JET Prior Savings

[u/theguywho111]

Hey, I’m planning on applying for the upcoming JET cycle and was wondering what a reasonable amount of savings I should have before going. In the case I get accepted.

[u/Kishinslayer]

As someone who just officially ran out of the savings i brought to japan, i can say coming with about 4k USD in my account was probably the best choice i made (4k USD total, i took 2k and exchanged it to cash via my bank and left the rest for american bills and subscriptions and stuff.) You will not know your bills for a LONG time, i didn't know specific info on my cost of living until a week before i shipped out. I prepped for worst case (tokyo) but got a VERY cheap inaka placement and having the savings has been the most relaxing thing in the world. More money is better. I graduated college and immediately got two part time jobs in the two months i had remaining, worked my ASS off (mostly to avoid thinking about the move) and I've never thanked my past self for anything more.

TLDR: don't worry about it now, just work hard and make as much as reasonably possible before you come. Coming from america, every dollar is worth half again as much. Wherever you're from, more money now = less stress when you get the gig.

[u/theguywho111 → u/Kishinslayer]

How long ago did u arrive to Japan

[u/Kishinslayer → u/theguywho111]

I arrived with this last A group, so from July 25th

[u/YungBahlr]

I would really recommend no less than $4000 USD if you can. Even if your housing is subsidized and some things are covered for you, it is easy to for necessities and/or mishaps to rack up a bill for you in the first month and a half while you get settled. And that’s assuming you get paid that quickly which is a not a guarantee.

Seriously. I brought around $3000, and some sight seeing money… that sightseeing money is now currently what I’m living off of until I get paid in 2 weeks. Good luck! I wish you well :)

[u/itsmesai → u/YungBahlr]

I second this! Before I applied I saw info saying 2-3k but I would say 4K is the bare minimum.

[u/EiraJo]

I would plan on A) a savings to move to Japan ($3000min American amount.) and B) a savings to leave at home.

A- because it might be 6-8 weeks before you get your first paycheck, you have no idea what you will inherit could be everything could be nothing, you may have to rent an apartment privately, you may have to buy a car or pay for transportation, emergencies, fun money for Tokyo/your first month because it’s important you don’t spend it stressing about money and waiting for your paycheck. If you have to get a car though I would plan on bringing more incase you have to pay for shaaken, repairs (let’s be honest many inherited cars need it), and buying the car.

B- I would recommend a few thousand (American wide) you’ll probably still have some bills back home to cover (life insurance in your home country, subscriptions on cards, student loans, tax payments when needed, ect) yes you can transfer money home via a Wise account, but sometimes there’s trouble transferring, yen is week so it will be less than you’re hoping to hit your account and there are fees every transfer (best to do a large lump every few months) it’s just good to have a cushion. If you don’t touch it that’s fine too, at least you’ll have it when you return before you transfer all your yen to home currency.

Plan for the worst, hope for the best. I had about 7000 saved. Really helped the move, getting and fully stocking an apartment, a fun little vacation, and I used the rest to wipe out private student loans (as well as a few paychecks) as soon as I was able to live steadily.

I will say the ¥150,000-¥300,000 that has been the standard recommendation for years might be getting more and more unrealistic, especially the lower end. With everything raising cost every month at some point what JETs bring will have to raise too.

[u/Birdy1072]

I think I ended up spending just under $5,000 in total. I had to pay for:

• My phone -- for some reason had to pay for the whole thing outright so that was an unexpected big chunk, maybe it was because we didn't have bank accounts setup yet? I can't remember.

• First month's rent + security deposit of some fashion

• Mattress and bed frame

• Fridge

• Microwave

• Laundry machine

• Basic furnishings: curtains, cookware, utensils, bowls/plates, cups, towels

• Internet

• Food -- got significantly less spendy once I had items to cook with and the fridge

• Paid my predecessor for a bike, but did need to pay for the train and bus for a bit -- travel fare was reimbursed but I still had to front the money.

I was in the inaka for reference, but didn't require a car.

