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seklarwia
Joined: 20 Jan 2009
Posts: 1546
Location: Monkey onsen, Nagano
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 Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2010 1:36 am Post subject: |
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| ssjup81 wrote: |
| I'm female and I don't have those extra costs. I just brought clothes from home (something I don't have to buy here) and I also already had shoes (I only need about three or four pairs...indoor shoes, outdoor shoes, boots, and maybe one extra). The only thing i semi-agree with is hair care (in my case), since I have braids and need to do scalp treatment and all that, especially since I can't find what I need here. I don't see how the other stuff mentioned though, would actually count as "extra costs" if you already have them to begin with. I wear the same thing almost everyday...minus the underclothing of course. |
I'm female and I can think of heaps of added costs that men don't have.
How long have you been here?
Sure you can bring stuff with you but it won't last forever. I seem to be going home and buying clothes a couple of times a year. In fact, I will be going home again this summer with empty cases so that I can pick up more things to wear. I definately get through more clothes than the average suited guy. Suits tend to be harder wearing and they don't get distressed in the washing machine every time they are worn. And then there is underwear: I'm not flat-chested and a good supporting bra doesn't come cheap... it also doesn't come from Japan 
I wear skirts a lot and that means tights/stockings. A decent pair that doesn't ladder the first time I wear or wash them normally costs 800-1000Y so that is easily 3000Y per month.
I don't like having sweat patches under my arms. Luckily, most shop sell these very convenient pads that you put inside your top, but of course this is another added cost.
And since I really don't like sweat, I get through a lot of wet wipes, too.
Cosmetics and all the things I use to remove them at the end of the day.
I definately spend more on haircare than the average guy. Even things such as decent hair bands (the kinds that don't easily get caught and rip hair) can be quite costly and when you have a tendency to lose, break or give them away, the cost adds up.
And I'm pretty sure men don't menstruate.
I'd say I spend almost 10,000Y per month that men wouldn't need to, and that's not including my clothes shopping back in the UK. |
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ssjup81
Joined: 15 Jun 2009
Posts: 664
Location: Adachi-ku, Tokyo, Japan
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| Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2010 2:50 am Post subject: |
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| seklarwia wrote: |
| How long have you been here? |
Not long, so I probably don't have much of a right to say much at this point in time yet. ^^
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| Sure you can bring stuff with you but it won't last forever. I seem to be going home and buying clothes a couple of times a year. In fact, I will be going home again this summer with empty cases so that I can pick up more things to wear. |
I'm trying to figure out why you need so many clothes in the first place, unless you're literally losing a lot of weight at a time and the clothes you have are just no longer fitting. I might have that problem this winter... That aside, I probably couldn't wear female Japanese clothes if I wanted to, even if I were the perfect size because of my 5'10 height.
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| I definately get through more clothes than the average suited guy. Suits tend to be harder wearing and they don't get distressed in the washing machine every time they are worn. |
I will admit that I am having trouble with summer clothes...I'm still wearing my spring ones at the school, but it's the same thing I would wear in an office back home, so not much I can do about that.
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| And then there is underwear: I'm not flat-chested and a good supporting bra doesn't come cheap... it also doesn't come from Japan |
I brought a lot of bras with me for the same reason as you. I'm not flat either. I'm in the DD range. ><
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| I wear skirts a lot and that means tights/stockings. A decent pair that doesn't ladder the first time I wear or wash them normally costs 800-1000Y so that is easily 3000Y per month. |
I wear skirts a lot too, but I can't stand stockings. At the Wal-Mart back home, they have thigh-high socks that actually look like tights/stockings so unless you tell someone, no one is going to know that they're socks. Lasts longer and everything. I bought many pairs of them before coming over.
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I don't like having sweat patches under my arms. Luckily, most shop sell these very convenient pads that you put inside your top, but of course this is another added cost.
And since I really don't like sweat, I get through a lot of wet wipes, too. |
Hm, I'm lucky in this regard. I don't have to worry about the sweating thing. I sweat very little, even when it's really hot out. I didn't even think of that.
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| Cosmetics and all the things I use to remove them at the end of the day. |
Something else I don't bother with...makeup because I hate makeup. I don't feel I need it for anything anyway. Don't have any spots I want to cover up.
