All posts tagged "Money"

  • Raise Financially Savvy Children

    A couple of months ago, I picked up a pretty cool item from the liquidation shelf at a store: a large lidded glass jar featuring a coin slot and digital display– a bank that counted your money...

    • Posted August 23, 2022
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  • Family squabbles over how to spend the 100,000 yen cash benefit.

    A cash relief of 100,000 per household member (regardless of age) is on its way to reach many households in Japan as part of the Japanese government’s response to the coronavirus outbreak. The total amount covering all...

    • Posted May 22, 2020
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  • Stop in the name of love. Feb 14 is business-as-usual day.

    As families approach Valentine’s Day, many couples in Tokyo ask the question. Why do we spend money on chocolates or gifts on Feb 14 just to express our affection for someone? The reason is simple.  Valentine’s day...

    • Posted February 12, 2020
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  • What should expats be doing to grow their money?

    Depending on where you make your home as an expat, you may be pleasantly oblivious to North American news. But, like a bad case of malaria, the negative world of English news can come back and sucker...

    • Posted January 30, 2019
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  • Do you talk to your children about money?

    Teaching money-management skills to children is climbing the popularity polls, as more secondary schools begin to include it in their curricula and the big banks dedicate numerous web pages to it.  So whose responsibility is it to...

    • Posted November 26, 2018
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  • Wealth Building: Where do you start?

    As the global economy continues to flounder, now more than ever it’s a pertinent time to review professional and personal goals. Equally important is a financial plan which if achieved, will eliminate professional concerns and provide a...

    • Posted February 2, 2018
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  • 5 Smart Ways To Stretch Your Tokyo Home Budget

    The most effective advice for responsible home budgeting is to never miss a bill, save money and pay in cash.  Personal finance gurus will tell you that effective home budgeting plays a large role in building patterns...

    • Posted November 13, 2017
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  • What I’d like my kids to know about budgeting, debt and wealth

    Budgeting means living within your means As an adult, you’ll have expenses and bills. They never end. There are different ways to set up a budget. First, you have to estimate what your monthly expenses are. Next,...

    • Posted October 18, 2017
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  • What is the best debit card in Japan for foreigners?

    A debit card is a card on which the price is immediately deducted from the bank account when paying for goods or services. It is issued by a financial institution with a deposit account, and it can...

    • Posted August 21, 2017
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  • Swimming Pools in Tokyo for 500 yen or less

    If you’re put off by overpriced theme parks and hotel pool rates in Tokyo, here is a list of  swimming pools run by city wards that are well-kept, secure and above all, very affordable. Check the one...

    • Posted July 31, 2017
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  • How are bonuses calculated in Japan?

    In Japan, most companies pay twice-a-year bonuses to its full time employees.  The summer bonus or Kaki Shoyo  is paid in June or July and Toki Shoyo or Winter bonus is paid in December. Giving of bonuses...

    • Posted June 1, 2017
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  • License now required for people renting out properties to people through an online marketplace.

    When you rent out your property or motor vehicle to visitors through an online marketplace, there is a risk owners have to take in case occupants cause some damage to the rented property. Occupants too can be...

    • Posted June 1, 2017
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  • Booking your summer vacation online? Be vigilant with credit card fraud.

    Summer is here and most families may be shopping online for cheap air tickets and hotel accommodation. While e-commerce has become the norm for many, Japanese people are still concerned about the security of online shopping because...

    • Posted May 26, 2017
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  • What the Japanese law says about paying for goods and services in coins

    Almost everyone in Japan pays in cash at convenience stores.You might be surprised by how many coins in spare change one can accumulate every single day. I have a bucketful of stashed one-yen coins collecting dust at...

    • Posted May 13, 2017
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  • Being good at saving money is because of genes not parenting, says study

    photo by magnolia Good financial habits has always been perceived as something instilled by parents in their kids. But a study on The Origins of Savings Behavior by behavioral finance researchers Henrik Cronqvist and Stephan Siegel says...