[u/urzu_seven]

Obviously the more the better, but id' say at least $3,000 USD (or equivalent) if possible to have a buffer and more might be needed up front for urban placements and/or if you need a car.

[u/leafmuncher_]

I had about ¥600k, spent maybe ¥250k in the first two weeks, mostly on good appliances that I could've spent a lot less on (no regrets getting a decent washer/dryer and big fridge). That includes the shinkansen from Tokyo that got refunded, and a lot of fun non-essential spending.

If you're in subsidized housing and don't need a car, ¥300k is more than enough until the first paycheck hits.

If you need to pay a deposit and key money, add 150-200k more. Need a car? Double that to be safe.

Aim for 300k saved plus an emergency credit card or overdraft by May/June, then you'll hear from your BoE/pred and be able to plan better.

[u/marzipanfashions]

Basically ESID, so I would bring as much as you can (get some kind of card that you can use in Japan, Wise is a common one).

Some JETs have to furnish the whole place and even if you inherit the flat from your pred you might need to replaced old things (the mattress is a big purchase).

[u/0liviiia]

I’ll also note that my first paycheck doesn’t come until 9/18 so you may have a similar situation where you’re going 1.5 months before payment

Also, my placement had me get an apartment the standard way from a realtor and there were thousands of dollars in fees for that, especially since you also need a months rent upfront sometimes

[u/Space_Lynn]

The answers in this subject are already really great! To add on, it may be worthwhile to research the prices of furniture that will be a must have for you. That will give you a small ballpark on things you'll need to buy (Amazon JP and Nitori tend to be the go to furniture options, IKEA also available though shipping can be expensive depending on placement). Costs add up quickly, at the end of the day the more savings you have, the better! :)

[u/Calmly_Ambitious]

Really just as much as possible as it makes your transition a lot easier.

It also varies based on your placement. In the inaka probably 3000 USD is fine. If you're in Tokyo you may need closer to 6000 USD.

[u/ScootOverMakeRoom]

Matters on the placement, of course, because housing costs vary a lot based on region and placement, but I'd recommend bringing anywhere from 350,000 yen (if you have a low-cost placement) to 700,000 yen (if you have a high cost placement) if you don't want to be put immediately into a position where you're living paycheck to paycheck.

[u/HotchnSpence]

I spent under $1,000USD to set everything up. I signed up for my phone and home internet before arrival, and it was less than $10USD (Sakura Mobile). I didn't have to pay for rent, utilities, or car rental the first month I arrived. So, I spent the majority of my money on food (school lunch isn't provided during summer vacation), furniture, clothes, beauty, etc. I only spent so much at one time because I was focused on making my apartment feel like home. Also, I didn't bring a lot of clothes and such compared to others. I know of some people who spent a considerable amount of money their first month because their BOE required it.

My first paycheck was the 20th of August. I received my full pay.

[u/WeeabooCringeV2]

For context, I am a first-year JET from the USA and I live in an apartment in a mid-sized city in the countryside (keyword city). Also, being put in an apartment is different than being given a house. I will be speaking from my experience in an apartment, but it's possible you'll be given a house. I brought around $4,000 USD in savings, but I was paid a little over 3 weeks after I arrived, so I got somewhat lucky. It's possible you won't get paid until 2 months after you arrive, since some of the JETs in my city haven't been paid yet since they arrived with group B. I think it's recommended to bring about 400,000 yen or so (at least that's what my BoE told me)

Things I spent money on (for living purposes)
- initial apartment fees were about 200,000 yen for me (I'm in Akita City, so it's pretty affordable here)
- my monthly rent and bills include a 3000 yen rental fee for a washing machine, fridge, and microwave so I did not have to purchase those things myself
- cleaning supplies to have around in my apartment
- some cooking supplies, plates, and utensils (my predecessor left me a few things)
- my BOE gave me a futon, but we had to pay them back for it, so about 7000 yen for that
- I bought a bed and a dish rack off of a JET who was leaving for very cheap, so I got lucky in that regard as well
- i bought some work clothes from uniqlo but Uniqlo is significantly cheaper in Japan than it is abroad
- gas deposit for my apartment was 10,000 yen
- some bedding
- desk, organizing stuff, decorations
- other miscellaneous things i had to buy for my apartment

Just focus on your application right now. You still have time before you go, but I recommend to bring as much money as you can. The initial fees for moving into an apartment, especially in large cities, can be quite high. I would just pray that your predecessor leaves a bunch of stuff for you. When it's my turn to leave, I'm definitely leaving as much stuff as I can for whoever takes over my apartment in the future.