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| I definately spend more on haircare than the average guy. Even things such as decent hair bands (the kinds that don't easily get caught and rip hair) can be quite costly and when you have a tendency to lose, break or give them away, the cost adds up. |
Yeah, haircare. I use scrunchies, but I only use maybe two. One is brown the other is black, I tend to wear the black one all the time since it matches with everything. Anywho, in my case, I have to get stuff shipped. I'm black and have my hair in braids (low maintenance), but I do have to clean the scalp and the braids and what I use can't be found here in this area...maybe if I were in Tokyo, but not here. So haircare is my biggest extra expense, ordering the haircare products online and having them shipped, but getting it in bulk works okay. I only have to wash my hair once a week anyway.
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| And I'm pretty sure men don't menstruate. |
Okay, yeah...didn't even think of that. ^^ |
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seklarwia
Joined: 20 Jan 2009
Posts: 1546
Location: Monkey onsen, Nagano
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| Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2010 3:59 am Post subject: |
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| ssjup81 wrote: |
| I'm trying to figure out why you need so many clothes in the first place, unless you're literally losing a lot of weight at a time and the clothes you have are just no longer fitting. |
I think you need to remember that you probably were able to bring more than twice the amount of things than I could in a single journey. Most of us not from the US are only allowed a single suitcase that weighs in at no more than 20kg. After that the excess baggage costs are so huge that it would work out about the price of a return jouney back to the UK to bring anything close to the quatities you lot can bring in a single journey.
And as you might have noticed, I don't do well in the heat. No way I'm replacing my nice and thin tights and stockings with thigh-high socks.
You are fortunate that the heat isn't giving you much problems yet. But this is hardly the hottest time of the year. If you can come back in October and say that you were able to stay looking and feeling fresh as a daisy throughout the heat and humidity of the summer without added cost then I will show that envy doesn't just come in green.
If you are lucky enough not to have many extra costs to consider, good for you. But that isn't the point.
The things I was talking about are very normal things that many women do need to spend money on that men likely do not. So women need to be even more careful when deciding whether to accept lower wages simply because their cost of living often higher than men's. |
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ssjup81
Joined: 15 Jun 2009
Posts: 664
Location: Adachi-ku, Tokyo, Japan
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| Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2010 5:05 am Post subject: |
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| seklarwia wrote: |
| ssjup81 wrote: |
| I'm trying to figure out why you need so many clothes in the first place, unless you're literally losing a lot of weight at a time and the clothes you have are just no longer fitting. |
I think you need to remember that you probably were able to bring more than twice the amount of things than I could in a single journey. Most of us not from the US are only allowed a single suitcase that weighs in at no more than 20kg. After that the excess baggage costs are so huge that it would work out about the price of a return jouney back to the UK to bring anything close to the quatities you lot can bring in a single journey. |
I might be doing the math wrong, but I think 20kg is close to 50lbs, that's what it is for the US I think, but I understand what you mean and can sympathize. Most of my luggage consisted of books...but had to leave it since it was over the weight limit. ^^
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| And as you might have noticed, I don't do well in the heat. No way I'm replacing my nice and thin tights and stockings with thigh-high socks. |
Well, it's already July and I'm still walking back and forth in the humidity and stuff, and my school still doesn't use the air-con, but like I said, I don't sweat much in general. Rarely. Back home, it's hotter and more humid for me compared to where I am now, but I do know the summer is still just starting so who knows if we'll be hitting the 35 - 40 mark here along with the high humidity like it is currently back home. It actually hit 103 (which I think is about 39C) one day last week back home. I guess my body is just used to it.
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| You are fortunate that the heat isn't giving you much problems yet. But this is hardly the hottest time of the year. If you can come back in October and say that you were able to stay looking and feeling fresh as a daisy throughout the heat and humidity of the summer without added cost then I will show that envy doesn't just come in green. |
Well, it's like I said. It's worse back home for me, and I'm just used of a lot of heat and humidity in the summer. To be honest, I find the weather here (so far) more bearable than back home. I wear a lot of thin shirts to help keep me cool and, as I mentioned, I rarely sweat. Even as a kid I didn't, even after working out in a gym or running, etc. I might get a bit clammy, but not sweaty. Hm, that's probably why deodorant lasts so long for me.
