$$Tokyo$$
If you google the most expensive cities to live in worldwide you'll find Tokyo somewhere in the top 10. I looked at a few last night and Tokyo was actually in the top 3 on 5 of the lists. Now, one list claimed that you'd have to shell out $5,000 to get a 2 bedroom apartment in Tokyo. I'm sure there are plenty of such apartments, but there are also less expensive ones so you can't believe everything you read.
But, it is true. Living here is very expensive. We rent an 860 ft2 apartment for approximately $1100 a month. If we want to rent a parking space that is another $115 a month. Our utilities, including internet but with no cable, are over $400 a month. All that for utilities and our apartment does not even have central air or heat! Groceries, gas, train tickets, they all add up too of course. Groceries vary in price from store to store and season to season, but it is not uncommon to see 4 apples for $6 or a quart of milk for $3.
Here is the baffling part for me - Jason and I are living here and we're doing alright. We aren't saving money by any means, and we have certainly had to rely on our Visa a few times, but we're making it. Do you know how much money we made last year, both of us working here in Japan full time? The amount is low - $47,000. That is the least amount we have ever made as a married couple. I have friends and family that make 4 times that by themselves, forget their spouse. I also know some families that scrape by on less than that. The world is a crazy place. ***I know that in some parts of the world what we made would seem like a kings riches. It is a lot of money and if we lived in a place where the cost of living were lower it would be just fine for the long term. But here, or in Seattle where we are from, it's just not very much money, especially for a family of four.
I have to step back and ask myself why. I just have to. Why are we working so hard and sacrificing so much, for such a small monetary reward? Of course the answer lies in the experience and the fact that no amount of money earned could replace this in our minds but sometimes that's a tough one to remember.
We have learned a lot. Before we came to Japan we were thoroughly enjoying our larger paychecks - a couple hundred dollar birthday party for one of the kids or $150 a month for cable TV was nothing. And we couldn't have lived without it of course. We had cars that were still newish, an upgraded house, more clothes than we could use, ever. You know, as that is how so many of us live. Those darn Jones's were always peeking in the window, or vice versa. But now, now we are living with so much less. We have no choice. I don't think we could have cut back to this level without being forced to, although we talked about it many times. You know what? I'm so happy for it. Yes, I miss my things like crazy. I would love to have my nice kitchen back with all my gadgets and goodies in it. I miss my DVR and my closet full of choices. But, Lily, and Jaxon, and I have learned the value of a dollar. When we return to the US I cannot wait to live frugally - to only have what we need and actually budget for it. To live honestly - only buying what we can afford and not hiding behind a credit card. The kids will always know that they are getting the best we can give them - actually give them, not give via the Visa. We don't need the newest or the best, and we certainly don't need the most. I 've always known these things but now I am living them.
This is all so blatant to me right now - so loud and in my face as Jason and I are both working, and only working. We are trying to live on as little as we can, send home as much as we can, to try to make a path to come home someday. We will arrive there and have to start over completely. We'll have no home or car, no furniture or even a spoon to eat from. That's all okay - we knew that when we left and we embrace the challenge in a way. We get to come back and recreate our lives. We get to set our own new standards of living. We don't have to feel boxed in by the choices we made before - choices we very much enjoyed at the time but I cannot see making again. It will all be new and exciting, but likely stressful and challenging at the same time. I can say this though. I am so, so, so looking forward to earning a decent wage again! Just imagine living the way we are now on our old salaries...Here's to the future!
But, it is true. Living here is very expensive. We rent an 860 ft2 apartment for approximately $1100 a month. If we want to rent a parking space that is another $115 a month. Our utilities, including internet but with no cable, are over $400 a month. All that for utilities and our apartment does not even have central air or heat! Groceries, gas, train tickets, they all add up too of course. Groceries vary in price from store to store and season to season, but it is not uncommon to see 4 apples for $6 or a quart of milk for $3.
Here is the baffling part for me - Jason and I are living here and we're doing alright. We aren't saving money by any means, and we have certainly had to rely on our Visa a few times, but we're making it. Do you know how much money we made last year, both of us working here in Japan full time? The amount is low - $47,000. That is the least amount we have ever made as a married couple. I have friends and family that make 4 times that by themselves, forget their spouse. I also know some families that scrape by on less than that. The world is a crazy place. ***I know that in some parts of the world what we made would seem like a kings riches. It is a lot of money and if we lived in a place where the cost of living were lower it would be just fine for the long term. But here, or in Seattle where we are from, it's just not very much money, especially for a family of four.
I have to step back and ask myself why. I just have to. Why are we working so hard and sacrificing so much, for such a small monetary reward? Of course the answer lies in the experience and the fact that no amount of money earned could replace this in our minds but sometimes that's a tough one to remember.
We have learned a lot. Before we came to Japan we were thoroughly enjoying our larger paychecks - a couple hundred dollar birthday party for one of the kids or $150 a month for cable TV was nothing. And we couldn't have lived without it of course. We had cars that were still newish, an upgraded house, more clothes than we could use, ever. You know, as that is how so many of us live. Those darn Jones's were always peeking in the window, or vice versa. But now, now we are living with so much less. We have no choice. I don't think we could have cut back to this level without being forced to, although we talked about it many times. You know what? I'm so happy for it. Yes, I miss my things like crazy. I would love to have my nice kitchen back with all my gadgets and goodies in it. I miss my DVR and my closet full of choices. But, Lily, and Jaxon, and I have learned the value of a dollar. When we return to the US I cannot wait to live frugally - to only have what we need and actually budget for it. To live honestly - only buying what we can afford and not hiding behind a credit card. The kids will always know that they are getting the best we can give them - actually give them, not give via the Visa. We don't need the newest or the best, and we certainly don't need the most. I 've always known these things but now I am living them.
This is all so blatant to me right now - so loud and in my face as Jason and I are both working, and only working. We are trying to live on as little as we can, send home as much as we can, to try to make a path to come home someday. We will arrive there and have to start over completely. We'll have no home or car, no furniture or even a spoon to eat from. That's all okay - we knew that when we left and we embrace the challenge in a way. We get to come back and recreate our lives. We get to set our own new standards of living. We don't have to feel boxed in by the choices we made before - choices we very much enjoyed at the time but I cannot see making again. It will all be new and exciting, but likely stressful and challenging at the same time. I can say this though. I am so, so, so looking forward to earning a decent wage again! Just imagine living the way we are now on our old salaries...Here's to the future!
*coughs* What you guys made last year is more than my parents combined have ever made in a year!
ReplyDelete-Cassie
Really Cassie? Where do they live? I must sound awful to you. For us it has been a huge eye opener. Coming from the Seattle area, what we made last year would have been pretty tough to live on for a family of four
ReplyDeleteWe've lived in London and Reading, which is a town about 40miles out of London. It's pretty weird, because I've always considered ourselves reasonably well off!
DeleteMaybe you were/are well off. It's hard to compare life in two different countries. So many factors influence a person's financial comfort. There's the cost of living in the area that you live, the amount of bills you have - housing, college bills, etc, etc, etc, the tax structure where you live...Isn't the UK tax system pretty expensive? But, with a lot of benefits?
DeleteThe truth is, we would be in a much better situation now if we'd lived within our means before. I'm hoping this whole experience provides a giant reset button!
I am glad you are still growing & learning on this journey. We miss having you closer. Wish we could get over to see you before you come home. We will be in Hawaii in Jan '14 and maybe your family can come visit?
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