Reducing fixed expenses challenge

[Bubblegun]

Fantastic stuff

I managed to move to one of the new mobile phone companies saving approximately.
12,000 per year.

Was it only that much? When I switched from Softbank to Aeon, my bills went down by 6,000-7,000 yen a month!

I was expecting more but unfortunately, I didn't want to risk being hit with extra charges if i use more than the allotted amount of data. I would certainly like a bigger discount, but I'll take what I can and see what happens in a year.
I'll take the 1000 yen a month so far.It might be a bit more,1500 yen saving, but anything is better than nothing

[kuma]

I've got plenty of room for improvement, as I've more than doubled my fixed expenses in the past year due to (1) moving from Maebashi, Gunma to Sapporo and seeing rent, heating and car costs shoot up (traded in an efficient hatchback for a less efficient 4WD that could cope with winter), and (2) becoming a dad. I'm also only two years into my Japanese journey and have a lot to learn with the language, systems, and cost-saving measures.

Still, successes include:
* when the snow melted, I started cycling to/from part-time job and intend to do so throughout the snow-free months
* carefully selecting part-time teaching slots that maximise free lunches per hours taught
* working remotely for freelance job, reducing household bills
* using non-disposable nappies
* paying 12 months of kokumin nenkin in one go to receive small discount

Interesting posts re phone contracts; will definitely look into following suit when I am able to escape my current deal.

[RetireJapan]

Interesting posts re phone contracts; will definitely look into following suit when I am able to escape my current deal.

You may find it worth it to pay the penalty to cancel your current contract: I had 3-4 months left and I still saved money after paying the penalties

[JaviLM]

You may find it worth it to pay the penalty to cancel your current contract: I had 3-4 months left and I still saved money after paying the penalties

Softbank charges 10.000 yen to cancel the contract if you cancel outside your "renewal month".

I switched to AEON Mobile a few weeks ago and they confirmed that I had to pay the Softbank cancellation fee. They gave me an AEON point card with 10.000 points in it to compensate (you can use it in convenience stores and many other places), so the stupid cancellation fee is not an issue.

[RetireJapan]

You may find it worth it to pay the penalty to cancel your current contract: I had 3-4 months left and I still saved money after paying the penalties

Softbank charges 10.000 yen to cancel the contract if you cancel outside your "renewal month".

I switched to AEON Mobile a few weeks ago and they confirmed that I had to pay the Softbank cancellation fee. They gave me an AEON point card with 10.000 points in it to compensate (you can use it in convenience stores and many other places), so the stupid cancellation fee is not an issue.

Argh! I didn't think to ask about this

[kuma]

kuma wrote: ↑Mon Jun 03, 2019 1:04 am
Interesting posts re phone contracts; will definitely look into following suit when I am able to escape my current deal.
You may find it worth it to pay the penalty to cancel your current contract: I had 3-4 months left and I still saved money after paying the penalties

I have 20 months left on my 5000-yen-per-month deal. I'll iterate towards optimising in the future, taking on suggestions in blog posts and on the forums. I agree that the penalties may be worth paying... or not, if points card bribes cancel these out!! I'll accept the status quo for a while though as my wife wouldn't be coaxable into help with more phone-related paperwork any time soon. In the UK I ran my mobile for £7.50 a month, except for six months when I decided to go without a mobile and home internet.

[Djdawang]

*switched from Softbank to Ymobile. Saved 6000 each for my wife and I. 12000 a month
*make coffee at work instead of buying outside. Saved about 3000 a month
*got rid of my car so saved 15000 a month
30000 a month total

[RetireJapan]

*switched from Softbank to Ymobile. Saved 6000 each for my wife and I. 12000 a month
*make coffee at work instead of buying outside. Saved about 3000 a month
*got rid of my car so saved 15000 a month
30000 a month total

Impressive! I think you win

[Tanuki]

I invested in a hair clipper which cost me initially 4000 yen but saved me between 1000- 1500 per haircut( sometimes I wanted that wet shave) .So after one year I am saving.
3000-4500 per year.

-Hair clipper for me too. Great savings over fifteen years or so, haircut can be done at home anytime.
-Quaker Oats from Amazon. I think it's a regular on this forum.

[tokyojoe]

1. Mobile phone
I think I win the prize here ... I don't have one at all in Japan so cost is 0 yen per year
I have a landline phone both at work and home, and email access at both places while
my wife has a smart phone (on a low cost ~1100 yen per month plan) so I can get by w/out.
Unfortunately it seems like there is now a change underway whereby many transactions
(banks etc.) will require you to have a phone as well as email access. I plan to buy a cheap phone
in the UK and then get a UK SIM on a cheap pay-as-you-go basis (e.g. through giff-gaff) , with expected
running cost < 2000 yen per year.

2. Electricity
Before wife (who requires a little luxury) and baby goats arrived I lived a very stripped down existence
that required very little electricity - I used to pay about 150 yen a month for consumption cost.
How did I do that ? I didn't have a t.v. and there was no air conditioning installed where I was living.
I also didn't have a fridge, but lived next to a supermarket that was open very late and effectively acted
as my refridgerator. You can also consider charging things like ketai denwa /laptops etc. at work.

3. Food
Hasn't had much of a mention I guess but food is the one fixed cost we all have to pay.
In terms of Japanese food you can reduce your costs by working out what time the staff
go around your supermarket putting the reduced stickers on. For those of you from the UK (probably
applies to some other countries as well) there is a way to offset your costs if you are travelling home
anyway by making sure to buy and bring back food that will keep / has value (many foods are much
cheaper in the UK). I bring back about a year's worth of cheese, plenty of smoked salmon and breakfast
cereals when I go - I would estimate I maybe get a 7000~10,000 yen saving per suitcase without trying too hard.

Same probably applies to children's clothes which are very cheap in the UK, especially around the back-to-school
period in August. This is helped by the fact that Japanese Shogakko don't seem to have a uniform policy.