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| If you are lucky enough not to have many extra costs to consider, good for you. But that isn't the point. |
With the exception of the hair thing and of course the menstruation stuff, I don't think I'll have too many extra expenses.
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| The things I was talking about are very normal things that many women do need to spend money on that men likely do not. So women need to be even more careful when deciding whether to accept lower wages simply because their cost of living often higher than men's. |
I gotcha, but I never did argue that it wasn't and I do agree with you. I was just pointing out how for me, it's not much different between here and home ('cept for the hair thing). Sorry, as I didn't mean to cause any hostility. |
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redsnapper
Joined: 01 Jul 2010
Posts: 60
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| Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2010 6:44 pm Post subject: |
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| GambateBingBangBOOM wrote: |
What does 'comfortably' mean to you? What they're offering you is several hundred dollars below what used to be the entry level salary.
What will the start-up costs be (key money, stuff you have to buy for your apartment etc)? Unless you have several thousand dollars already, then you will likely need to pay for all that stuff out of your pay.
It's enough on a regular basis if your rent isn't all that much (like, less than $500 [50,000Y]- which means that it will be a pretty small apartment, really just one small main room that will be used for pretty much everything, then a kitchen area and a bathroom area that is pretty much in a tiny hallway that leads to that one room- this kind of thing is common in big cities like Tokyo [where it would be much, much more expensive], but in a rural prefecture like Tochigi it's definitely NOT the norm for English teachers- the larger apartment sort or serves to offset the greater isolation), you don't want to/ need to save or pay off any bills for outside of Japan at all, and you already know for a surety that you won't be going out after work very often at all. But sometimes your employer (especially when they are offering very low wages) will offer to loan you start-up fees from your first paycheque. If that's the case, then it is likely that you won't be living within most people's definition of 'comfortable' for a while.
So if your definition of live comfortably includes:
- having more than one really small room in your apartment
- being able to go out to an inexpensive bar (similar to the $5 a beer kind) a couple of times a week (for a COUPLE of drinks- not getting super-drunk!), or a little bit more expensive kind (the almost $10 a pint kind) once a week and still be able to pay off at least a bit of your student loans.
-not fairly seriously debating with yourself as to whether or not you can afford it when you're really hungry and you pass a McDonalds (assuming that the debate isn't about health things) or even a $2 sandwich from 7/11 when it's coming up to pay-day.
-some sort of internet in your home (but not cable/ satellite TV)
- a cell phone plan that actually does mail (if your cell phone doesn't do mail, you can expect to have almost zero social life in Japan)
- joining clubs / meeting people and going on dates etc
(in other words the kind of life that up until recently pretty much all foreigners were able to lead)
Then the answer is, "No. You won't be able to live comfortably on that salary in Ashikaga." (BUT, if you have no debts whatsoever and have no desire to save [meaning you would leave Japan with zero that you don't already have, and that you don't spend while you're here by getting money wired to you if you blow your tight budget and are starving], then you could probably have the above described lifestyle, possibly, but not definitely, with the exception of the size of apartment). |
Sounds harsh but is more than likely brutally accurate.
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Subkulture
Joined: 31 May 2010
Posts: 11
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| Posted: Mon Jul 05, 2010 11:20 pm Post subject: |
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| Thanks for all of the advice! I just got offered another job paying a lot more money with a much stronger contract, so I posted a new question to find out if there is any conflict with me accepting this new position instead. |
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fujisan
Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 42
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| Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2010 3:42 am Post subject: Re: Is 210,000 in Ashikaga enough money to live comfortably? |
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| Subkulture wrote: |
| I have been offered a job in Ashikaga, Tochigi Prefecture. The salary is 210,000. Is that enough to live comfortably on? |
Who is it for in Ashigaya? |
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genmakenx
Joined: 23 Sep 2009
Posts: 17
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| Posted: Wed Jul 21, 2010 12:39 pm Post subject: |
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Same question as fujisan...what employer was this that offered you only 210,000 a month in that location?
Also, do you have experience in the field? If so how long, or where?
Thanks a lot if you do answer these questions. It could definitely help some of us out~ |
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flyer
Joined: 16 May 2003
Posts: 539
Location: Sapporo Japan
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| Posted: Wed Jul 21, 2010 11:49 pm Post subject: |
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| Glenski wrote: |
What kind of job is this? Are there bonuses included? Is there reduced pay during training or other times? ALTs get reduced pay for a whole month a couple times a year (reduced = 60% of regular pay).