    • Posted April 23, 2017
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  • Setting limits with data and beyond

    Ever feel like you spend half your time managing other family members’ behaviour, especially when it has to do with technology? Up until recently, every month, as the days drew closer to the end of our cell...

    • Posted February 14, 2017
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  • Unemployment insurance benefit

    Q I’m contemplating quitting my job without another one in place. For how long can I claim Unemployment Insurance (失業保険shitsugyou hoken) benefits? As a rule of thumb, you are entitled to benefits starting on the 3rd month...

    • Posted October 10, 2015
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  • 9-year old American kid earns $1M a year doing what he loves

    The rise in popularity of social media has made everyone a content creator but you wouldn’t imagine a 9-year old kid has got what it takes to pull off  a million dollar business out of what he...

    • Posted June 2, 2015
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  • Smarter phone plans

    The national average of grade school kids using mobile phones surged from 44.1% in 2012 to 53.7% in 2014. Tokyo kids account for 65% of mobile device ownership. In Tokyo, the total number of subscribers as of...

    • Posted April 9, 2015
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  • Statistics reveal growing poverty rate in Japan linked to divorce

    The number of Japan’s middle class is crumbling. The era of the once called strong Ichioku Sochuryu (One hundred Million middle class) is history. The result of the 2013 National Livelihood Survey in Japan is not looking...

    • Posted December 17, 2014
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  • Why is Japanese beef more expensive than US beef?

    I thought I would cook a good steak for dinner so I went to a local supermarket to buy a cut. As I looked at the stacks of meat on the supermarket racks, I found out that...

    • Posted November 4, 2014
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  • How to get the best out of your Costco shopping experience

    Supermarkets deliberately put their pricier products at very visible corners to get you to  buy more goods. For families living from paycheck to paycheck, here are some tips to avoid going over your budget when shopping at...

    • Posted September 3, 2014
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  • How to use a prepaid (E saifu) Visa card in Japan

    A payment option for online purchases that has become increasingly popular in Japan for those without credit cards is E-Saifu Visa card. What is E-saifu? E saifu is a virtual prepaid card that works like a credit...

    • Posted March 4, 2014
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  • Which credit card in Japan offers the most value to user?

    Do you want to make sweeping changes to your finances ahead of the consumption tax increase in April? If you’re starting off by saying goodbye to credit cards that offer no extra value  but bills to pay...

    • Posted February 18, 2014
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  • Japanese preschooler donates his piggy bank savings to typhoon victims

    According to the United Nations, typhoon-ravaged Tacloban city, Leyte,  Philippines has recorded a death toll of 4,460 with the number still expected to rise as local and international disaster relief operations continue the search.  Some bodies are...

    • Posted December 17, 2013
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  • Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ banking rules change

    If, at the end of the year, you find yourself complaining that you don’t have enough money as projected at the start of the year, you might want to review the bank charges taken out of your...

    • Posted October 11, 2013
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  • Spender or saver?: What this reveals about you

    I was recently invited to be a guest on a local television show. The topic: personal debt and how it affects us and our relationships. The more I prepared for the interview, the more I realized how...

    • Posted July 5, 2013
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  • How I shaved off ¥9,000 a month from our electricity bill

    Tokyo summer is here again with many households cranking up their air conditioners to beat the heat. Starting in September last year, TEPCO has been charging consumers 8.46% more on the use of power caused by the...

    • Posted June 17, 2013
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  • Do you have a retirement plan?

    One in four of the working Japanese population are approaching or now past the age of mandatory retirement. The major sticky issue confronting Japan now is its graying society and increasing difficulty of the government to meet...

    • Posted August 30, 2012
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  • Till debt do us part

    Seven years ago this month, I was the June bride with a big smile walking down the aisle to marry the person who was to become my ex husband.  Like any other couple, our wish was simple...

    • Posted May 31, 2012
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