JET Program Vlog #14 - Monthly Expenses

[gaiachaos2000]

The NHK fee is actually the license fee, which is pretty much standard throughout the world, except in some countries like Canada, USA. There should absolutely be no commercials when you watch programs from NHK. You can avoid paying the fee by simply stating that you don't have a TV or radio --- though be prepared in case the collection agent inspects your place for proof.

[myargonauts]

@gaiachaos2000 I've been ok with paying since I do enjoy watching Sumo, but recently they switched sumo from BS to only being on NHK-G and I can't see that channel with my current TV. I've called NHK and we're working on it, but it might get fixed when I buy a new TV in December. Anyway - you're right about the license thing. And the fee has gone up since I made this video - it's about 2000yen per month now.

[gaiachaos2000]

@myargonauts Analog was completely phased out three months ago (July 24). :D

[myargonauts]

@gaiachaos2000 right, and that might be the issue with getting a "new" digital only channel vs the BS "cable" channels I normally watch. A lot of the hassle is just language barrier stuff. I'm sure I'll have it figured out by the end of 2011.

[gaiachaos2000]

@myargonauts If video quality is not an issue for you, then I'd recommend just getting the digital converter box and stick with your old TV. Seriously, this route is a lot cheaper. You can ask the technician about this perhaps. The installation is not that hard. If time is an issue, look for the PRODIA brand --- I remember seeing a website where a young man was in the same situation as yours and he used that particular digibox while keeping his old TV.

[Andr3wco7]

How can I go about to get an apartment rent free or a cheap rate such as $100 a month like you?

[myargonauts]

@Andr3wco7 well, the only reason I had such cheap rent was because I was a member of the JET Programme and my rent was subsidized by my employer, the local board of education. Now that I'm teaching at a university and am "on my own" I pay about 48,000/month in rent - still cheap but much more normal.

[Andr3wco7]

@myargonauts Thanks for the answer and reply! Helps so much! Planning to join JET in 2 years when I graduate, and I'll talk to my employer about rent getting lowered (not sure if its something I have to bring up or they offer at hand???).

[TheRationalDude]

@myargonauts How did you get a job teaching in the university?? Whats the salary like there?

[myargonauts]

@TheRationalDude I plan to make a vlog about this soon, since so many ask now, but the short answer is someone at the uni that knew me from JET recommended me, and the salary is good - more than JET at least.

[TheRationalDude]

@myargonauts Do you have an english degree? Please make a vlog about it :)

[Marh044]

nhk is a good channel, i even watch it online from canada

[AnUnexplainable]

How much does it cost to apply or to just do the JET program. Because I don't have much money, I might not want to do it but I'd like to go to school in Japan for a little while.

[myargonauts]

@AnUnexplainable click over to my main page and then to the link to the official JET Programme website since you're a little confused. JET is a job you get after you graduate from college - not an exchange program. They pay you for teaching English in rural schools.

[AnUnexplainable]

@myargonauts OH seriously? haha thanks! I was told or I misread that it's an exchange program. Well that get's things off my chest :P

[missvinca]

is NHK like your cable tv payment?

[myargonauts]

no - it's more like paying a donation to PBS to help them pay for the commercial free programming. But you're expected to pay - altho many Japanese and foreigners don't.

[drhikarisan]

wow, $400 was actually what i was guessing for the rent but then you said you only pay $100. That's an insanely good deal.

If you don't have an actual dryer do you just hang them out to dry? and if so what do you do in the rainy/snow seasons?

I read that for the NHK guy even if you don't watch it he harasses you to pay it so I heard someone suggest you lie about not having a tv but I'm not really comfortable with that necessarily

330 yen for a lunch sounds fair enough to me

[myargonauts]

yep - trade off for living in the inaka is really cheap rent.

Most folks just hang their stuff to dry, and do that inside when it's cold or rainy - takes longer.

[ensortion]

OMG I can't believe I emailed you recently asking you about this :S sorry, I should've just watched this video hey...Sorry Jason lol

[kageromaru]

Oh, you like G.C! :D Nice!

And damn, your bills are way below mines x.X

[abigor315]

so true about george carlin - love your vids bro!

[SpinningBirdKick1]

OMG that is cheap. That's about the same or a little more than living at college.

And LOL about the NHK guy. I think a lot just ignore the guy at the door.

[Opsomaniac]

Are you able to bring your lunch in?

[myargonauts]

sure - you can bring your own bento everyday if you like.

[Opsomaniac]

Thanks :P, I am vegan actually, so I probably need to :).