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where did you get that from? I am an ALT and all the ALTs I know do not get reduced holidays pay, while I have heard that some do you make it sound like they all do! This is simply not true. |
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Benkyo
Joined: 07 May 2010
Posts: 11
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| Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2010 1:34 am Post subject: |
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To answer the original question:
Yes.
Based on my own experience, you'd only be able to save about 50,000 a month while living very comfortably (beer, vacations, social life etc)
I don't know how most foreigners manage to spend as much as they do - hell, I know Japanese couples raising a kid supporting themselves on a similar salary to that. |
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flyer
Joined: 16 May 2003
Posts: 539
Location: Sapporo Japan
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| Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2010 1:49 am Post subject: |
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| Benkyo wrote: |
To answer the original question:
I don't know how most foreigners manage to spend as much as they do - hell, I know Japanese couples raising a kid supporting themselves on a similar salary to that. |
yes, very very true |
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fujisan
Joined: 24 Jun 2010
Posts: 42
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| Posted: Wed Aug 04, 2010 7:23 am Post subject: |
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| Benkyo wrote: |
| Based on my own experience, you'd only be able to save about 50,000 a month while living very comfortably (beer, vacations, social life etc) |
Can we see your budget?
| Benkyo wrote: |
| I don't know how most foreigners manage to spend as much as they do - hell, I know Japanese couples raising a kid supporting themselves on a similar salary to that. |
They're probably living in free company housing. Housing is the biggest expense. Many Japanese companies have dormitories or danchi for their lower income employees and families to live in. |
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Benkyo
Joined: 07 May 2010
Posts: 11
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| Posted: Fri Aug 06, 2010 3:01 am Post subject: |
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My budget? I don't keep a written budget, but here's how I made my estimate:
After 6.5 years working in Japan, taking home ~230,000 yen a month after tax, I paid off my 10,000 pound (~2 million yen) debt, put ~3 million yen in a British bank account and have ~2.5 million yen in my Japanese account.
7.5 million/78 = ~95,000 saved a month.
If your take home pay is about 190,000 then saving 50,000 a month should be equally feasible.
Accommodation: For the first year, 45,000 a month, then 3.5 years at 30,000 a month and 2 years sharing a place at 35,000 yen each. Only the last place took a large deposit that we won't get back, amounting to 70,000 each.
Travel: I traveled Hokkaido regularly, camping, snowboarding, hitch-hiking and later on touring by motorbike. Travelling abroad I visited Israel for 2 weeks, Paris for one, Australia for 2 weeks, Taiwan and Seoul for short trips.
Other big expenses: A motorbike license for about 200,000, a motorbike for 250,000.
Biggest saving: no car.
I haven't got time to write more now, and will be travelling for the next 3-4 months, so my apologies if I don't reply to any other questions in this thread for a while.
(but the couple I have in mind get no accommodation subsidies beyond a kerosene heater bonus in winter) |
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GambateBingBangBOOM
Joined: 04 Nov 2003
Posts: 2021
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Fri Aug 06, 2010 3:23 am Post subject: |
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| Benkyo wrote: |
Biggest saving: no car.
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This isn't true. Your biggest saving is:
| Benkyo wrote: |
Accommodation: For the first year, 45,000 a month, then 3.5 years at 30,000 a month and 2 years sharing a place at 35,000 yen each. Only the last place took a large deposit that we won't get back, amounting to 70,000 each.
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Which sounds like you enjoy living in a 1k.
Most EFL teachers pay 50,000 or 60,000 a month or more for accommodations. A 1k would not be 'comfortable' for most foreigners- except of course the kind that are rarely there. |
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TokyoLiz
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 1548
Location: Tokyo, Japan
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| Posted: Mon Aug 09, 2010 12:03 am Post subject: 1K is just enough for me |
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I live in a 1k plus loft, second floor and pay Y59,000 (Y2000 insurance fee) in the Chiba-ken 'burbs. It was brand new when I moved in.
I don't feel squeezed in here at all, as the high ceiling and windows on two sides make it feel spacious. Sunday cleaning takes about an hour because it's so compact. I guess 1K can describe many different kinds and qualities of spaces. |
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