vending machines
etc...

What's annoying is that not only have salaries stagnated, but it's difficult to find private students to augment your income.

The only way to save money is to cut back on spending.

[steki47]

I am in a suburb of Nagoya and save around 40-50K/month. My wife and I both work, have no kids and cook simple meals a home. We go out to eat 3-4 times a month, movies occasionally and go overseas 1-2x/year.

I could possibly save up to 100K/month, but that would eliminate buying books and the monthly night out with friends.

[Pitarou]

[thomthom]

My job only pays 200,000. Ludicrously low, I know, but it's a very easy and low-pressure job compared to most, it's right in the centre of Tokyo, and I can walk to work from my 68,000y all-in apartment. How much do I save? Absolutely nothing. I live precisely to my pay check. I've only just started to save some cash by earning about 8,000 Yen a week teaching privates.

250,000 a week actually strikes me as quite good money if your accommodation is under 75,000 all-in, you only go out 2-3 nights a week, you have no dependants or debts, and *if the job itself isn't totally soul destroying*. It wouldn't be enough to tempt me to quit my job and move to some dead-end area of Saitama or Chofu or somewhere, though.

[steki47]

[nightsintodreams]

[looseleaf]

250,000 a week? I'd be able to save about 750,000 a month on that!!

I'd be eating at fancier places than Sukiya as well