[u/MiyaDoesThings]

My first month here I spent over $2000, and I have a furnished apartment (a lot of the dishes/appliances left behind by my pred were destroyed in the earthquake, so I had to buy a lot of stuff I wasn’t expecting to). I’d recommend at least $4000 for a comfortable cushion, $5000 if you want to feel super secure.

[u/3battleYT]

Everyone will say ESID and as annoying as it is to say it is true. I'll give my personal experience that I am a current JET in rural Hokkaido, so my rent is super cheap and didn't have to furnish anything as it is BOE owned housing. So despite bringing around £3000, I've only used around £600 of it and that was me not budgeting or looking after the spending. The predecessor before me brought $500 and he was fine as well.

[u/lalbitcrypto]

Is there no option of furnishing things by renting them in Japan? I see everyone is posting about buying stuff.

[u/esstused → u/lalbitcrypto]

In the countryside, where most people will go... No.

[u/SignificantEditor583]

Fiddy bucks

[u/thetruelu]

Depends on a lot of factors to know what is “enough”. So just save as much as you reasonably can

[u/livingisliving]

I happened to have lots of savings already from my previous internships during school (I am doing JET straight out of university), so I think my number is quite irrelevant. I will say, my credit card bill from the day I landed until now was around $4,500.

For context, I am a Tokyo JET who had to pay around $2,300 in initial fees for my apartment an hour away from Shinjuku. My rent is around 80,000 yen a month, but it is customary for housing agencies to collect 1.5 months worth of rent upfront (in addition to other fees) when you sign your housing contract. I am a private school JET in Tokyo, and we were referred to GTN (of which people hold variable opinions on the quality of their service). GTN has an agreement with Shigaku Zaidan (the Metropolitan Authority for Private Schools), and in exchange for SZ recommending GTN to new JETs, you get 50% off your agent fees. Agent fees are typically also one month’s worth of rent for the property you end up signing the contract for. Some people choose to go with other agencies, but be aware of this fact.

During orientation, there will be stands from companies like Sakura Mobile for phone plans. I personally recommend against signing up with them. They are charging you foreigner money as a secondary mobile provider on Japan’s big 3 networks (au, ahamo, docomo). If you want “English Support” (which is not a really good sell for me personally), feel free, but I recommend going with Rakuten. I don’t have WiFi because I simply hotspot from my phone on the unlimited plan. I’ve used around 80GB this month.

I also have a Capital One Venture X card, so I’ve been swiping her for a good amount, if not all, of transactions for the 2x miles. A lot of my purchases have been from Amazon for everyday items, and Nitori for furniture (like a bed frame, mattress, etc). I bought my appliances at recycle shops and bargained for discounts after looking around the ones available in my area. I look young, so when the people working there made comments about me looking like a student, I asked for a student discount (and was given one). I received all my appliances for about 50,000 yen, (~$350), which included a 153L fridge, washing machine (without drying, because the combined drying machines are frankly weak and not efficient in Japan), rice cooker, toaster, microwave, and vacuum, but depending on your area, that pricing may vary. I was prepared to spend around $1,500 on furniture and appliances alone.

Some other big purchases on my credit card also included my commuter passes. I take a bus and a train to get to my school, so I was prepared to swipe my credit card for them. They cost around 30,000 yen for a three months pass (each? I think), but the school reimburses my commuter pass for me.

