Hello!  I want to tell you a little about myself.  I am from the great American state of Wisconsin and I came to Japan in 2011.  I came to Japan because of my interest in Japanese history.

My first job in Japan was working as an English teacher in junior high and elementary schools.  I worked for one of the big ALT dispatch companies and I hated it.  I loved teaching but I hated the company I worked for.  My salary was depressing and there was no hope of getting a raise or promotion.  I also had to send about $500 home to America every month because I was still paying my student loans.  That was a huge percentage of my paycheck, so living in Japan was very difficult for me.

I was living my dream in Japan, but I couldn’t go and see the places that I wanted to because I couldn’t afford to leave my town.  I was very depressed and I started thinking about leaving Japan.  I couldn’t deal with the financial stress of living in Japan on a ALT salary.  But I love this country and didn’t want to leave just because I didn’t have money.  So, I tried everything I could to make money.

I was always a stingy penny pincher in America and I put those skills to good use in Japan.  I found many great ways to make and to save money here.  For over eight years I compiled a long list of ways to improve my financial situation.  I now have some financial elbow room but I still see many of my friends struggling to live in Japan.  That is how I got the idea for this website.  I want to share all that I have learned with others living in Japan.  I want everyone here to live free from the stress of money and enjoy Japan.

So if you are underpaid and trying to deal with the high cost of living in Japan, this website was built for you. 

I would love to hear your feedback or any questions that you may have.  I am happy to help!  And if you have any ideas or suggestions that you think should be added to this website, please email me anytime on my contact page.