RetireJapan

Just my 2 cents of what we did. The public elementary and junior high school in my neighborhood was pretty "high level" so we sent my 2 girls there. Never had a problem with bullying. We went the cram school route for both for about 2 years in order to pass and get into a public high schoo...

If you really wanted to be frugal (or just cheap like me :lol: ) you could hit the local outside parks. My local park has dip bars and a pull-up bar. Open 24/7 but you would have to deal with cold/hot/rainy weather. I normally run outside, hit the park for bodyweight exercises and stretch on a mat a...

My understanding is that nenkin does not trigger WEP. Good to hear that. There was a recent announcement that WEP doesn't apply to US expats in the Japan pension system: "The Social Security Administration (SSA) recently reviewed how Social Security benefits are calculated for recipients of Ja...

US citizens, I'm sure most of you are aware of the WEP (Windfall Elimination Provision) and the potential for our Social Security benefits to be greatly cut/reduced simply by living in Japan. If you feel so inclined, there is a form email that you can send to your Senator to try and prevent a lowere...

A lot of people quite like real estate (buying and selling) and although you may only be thinking of 1 property purchase, I would keep my 13 million in the market. The wife and I rent and have done so for 20+ years. Initially told myself that what I would be buying is just not enough space for the m...

Not my area of expertise but I believe most places require a guarantor or even two to sign a rental contract. More than likely, this will be required whether you are retired or have a job. Again, I'm not sure about this. I've had to get guarantors for my house (renting) even though I make more than ...

I agree with the above comments. You could pause investing and build the EF back up or continue investing and build it back by pulling cash from another place. It kind of depends on how much you need to build back, I reckon. I've never had an emergency and had to use mine yet (knock on wood) but oft...

Another satisfied WISE user here! Have used Shinsei GoRemit and the Post office. Wise is much easier with better rates. The card is handy as well. Got one for my daughter to use overseas. Very easy to send her money online. I have a Wise card but haven't used it yet. Is it easy to use as a debit ca...

Another satisfied WISE user here! Have used Shinsei GoRemit and the Post office. Wise is much easier with better rates.
The card is handy as well. Got one for my daughter to use overseas. Very easy to send her money online.

I tend to agree with Ben (linking money to work). I give my kids a monthly "allowance" but also require them to help around the house. I believe they should help out anyway as they are part of the family but giving them a little cash every month keeps them from asking me all the time.