1. Cook, Don't Dine
Japan is known for providing spectacular customer service and Tokyo in particular is known as the capital of cuisine, home to the highest number of Michelin stars in the world, over 200 stars to be more precise. While it's lovely to wine and dine in the weekend at a fancy restaurant, one of the most important tips I can give is pretty much the same all over the world: try cooking your own food at home instead of dining out every day. You'll save a ton of cash while also knowing exactly what's going into your meals (if you're concerned about ingredients or have any allergies).Another great tip is that if you really do want to eat out, opt for lunch since in most cases it will be half the price than if you had to eat dinner at the exact same venue later on that same day, and always remember that tipping is not done in Japan.
2. Supermarkets VS Convenience Stores
Strangely enough, it took a while for me to figure this one out. I had first come to Tokyo February last year and remember going into a supermarket and finding that the food was quite expensive compared to the 7-Eleven that was a hell of a lot closer to our apartment. What I hadn't realized of course, was that I was in the equivalent of a Waitrose instead of an ASDA (the UK peeps will know what I'm on about!).Finally, more than a year later, I have returned to Japan for the long-term and finally found a great supermarket just a 5 minute walk from our apartment that has extremely reasonable prices - Kasumi - which can be found at the Olinas Shopping Mall in Sumida. Everything is cheaper here than at a 7-Eleven, Family Mart or Lawson. In the long-run, you can save money substantially on purchasing your food items from a supermarket rather than at a convenience store, with the added benefit of fresh and organic produce as well as an incredible variety of items just for your choosing.
3. Apply for Membership Point Cards
On the same note, multiple supermarkets have membership loyalty cards that work on a point system, so whenever you make a purchase you get points added on your card. Once you have reached a certain threshold, you are able to get a discount on your next purchase, how great is that?! I've come across a multitude of shops that have these point cards in place and highly recommend that you ask for one if you have the opportunity to do so. Everyone loves a good discount. Don't miss your chance, especially if you're trying to save cash while living in Tokyo.
4. Travel using a Pasmo/Suica Card
Travel can be costly if you tend to purchase your tickets separately for each train ride. Investing in a Pasmo or Suica Card is highly recommended. They are simply pre-paid travel cards that can be used on the go with a cheaper fare when used compared to buying separate tickets, same as an Oyster card in London and a Metrocard in New York. A really savvy advantage of both the Pasmo and Suica card is that you can use them to purchase drinks at the (many) vending machines in the streets of the city, at convenience stores, selected supermarkets and even in some restaurants that have a contactless reader!5. Cost-Effective Product Shopping
Second-Hand Stores
I first walked into an electronic second-hand store a couple of months ago and noticed how perfect the quality was. There were mobiles, laptops, PCs, televisions, WI-FI selfie sticks - anything and everything electronic and yet they looked brand new, and to top it off, the prices were mind-blowing. 200 Euro for a spotless IPhone X - YES, PLEASE!Besides, if you are relocating to Japan and got yourself an unfurnished apartment, you are going to need to buy a couple of necessary bits and bobs such as a bed, fridge, drawers, washing machine, etc. Second-hand stores in Japan are not like in America and Europe, the majority of people wouldn't bother trying to sell their crap items when delivery is expensive, they would simply throw it away. Honestly, do yourself a massive favor and simply buy them second-hand, the quality is going to be great and you're only going to have to spend a fraction of what you would if you had to buy it brand new.
Another key tip to keep in mind is that since delivery costs are quite pricey, a lot of expats who are moving from old to new apartments within Tokyo do not bother transferring their items. Instead, they give their items away for free as long as you pick it up as soon as possible. Yes, this happens. Yes, it's amazing.
100 Yen Shops
100 Yen Shops are discount stores that sell all their products for 108 Yen (100 Yen + 8% consumption tax). Their products range from stationery to household appliances and tableware. A great option if you're in need of quality products and don't have a luxury budget in hand.Don Quijote
Don Quijote is another one of those discount chain stores that I can remain in for hours on end. With multiple floors, covering any products you may need from a fridge to perfume to sex toys to food, you will most likely find what you are looking for and the prices are extremely reasonable. Definitely another one for the books.
6. Consider a Share-House
While I know that we would all like a modern or contemporary apartment that's highly furnished, sometimes the price is just not on par with what you can afford. The majority of rental apartments include in their initial fee: rent of the first month, 1 month's deposit, guarantor fee, utility fee, and a deposit which you never get back (kind of like a 'thank you' to them for letting you rent). This means that the initial cost can turn up to be 5-6 times the rent! When my partner and I were looking for an apartment, we literally filtered all our search results on property websites to not include any of the extra fees except for the first month's rent and 1 month's deposit (with utilities (water, gas, electricity) and WI-FI included) so that we could hold on to some cash.You will also come across many properties for rent in Tokyo that are within your budget, until you learn that no gaijin (foreigners) are allowed or else that you require a work visa/residency as part of your documents before signing a contract. I'm aware that a lot of us do not have them in place yet, and because of this, apartment hunting is definitely not a stroll in the park.
