DIA Blog 010 - Why Ballin' On A Budget In Japan Isn't As Hard As You Think It Is by H8R

by H8R

Expat life can be really expensive or cheap depending on your location. Out of many popular destinations, Japan is easily one of the MOST expensive in Asia. However, it doesn't have to be that way.

If you're on a quest to save money while living large in Japan, then you're reading the right article.

While I do lovingly categorize myself as a "cheapskate," I'm cheap in the way that I want to try to get the best deals and the best value for my time/money. In other words, I'm not opposed to spending money, but I will do a little bit more work to stretch that dollar (or yen in this case).

This post will give you the inside info so you can live that baller's lifestyle without going broke!

Be sure to check out our episode about saving money as an expat!




 Look for deals and specials


Lot's of shops, restaurants, and bars have special promotions all the time. Going to these places at certain times in the day, days in the week, or dates in the month can save you some serious dough!

You'll need some Japanese skill for this, but be on the lookout for these kinds of specials in advertisements, menus, online, or on signs in the business you frequent. The less you spend there, the more you'll be able to spend at other places!

I've been able to save some cash by getting 3% off groceries on certain dates, half-price drinks at local bars for happy hour, 20% off the bill at Japanese BBQ on the 29th (in Japanese "29" can be read as "niku" which means "meat"), and half-price beer at Red Lobster on the 2nd, 12th, and 22nd.

Don't throw out those ads


A lot of the newspapers you get in the mail will have coupons and promotions. Whenever I get one, I look through to see if there's anything interesting. Having a coupon doesn't mean you have to use it, but if you see a spot you were going to check out anyway, you might as well take advantage of the extra savings!

Welcome to point card paradise


Japan loves point cards and so do I! Get point cards for the places you go the most. Here are the ones I have:

  • Rakuten
  • D-Points
  • T-Points
  • 109 Cinemas Point Card
  • Waon
  • Kips
  • Grocery store
  • Bars
  • Restaurants

Getting one or two percent back for your purchases may not seem like a lot, but it really adds up over the years. By using these cards, I've gotten free pizza, coffee, movie tickets, and much more!

Rakuten Card Man!


The Rakuten Card is one of the easiest credit cards for expats to get in Japan. If you've had a steady job and have been in Japan for about 6 months, you should be able to get one pretty easily!

I use it everywhere and I get a lot of points!

You can use the points for Domino's Pizza, Coco Curry, movie tickets, online shopping, Rakuten Mobile, and more!

If you want some extra baller status, go for the premium card. For 10000 JPY (a little less than $100), you can get FREE access to airport lounges across the world using Priority Pass.

Most of the lounges have food, beverages (including the adult variety), comfortable seating, charging outlets and wi-fi that makes the regular airport wi-fi look like garbage. Some even have massage chairs and showers! It makes long layovers really nice and it's gonna suck for me to have to give that card up.

That's it!

Here are some of the things I do to have a good time without blowing all my cash. It takes a little bit of work up front, but you can save a lot in the long run.

Have you used any of these tips? Do you have anything you do to get deals in Japan? Let us know!

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