Category: Personal finance in Japan

Life and Money, Life in Japan, Personal finance in Japan, Taxes

February Roundup

Hey, blog. It’s me. Yes, me. I’m just here to say that I’m alive and I’ve actually done something productive for the month. It’s tax season, and I’ve managed to finish both my Japanese and US taxes, hallelujah! Or, I’ve filed them electronically. I’m just waiting for confirmation that I did everything right. As usual, it was a struggle navigating through the Japanese one because … Continue reading February Roundup

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Cash Payments, Financial Independence, Gratitude, Investing, Life and Money, Life in Japan, Money, Personal Development, Personal finance in Japan, Saving Money, Spending Money

Bonus

Yes, you read that right. My husband handed me a small slip of paper the other day and said he was getting a bonus. Oh, right. It’s December. Some workers in Japan, if you’re lucky enough to be working for an organization that does it, get a summer and winter bonus. Hubby is one of those lucky people. I am not. Sigh. So I look … Continue reading Bonus

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Business Dealings in Japanese, Disaster Preparedness, Insurance, Life in Japan, Personal finance in Japan

Our Insurance Lady

“How much do you weigh?” the insurance lady asks me. I give her a number in kilograms. She waves the number away and proceeds to give me advice on how I can approach this application with the best way to lower my monthly rates. If you do X, your rates will increase next year. If you do what I tell you instead (Y), then you … Continue reading Our Insurance Lady

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Financial Independence, Life and Money, Love and Money, Personal Development, Personal finance in Japan, The Psychology of Money, Time vs. Money, Work-Life Balance

Agency

What do you do when everything is uncertain and your life is in limbo? So many unknowns in this world… Or maybe I am just making this all more difficult than I need to? I need to get down to the basics and keep working on what I have to do. The Game Plan still hasn’t changed: the goal is still financial independence(FI) and establishing … Continue reading Agency

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Failure, Learning New Things, Life in the US, Personal finance in Japan, Time vs. Money, Work-Life Balance

Hiatus

Whew! That was a long break. It was an unexpected plunge into the world of falling out of routines. Because of the pandemic, my regular routine went down the drain. It pretty much left me floundering as I lost the anchor to my daily life. I didn’t do the usual exercises and activities I did in the morning and it showed. I was irritated most … Continue reading Hiatus

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Life and Money, Personal finance in Japan, Saving Money, Spending Money, The Psychology of Money, Time vs. Money

Pinching Pennies

I am at the grocery store, waiting for the clerk at the register to ring up all my food. He scans two heads of broccoli. The price of one was at ¥211. Wait a minute, I think to myself. Those are supposed to be ¥198 each! I frown, but I hold my silence. I have my pride. I’m not going to argue with him over … Continue reading Pinching Pennies

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Entrepreneurship, Personal finance in Japan, The Psychology of Money, Time vs. Money, Uncategorized, Work-Life Balance

Free Time

I haven’t been working since the third week of February. It’s been six weeks since I’ve been teaching actual students. We’ve had meetings and informal sessions at work, but I haven’t been back in the classroom to interact with any of my students.  And to be honest, I don’t really miss it. I think I really am ready to move on from this job. Which … Continue reading Free Time

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Careers, Life and Money, Life in Japan, Personal finance in Japan, The Psychology of Money, Women and Money

Celebrating Women’s Month

March is women’s month and I am making it known to hubby as often as I can. Just kidding. But in light of what’s been going on around the world, I wanted to celebrate all the awesome and empowered women in my life and also hope that others do so. This is just a commentary on what I’ve observed here in Japan, but there has … Continue reading Celebrating Women’s Month

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Financial Independence, Life and Money, Life in Japan, Personal Development, Personal finance in Japan, The Psychology of Money, Time vs. Money, Work-Life Balance

A Moment of Silence

March 11, 2020. Today is the anniversary of the Great Tohoku Earthquake that claimed the lives of thousands of Japanese people. Events had been planned to remember the lives lost this day, but they’ve been canceled due to the coronavirus. Instead, we’re asked to observe a moment of silence. It’s very sad, but unfortunately, that’s how life is. Still, that moment of silence is all … Continue reading A Moment of Silence

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