[nwdrrn]

Hello thanks for the vids! How easy is it to make calls home in Japan? Do you need a phone card/ or do you just call from your apartment, and is it expensive? Also, does JET pay for your flights out and back?? Thanks

[myargonauts]

calls are easy, but if you use your regular phone it can be expensive - like $.50/min.

So most JETs use a service, like Yahoo BB or Worldlink, which I use. Makes calls much cheaper - like $.05-$.10/min

Yep - JET pays for your flight to Japan and will fly you home at the end of your contract.

[nwdrrn]

Thanks for the reply!! It's good to know these things. I'll be coming from the UK in July/Aug though I don't know where as yet! Can't wait. I'm thinking of investing in a laptop because of its portability. Do JETs hire bikes out there? thnks

[karekora]

Your rent is 10,000 a month? That is amazing! I understand that is a subsidized rent, but is it kind of normal for it to be that cheap where you are living? In Tokyo I paid around 60,000 for a small room with shared facilities.

[myargonauts]

yep - about $100/month - it is amazing! :)

Part of the perks of living way out in the country.

[JezuzDiedLOL]

You spoke about paying every day for your lunch. Do some schools not allow you to bring your own food to eat?

[myargonauts]

Nope - you can opt out of school lunch and bring your own lunch if you like - it's no problem

[Thisnamekills]

RIP GC

[EzKitty]

How much was your drying and where were you able to buy it? Did you have to install it yourself?

[myargonauts]

My dryer is owned by my employers and came with my apartment - I didn't have to pay for it or install it.

[qroxxy]

Thanks, as always, for the videos, Jason. I was wondering about the school lunch. Is it against the rules or would it be considered rude to bring your lunch instead of purchasing from the school? I'm sure it's not a huge expense, but I'm a vegetarian and also just have a lot of fun making my own food. ^_^

[myargonauts]

nope - I've known many ALTs who don't eat the provided school lunch and opt to bring their own each day. Also, HS ALTs don't get school lunch, so you can either get conbini food, a bento or bring your own. Some high schools even have a cafeteria of sorts where you can get food.

[geezwoman]

You get 3.8 million yen from JET and since your expenses aren't heavy (roughly 960,000yen per year), you have a pretty lovely surplus, right?

I'm just wondering how frugal one has to be while doing JET.

[myargonauts]

well - most JETs are young and don't have a lot of debt when they come over. If you can keep all the money you make each month, and not have to send any of it back home for previous debt, then you make plenty to have a good time in Japan and even save a little.

[geezwoman]

That's great.

I would expect the youngsters to have school loans to pay off.

[djmugenh]

Thank you for taking up my suggestion and posting this video gave me a Clear idea on living expenses Just a few questions though

1. NHK is this like mandatory fee that the television provider you have to pay..i mean can't you just not have your TV connected and not pay?

2. for DSL internet do you have to own a Phone line to have the DSL or can you just have DSL by itself? or are there other alternatives in ISP in japan (say cable internet etc..)?you pay 20(dsl)+50(phone) = for internet&phone?

[myargonauts]

1 - you can refuse to pay the NHK for all kinds of reasons - but it ends up being only about $14 a month - so it's not expensive and I do watch it. It's up to you to pay or not.

2 - You can get cable internet, like Yahoo BB, in some areas, but it wasn't available in my rural area in 2004. I would think you do have to have a regular phone line to have DSL, but I could be wrong.

Yes - I pay about 5000 for my phone line per month and an additional 2000yen for my ISP per month.

[BokuWA]

on avg, how much do i have to pay for a really cheap small car per month? (not including gas) would the cost really be about $100 a month plus insurance?

[myargonauts]

I got a great deal and only pay about $100/month, but from what I can tell it's rare to be that cheap. Some other JETs in my area pay $200/month.

Your decision should include wether you plan to stay in Japan more than a year or more.

[BokuWA]

i recently got an offer to work for an english conversation company in japan and im required to lease a car for 25,900 yen a month!! thats absurd! please tell me i can buy my own car for cheaper than that.

[myargonauts]

yeah - many JETs are able to buy a car for $1000 to $3000, sometimes even cheaper if they buy off of another JET who is leaving Japan.

Don't forget that if you buy, you'll also be responsible for shakken and snow tires, something that a lease may pay for you.

[BokuWA]

hey, thanks for the info. i will not be working for JET, i wish. where did you find a car in the country? i reckon, there are not many dealerships in those areas.  do you know any for sale car listings for Japan on the web?

