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Ketchup19
Joined: 16 May 2011
Posts: 6
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 Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2011 6:08 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for reviving an old thread, some pretty helpful tips as I'm heading to Japan in September 
Some of the things I was planning on doing when I'm in Japan:
- Using Skype
- Torrents for movies/tv shows
- Using my Ipod as an alarm clock
- Buying onigiris from convenience stores - they're cheap at 100 yen each, they fill you up and I love the stuff 
- I'll try to make most of my meals and bring lunch to work - going to try and learn new Japanese recipes!
- Specials at convenience and grocery stores near the end of the day/closing
- Shopping at Uniqlo, 100 Yen shops
- Looking to take advantage of savings/specials for public transport.....I will be doing a lot of walking though |
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ssjup81
Joined: 15 Jun 2009
Posts: 664
Location: Adachi-ku, Tokyo, Japan
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| Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2011 8:40 pm Post subject: |
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I'm back home now, but here's what saved me money...
Skype: It was great for using to make int'l calls home. Didn't have to use a cell or anything like that.
Food: Not sure how I did it, but I only spent round about 5000 yen a month on groceries. I would look out for sales and buy the large bags of rice, which would last me about two weeks. I also bought school lunch, and that was about 250 yen per meal so it wasn't that high.
Transportation: I walked everywhere or either used the train when having to go into main Yamagata.
I also didn't hang out at bars or anything like that, so that saved a lot. Karaoke would've been fun to do all the time, but it was only occasionally.
I would cut off the power to my TV, rice cooker, and my laptop so that probably saved money on electricity. Cutting off the water on the washer after I use it.
I didn't have a credit card, so that resisted the urge to splurge.
I got internet through my apartment and torrented stuff. No cable television so saved on that.
That's about all I can think of right off. |
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Ketchup19
Joined: 16 May 2011
Posts: 6
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| Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2011 9:34 pm Post subject: |
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| Oh I forgot to add that I'll be looking for all you can eat or drink specials |
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seklarwia
Joined: 20 Jan 2009
Posts: 1546
Location: Monkey onsen, Nagano
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| Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2011 10:02 pm Post subject: |
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| Ketchup19 wrote: |
| Oh I forgot to add that I'll be looking for all you can eat or drink specials |
All you can drink and eat prices normally run higher than just finding a nice "mom n pop" restaurant and ordering a set meal and a couple of beers. An all-you-can-eat/drink party can easily cost 4,000yen per head.
I'm not heavy drinker so have never managed to get my money's worth at all you can drinking parties. And although I do eat a lot, it is across many small meals a day. I physically can't put away huge amounts of food in a 2 hour sitting so all-you-can-eat isn't that cost effective either. |
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Sour Grape
Joined: 10 May 2005
Posts: 241
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| Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2011 11:34 pm Post subject: |
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When you boil a kettle of water, use what you need and then put the rest into a thermos flask until you want another cup of tea.
Pinch the shopping baskets from supermarkets to keep things in, or to use as laundry baskets.
Both tips used by my Japanese mother-in-law. |
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Ketchup19
Joined: 16 May 2011
Posts: 6
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| Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2011 2:30 am Post subject: |
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| seklarwia wrote: |
| Ketchup19 wrote: |
| Oh I forgot to add that I'll be looking for all you can eat or drink specials |
All you can drink and eat prices normally run higher than just finding a nice "mom n pop" restaurant and ordering a set meal and a couple of beers. An all-you-can-eat/drink party can easily cost 4,000yen per head.
I'm not heavy drinker so have never managed to get my money's worth at all you can drinking parties. And although I do eat a lot, it is across many small meals a day. I physically can't put away huge amounts of food in a 2 hour sitting so all-you-can-eat isn't that cost effective either. |
Darn, I was hoping for lower prices.....Normally, I'd eat enough at buffets here in Canada. I'd be fine with the all you can drink specials though  |
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OneJoelFifty
Joined: 06 Oct 2009
Posts: 463
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| Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2011 7:29 am Post subject: |
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The cheapest place to drink is probably karaoke. If you don't go for the big chain places, you shouldn't pay more than 1,000 Yen for an hour. I found a little bar in my city that charges that much, so it's the best of both worlds for singing and atmosphere.
You can find all-you-can-eat restaurants for certain foods like yaki niku (grilled meat) and shabu shabu (boiled meat) for very reasonable prices, 1,500 Yen - 2,000 Yen for 90 minutes seems normal.
There are also cheap izakayas all over, certainly in the cities; 270-300 Yen for a beer and the same for most dishes. |
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seklarwia
Joined: 20 Jan 2009
Posts: 1546
Location: Monkey onsen, Nagano
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| Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2011 9:05 am Post subject: |
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| OneJoelFifty wrote: |
| You can find all-you-can-eat restaurants for certain foods like yaki niku (grilled meat) and shabu shabu (boiled meat) for very reasonable prices, 1,500 Yen - 2,000 Yen for 90 minutes seems normal. |
I was counting the cost for food and drink at these kinds of all you can eat yakiniku places. 2000 is for food only. It's normally about the same again (at least) for all you can drink with the food. That's where I got 4000 yen from. And even if you didn't do the nomihodai, the prices of drinks per serving in these places are normally pretty high. If you order more than 3-4 alcoholic drinks, it will probably work out better to just get the nomihodai.
