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

Catching Up

It’s funny how work always gets in the way of the things I want to do. The last few weeks have been very busy for me. As an English teacher here in Japan, I had to prepare for our special Christmas lessons at school as well as other End-of-Year activities. I think every educator knows that preparation is key when you’re in the teaching field. … Continue reading Catching Up

Flexibility

What constitutes an emergency, I wonder? Right now, I’m on a plane bound for Tokyo, but this was not the original flight I booked. My flight was scheduled to leave at 10:10 am with Jetstar Japan. However, due to mechanical problems, the flight was originally delayed. On further questioning, the ground staff said that at that point, it was difficult for the people in charge … Continue reading Flexibility

Rent

So we’ve just signed another two-year lease on our apartment. Hooray! We’ve been living in the same place for ten years. Holy cow! Ten years. It got me thinking about housing and the amount of money we’ve paid over the years, staying at the same place. Ten years is a long time. Most people don’t really rent for that long. The general advice is that … Continue reading Rent

Ten Ways Living in Japan Has Made Me Financially Better

You’re riding the trains to work, being packed in by the station attendant until the passengers are squished together like sardines in a can. Once you get to your destination, friendly public service announcements gently remind you in all languages: “Please make sure you take all your belongings with you.” Out of the station, J-Pop filters over hidden loudspeakers. The latest idol group is promoting … Continue reading Ten Ways Living in Japan Has Made Me Financially Better

Success

What does success mean to you? It’s taken a long time to come up with a satisfying answer, but to me, success means being able to control my time. It means being able to do the things I want to do and avoiding the things I don’t want to do. Right now, I’m only working part time and earning about $2000 a month. And yet, … Continue reading Success