[sepiachoice]

I bought a totally decent used Kei car (2000 Daihatsu move) for $2400. Since I plan to stay 2 or 3 years it was worth it. $100/mo to lease is absurdly low. He's lucky!

[42317]

Yes, George was a really funny guy.

Go ahead and teach your San-nen-sei the incomplete list of impolite words. That would be fun. :-)

(But the PTA would probably run amok.)

Oh, you're not using a cell phone in Japan, too? People frequently ask me how I got a long without one... it's so possible.

[smuvkat25]

RIP George Carlin . . . man, you have good taste. Carlin was my favorite entertainer of all-time.

Any how, I'm really enjoying your VLOGS. Keep em' comin'!

[nyannyan123456]

jason do you ever drink the diet pepsi/coke over there? they must use some kind of different sweetner strange taste. I also take you cook at home most of the time too. I just spent two weeks over there and after the plane ticket going out to eat was the next greatest expense

[vagabond142]

Anyways, part two of my comments was to be to say thanks for all these videos. One of my concerns was utilities and such for living in Japan because I will have to send money home for my bills and repayments, and it seems that, if done wisely, it isn't all that hard to save in Japan :)

[myargonauts]

you're welcome - glad they're helpful

[vagabond142]

There is Pepsi in Japan... there is a god o_O! I'm hoping to get into JET in 2009 and as long as I can have my pepsi, I can weather any storm XD

[foranyonewhocares]

About the vehicle subject, does the program or school have anything against riding a motorcycle?

[myargonauts]

Not that I know of. I rode a scooter (50cc) for my first year and then got a car.

[rodgerswan]

really interesting video. was cool to see the differences on what a jet pays as opposed to an international college student in japan. Man, that is a really nice rent you are paying a month! great video.

[myargonauts]

Thanks!  :)

[JamieDanger]

My dorm was, like, 6000 yen a month plus water and electricity... it was so boss.

[lleverfreell]

Thanks so much for doing these videos! I know that sometimes people are kind of shy to talk about their monthly expenses, but what you're doing is very helpful to the future JETs. Thanks! =)

[myargonauts]

you're welcome :)

[WhiteMatrix2006]

How much money do you usually have left over each month? Can't believe gas is that expensive over there. How many kilometers/liter do you get over there (miles/gallon, not sure if kilo/liter was correct)?

[myargonauts]

i can drive about 400 km on a full tank and that full tank costs about 5000yen.

[WhiteMatrix2006]

How much do you generally have left over each month? I know it'll be more for people without a car payment and gas and what not, but just wondering.

[myargonauts]

I think most JETs could easily save 5 or 6man ($500 or $600) each month on what we get paid. But I, for example, send a chuck of each paycheck home to pay off my domestic debt.

[WhiteMatrix2006]

Well that's cool (about the amount not the debt :P). Thanks for the answers Jason.

[pedoro4477]

what is nhk?

[myriah96]

NHK is a Japanese broadcasting company. It is his TV bill pretty much. The different thing(well, at least from America) is that you have to have a contract with the NHK to get the service and a man will come by to pitch it to you, or at least that is what I understand from listening to Jason and my quick jaunt to Wikipedia.

[pedoro4477]

thank you very much! ^_^ arigatou gozaimashta

[myargonauts]

Yep - she's right. The NHK is kinda like the BBC - it's the government run TV network that is supported by taxes and user contributions.

[pedoro4477]

oh ok thank you! ^_^ and i have a question how come students can film inside the school and show the whole classroom and post the videos on youtube but you cant????????

[myargonauts]

there are privacy rules that some have to abide by. I think it's up to each individual YT poster to determine what's appropriate and OK with their school and community.

[rtobin7]

How much do you make every month?

[myargonauts]

I talk about that in vlog #4 - Money!

[rtobin7]

oh thank you lol i must've forgot it D:

[myargonauts]

JET salary is basically 3,600,000 yen per year. :) (So I'm a millionaire... )

[rtobin7]

hahaha, thanks!

[ballinjosh03]

Great vid as always. RIP George Carlin one of the best comics ever who certainly paved the way for a lot of liberty in entertainment. 7 things you can't say is a must watch!

[KuroBourjois]

What about smoking? Are cigerettes expensive? o_o

[myargonauts]

I don't smoke, but I think they're kinda cheap.

[PannaLogic]

please no! i can't quit

[KuroBourjois]

Lol!!! XD Japan will be the death of all smokers!

[JamieDanger]

cigarettes are, like, 300 yen ($3) a pack, except you're british? So... 1 pound 50 cents (pence?haha). Around that. You'll never stop smoking!