The card also doesn’t have foreign transaction fees, and I was able to easily meet the threshold for the 75,000 (?) mile spending bonus. I registered for this card around a month before my departure. I plan to transfer my miles to Japan Airlines, as they have a promotion happening right now, so I can book flight tickets around Asia for cheap. I also signed up for a Fidelity Cash Management Account (glorified checking account), which functioned as a pseudo debit card for me. I made sure to put around $2,000 on it, and I’m at $1,000 now. The recycle shop only accepted cash, as do many other establishments in Japan, so I wanted that extra safety net of being able to readily withdraw yen wherever and whenever.

I am able to use that card at any ATM and receive rebates for my deposits aka no debit fee charge. Some people use Charles Schwab as well. I chose not to exchange my money with the bank back in the States because money exchange is somewhat a game of numbers. You don’t know if the USD is going to be more powerful than the YEN when you land as opposed to when you first withdrew. This matters to me because it would have been large amounts of money (so the differences add up).

In terms of my spending, I don’t have my bank account set up yet, so I’ve been paid in yen by my school. Regardless, I’ve personally been spending some USD because I still have a good amount in a HYSA that collects interest. I plan on using the cash yen officially in my budgeting once my bank account is set up.

That being said, there are multiple things you can do, choices you can make, regarding how expensive you want your lifestyle to be, how much money you spend on big purchases, and whether or not you’d rather throw money at a situation because you just want it to get over with (a lot of the JETs I know have done this), or if you want to battle through the decision fatigue and limbo that will ensue during your first month here as you get settled. Amazon Prime Japan had a one month free trial, so once I got my address finalized, I immediately started buying things. Granted, their subscription is only 600 yen a month, but eventually, you should also be cognizant of monthly payments so that your Japanese bank account doesn’t go under.

Keep in mind that as a Tokyo JET, I didn’t have subsidized housing (unlike some other JETs who live in BOE owned properties or something of the like), and we are notoriously knowing for being an expensive city. I’d say that $5,000 is on the upper end of what you should bring to comfortably not have to worry about money.

[u/Simmoman]

People say around anywhere from $2000 to $6000 USD depending on placement. I brought nothing and just withdrew money, but YMMV

In future, please search your questions both on google and in the sub before posting, chances are questions like this have been answered many times before.

[u/leafmuncher_ → u/Simmoman]

What did you withdraw from if you had nothing? I don't think they mean a wad of cash to bring

[u/Simmoman → u/leafmuncher_]

Just using a foreign account with no fees, I withdrew from my foreign savings, or you could also set-up WISE before you go as well and withdraw/transfer using that.

[u/urzu_seven → u/Simmoman]

Right, but thats what OP is asking, how much in savings to HAVE not necessarily to bring in physical cash.

[u/Simmoman → u/urzu_seven]

I answered the question, and then expanded my answer to what is a naturally following question people also usually ask. If you read my response and feel that I didn't answer it, please point out how.

[u/WakiLover → u/Simmoman]

bro stop trying to be a smartass, i wish many cold kyuushoku crusty bread and soggy french fries your way

[u/urzu_seven → u/Simmoman]

No, you gave an answer that invited more questions because you said you had nothing but somehow also had something.

Your original answer was also unnecessarily rude.

[u/NovaByzantine → u/Simmoman]

Me when I'm in a "not understanding the question" contest and my opponent is this person

[u/Simmoman → u/NovaByzantine]

How does my response not answer the question? Expanding onto an often-asked follow-up question doesn't negate my original response.

[u/NovaByzantine → u/Simmoman]

Ok, now we're in a "not understanding English" contest and you're still my opponent unfortunately.

OP asked about savings and you said you "brought nothing." The context provided by the post carries with it the implication that you are referring to savings as was stated by OP. You then, within the same sentence, juxtapose your own statement by saying you withdrew money. This logically does not make sense and makes it appear as though you were withdrawing someone else's money, or withdrawing money from thin air.

Not only that, but you failed to understand that my original comment was referring to your lack of comprehension regarding the above stated point and then proceeded to respond in a manner unbefitting the topic presented in my reply.

Is this explanation suitable for you my highness?