A share-house is a good option for those of us who are still waiting on a work visa or just in the city for the short-term and want to save on rent, this is what my partner and I have done in our case. Share-houses usually have a private room that serves as a bedroom (ours includes a bed, private fridge, clothes rack, a wooden drawer cabinet and a large window with plenty of natural light), followed by a communal kitchen/toilet/shower. Luckily for us, the rest of the residents in our apartment don't cook so we pretty much have the kitchen to ourselves. It almost reminds me of student dorms which I had back in the U.K., and living with Japanese people is never a problem: they are very quiet, polite and clean, therefore you do not have to worry about anyone intruding on you nor disrupting your personal space.
Although I would not like to bring this up, I think it's quite important for the people that do not already know: There are some apartments that look amazing and at relatively low prices however these could be Jikobukken - an apartment in which a death accident would have happened including but not limited to a murder, suicide, gas leak, or even a ghost-citing for example. Unless you feel comfortable enough living in an apartment with that specific reputation, I wouldn't recommend it in the slightest, simply because of your own health, safety and most importantly, your life.
7. Low-Cost, High-Quality Entertainment
Tokyo is an astounding entertainment hub with something for everyone. We've all heard of the Robot Restaurant which I have never attended but have been advised many times not to go to by the locals because it is a rip off and more like trying to have dinner at an electronic disco, so we can skip over this one.Moving on, there are a few ways that you can save money on entertainment in Tokyo:
- Karaoke is the top most enjoyed activity in Tokyo with friends. Branches such as Karoake-Kan and Big Echo have great deals on certain days and between certain times so do check those out before you go!
- Cinemas are mostly quite pricey however they do have special discounts on certain days (similar to a Children's Cinema Day in Malta but for the simple reason of giving a discount).
- Catch a live jazz band or comedy show at a local bar, you are usually only required to buy a drink to enjoy this.
- Visit a free observation deck to see Tokyo from above
- Wander enchanted temples all over the city including the Meiji Shrine in Yoyogi Park, Sensoji Temple in Asakusa (including Nakamise Dori which is a market street that goes way back to when it first started in the 18th century - it is full of vendors, famous for selling all kinds of souvenirs), The Imperial Palace in Chiyoda, amongst many others!
- Head over to one of the many parks in the city and have a picnic in the green grass, I particularly like Ueno Park and Yoyogi Park for this one.
- Visit Odaiba Beach for a warm afternoon in the sun and sand. Just lay out a towel underneath you and have a cold, refreshing beer while playing a board game (or drinking game, whichever suits you).
I'll be making another post soon with a lot more things that you can do in Tokyo on a budget.
8. Sports and Exercising
Thinking about how to exercise in Tokyo while on a budget? A few gyms such as the Toshimaku Ikebukuro Sports Center is known to have relatively low rates, at just 400 Yen for a 2 hour entrance. If you aren't a fan of going to the gym or don't have the extra cash, then you can find parks all over the city which allow you to take a walk surrounded by nature, some parks even have outside gyms (handle bar kinds).It is also quite common to see a few people doing yoga in the grass, with a group or by themselves. In fact, meetup.com has multiple meet ups for foreigners and locals alike. Free classes are held at certain times of the week/month at various locations across Tokyo depending on the organizer of the event. Click here for a few of the Sports and Fitness Meetups in Tokyo currently available to all.
9. Drinking Alcohol in Tokyo
Sometimes it's nice to let loose, and this is for the people that do like to drink alcohol every now and then. Alcoholic drinks can be quite pricey in Tokyo bars, so for the most part there are two options that I recommend for this:All-You-Can-Drink Bars
Also known as Nomihodai (飲み放題) in Japanese, the all-you-can-drink options in bars could be a great way to save money, sometimes only costing 1,000 Yen for two hours. The average price for an alcoholic beverage in a regular bar would cost between 400 and 700 Yen, meaning it is well worth the price if you like drinking more than 1 drink an hour.Buy Drinks from the Convenient Store
While buying food products from the convenience store does not benefit you in the long-run, alcoholic beverages may be quite a convenient purchase from them (pun intended). The prices are relatively similar and you have quite a choice with bottles of wine, whisky, sake, and many flavored Shochu (焼酎) canned drinks (similar to vodka).My boyfriend, James, tends to go for the 9% alcoholic ones, while I opt for the 5% ones because they're less strong and I'm a bit of a wuss. For the large cans it's as little as 200 Yen, and 150 Yen for the small cans. We recently tasted new flavors of the Shochu drinks: Mango, Sakura, and Cherry, and we can confirm that all three taste amazing. Feel free to go and chill at the nearest park with your chosen alcoholic beverage as there is a no open container policy, allowing anyone to drink in public. Remember to be responsible and not cause any disturbances! Tokyo, and Japan in general, is very mindful of others and society as a whole.
10. Common sense
Lastly, common sense will take you far. If you see two bottles of water and one is cheaper, just go for the cheaper version because the quality is not going to be that different, the only reason for the price difference would be the brand. This is the same with most other products or situations you will come across, there is always a more cost-effective option available - you just have to look, find and ask for it :)What do you think of my recommended tips? Do you have any questions? Are there other ways that you have saved money while living in Tokyo? Share your Tokyo Budget Travel experiences by commenting below!
Photos by Joseph Albanese, Victoriano Izquierdo and Benjamin Hung on Unsplash .
