Job Discussion Forums

[markle]

I'm coming to Japan with objective of making and saving some money. So what are some of the long termers tricks for conserving their funds while maintaining a quality lifestyle (ie eating instant ramen and wearing extra clothing in winter won't cut it).

Thanks in advance

[Glenski]

Do a search for a thread I started with the word cheapskate. It was filled with tips.

[Canuck2112]

Develop a taste of Hopposhu and Shochu. Treat the bar snacks you get with your 700 yen seating charge as a new meal of the day. Mixed nuts are very filling, and in the absence of carbohydrates they're actually pretty healthy.

Don't buy premade sushi. It's expensive, and incredibly easy to make on your own.

Sometimes sake is handed out for free at local shrines. Often it is surprisingly potent. Nuff said

[ntropy]

Buy mint toothpaste and don't clean the sink. Then, when guests come over, you can just chip it out of the sink and use them for after-dinner mints.

[fat_chris]

Why go to Japan to make and save money? Hell, that can be done anywhere.

Anyway, here are some tips:

--Separate both sheets from your two-ply toilet paper. Voila! Two rolls of toilet paper for the price of one!

--Forget that last tip and just skip out altogether on buying toilet paper. Just use your left hand. That's what many other global citizens do.

--Never change your toothbrush. That one you have now should be good for a few years.

--Only buy one beer when you go out. Nurse that one all night though. The way to truly get p1ssed without spending a bundle is to steal other peoples' drinks and imbibe the floaters that other patrons have left behind.

--If you're a smoker, comb the streets for cigarettes that still have some tobacco left. If you find enough, you'll have enough smoke for one cigarette. Roll your own.

--Make your students take you out to dinner.

--Dine and dash.

Hopefully these tips will help. I have met many a character overseas who swear by my good advice. They have all had highly successful and fulfilling lives and you too can be happy if you only subscribe to the tips of the thrifty and resourceful.

[markle]

Ok, on second reading it did come off as a bit 'wide eyed newbie without a clue' Although I doubt I would have used the word cheapskate in a search, thanks for that Glenski.

[J.]

The same rule works at home or in Japan. Figure out what you can save each month. (Probably you won't be able to save much in the first few months because you will be buying the essentials, etc.) But after that, get a bank account and as soon as you get paid, put some money in there each month and don't take it out.

I wouldn't go so far as the chipping the toothpaste out of the sink for mints, but it was amusing. The best thing you can do to save money is to cook some or most of your meals at home. Eating out and going out is fun but really eats up the budget. You should decide on how many times a month/week you can afford to go and try to stick to that. If you buy produce and foods from the discount outlets you can save a lot. Try to cultivate a taste for fruits and vegetables in season, they are more nutritious and cheaper. Also try to eat well and take care of yourself, because you are going to be exposed to a lot of new colds and viruses that you aren't necessarily immune to in the first few years and you can't save money if you're too sick and have to miss work. Good luck!

[azarashi sushi]

There's no magic formula for saving money here or in any other country... Simply you have to spend less!

I would echo what J said... Work out how much you can save and send that home as soon as you get your pay. If you don't have the money, you can't spend it... But if you have the money sitting there, it's always tempting to spend.

Otherwise, whatever you do at home to save money will probably work here too.

[jonesd1]

I think it takes about four to six months of work before you actually start to really save money. This also depends on if you have a furnished or unfurnished flat, if you paid for your own airfare and how much money you brought with you to tide you over for the first few months of no payment. If you were using your credit card, then you will probably take a bit longer to get out of debt.

I would say after the first six months (once you've furnished your apartment and paid off initial debts) you could start to save about 80 to 100,000 yen a month if you really tried to save money. But it also depends on if you are in a big city or small area, where housing prices are cheaper. This is based on a rough salary of 250 to 260,000 yen a month.

[Great Teacher Umikun]

[Gordon]

[fromCanada]

[Timuli]

When buying produce, try going to the supermarkets just before they close. You can often save about 50% on the price.

If you have access to the internet and a printer, you can print out discount coupons to many restaurants. My girlfriend does this all the time.

Also, the 100 yen shop is your friend!

If you are going to be using the trains a lot(and you probably will) and going to be using a certain line regularly, dont buy a ticket each time you take a trip. Buy a "kaishuken"(not sure about spelling). Basically you pay for 10 tickets for the same trip but get 11 instead.

International phone calls: get a Brastell card. You can order it by phone. Much cheaper calls back home! (There are also other companies offering cheap rates now - look around)

Second hand shops(or recycle shops) are becoming more popular. THe quality of the second hand stuff here is way better than back home, so dont worry too much about using these treasure chests.

[Great Teacher Umikun]

[ironopolis]

I know it may be stating the obvious a bit, but once you've saved money here, send it home regularly. Not only will you remove the temptation of wasting it, but it'll be making a lot more interest in a bank elsewhere than here.

Also check out "sayonara sales" for getting appliances cheap from departing expats. Or even better, get something free that a Japanese person has thrown out, then sell it to some unsuspecting foreign newbie who arrives as you leave