And in a group, it's majority. I've never been to a karaoke place or restaurant where you could, for example, have tabihodai for the entire group and then nomihodai for only the big drinkers with the others being charged per drink.
Besides, even 2000 yen for a single sitting of all-you-can-eat is not exactly something you should be looking to do often if you are trying save money... that's like 3+ meals in a small restaurant and probably double what many people spend per day to feed themselves the old fashion preparing-it-themselves way... I don't think any form of all you can eat/drink belongs in a cheapskates thread.
Wanna get drunk on the cheap? Buy a box of beer or a small bottle of spirit with some juice/softdrinks to use as mixers from a supermarket and take it home. 1000 yen's worth of either could probably get you and a friend more than a little merry. 2000 yen's worth would probably have the two of you sporting nice hangovers the next day. If the two of you managed to put away much more than that in a single sitting then you are likely about to be served with noise complaints from your neighbours |
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rxk22
Joined: 19 May 2010
Posts: 1629
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| Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2011 10:23 am Post subject: |
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Why bring TP to Japan? It's pretty cheap here. And how would you have extra after over a year here? Friggin weird.
I made a lot of stew and curry. I am the only one with a job, supporting my fiance, and we get by on my what average of 190,000 a month. |
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kathrynoh
Joined: 16 Jul 2009
Posts: 64
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| Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2011 11:56 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| Wanna get drunk on the cheap? Buy a box of beer or a small bottle of spirit with some juice/softdrinks to use as mixers from a supermarket and take it home. 1000 yen's worth of either could probably get you and a friend more than a little merry. |
I never see the point of this - sitting in your tiny little apartment and getting drunk. It's like people who travel and spend all night sitting at the backpackers getting pissed.
I guess it depends what you are into but I'd much rather go out less often and go somewhere I'd really enjoy.
What I need to know is how to save money on food when you have a space the size of a shoe box to store your food in. |
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ssjup81
Joined: 15 Jun 2009
Posts: 664
Location: Adachi-ku, Tokyo, Japan
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| Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2011 2:10 pm Post subject: |
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| kathrynoh wrote: |
| Quote: |
| Wanna get drunk on the cheap? Buy a box of beer or a small bottle of spirit with some juice/softdrinks to use as mixers from a supermarket and take it home. 1000 yen's worth of either could probably get you and a friend more than a little merry. |
I never see the point of this - sitting in your tiny little apartment and getting drunk. It's like people who travel and spend all night sitting at the backpackers getting pissed. |
I never saw the point in getting drunk (purposely), period.  |
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seklarwia
Joined: 20 Jan 2009
Posts: 1546
Location: Monkey onsen, Nagano
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| Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2011 2:52 pm Post subject: |
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| ssjup81 wrote: |
| I never saw the point in getting drunk (purposely), period. |
Hear hear! I'll drink to that... alcohol free, of course |
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kathrynoh
Joined: 16 Jul 2009
Posts: 64
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| Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2011 3:15 pm Post subject: |
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I enjoy a drink or two but for me it's about going out to a bar, chatting to people etc. I'd rather spend 5000 or 6000 yen once a month doing that than say 1000 yen a week sitting at home drinking conbi beers.
Also read the comment from way back about dating Japanese guys for a cheap night out. I've tried that and I'd much rather pay my own way than be fighting off a frisky salaryman all night! |
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Ketchup19
Joined: 16 May 2011
Posts: 6
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| Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2011 6:37 pm Post subject: |
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| OneJoelFifty wrote: |
The cheapest place to drink is probably karaoke. If you don't go for the big chain places, you shouldn't pay more than 1,000 Yen for an hour. I found a little bar in my city that charges that much, so it's the best of both worlds for singing and atmosphere.
You can find all-you-can-eat restaurants for certain foods like yaki niku (grilled meat) and shabu shabu (boiled meat) for very reasonable prices, 1,500 Yen - 2,000 Yen for 90 minutes seems normal.
There are also cheap izakayas all over, certainly in the cities; 270-300 Yen for a beer and the same for most dishes. |
Ah thanks for reminding me! Yeah, I've done nomihodai at karaoke several times ...fun times!
Torikizoku is a great place for cheap eats and booze. |
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seklarwia
Joined: 20 Jan 2009
Posts: 1546
Location: Monkey onsen, Nagano
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| Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2011 9:16 pm Post subject: |
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| kathrynoh wrote: |
| I enjoy a drink or two but for me it's about going out to a bar, chatting to people etc. I'd rather spend 5000 or 6000 yen once a month doing that than say 1000 yen a week sitting at home drinking conbi beers. |
I already suggested smaller places as a much more economical option for nights out. I was only disagreeing with the idea that spending 4000+ for a single night of all you can eat and drink was a cost effective way of going out, especially for people who are not heavy drinkers.
| Quote: |
| Also read the comment from way back about dating Japanese guys for a cheap night out. I've tried that and I'd much rather pay my own way than be fighting off a frisky salaryman all night! |
Don't think I'm going to find that post. Firstly, I don't have the time to sift through 6 pages of posts. But more importantly, I wouldn't date anyone simply to use them as a wallet (because a)it's wrong to use people and, b) there are names for girls like that ranging from goldigga to far worse depending on what the "dating" actually involved) and would lose all respect for anyone who would seriously suggest that. |
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