Travel Broke students

[Mike Cash]

they even press the button for you sometimes to make it faster

I've never had that happen and I would express my displeasure about it if it did happen.

 

[Th3Arb1tur]

I've never had that happen and I would express my displeasure about it if it did happen.

Yeah all alchohol distribution, so licenses and the stores, are handled by the federal government. They have signs everywhere saying that if you're not 25 you need ID. No idea how they know but I'd assume the clerks have certain guidlines to follow.

 

[Mike Cash]

Yeah all alchohol distribution, so licenses and the stores, are handled by the federal government. They have signs everywhere saying that if you're not 25 you need ID. No idea how they know but I'd assume the clerks have certain guidlines to follow.

I was referring specifically to the clerk in a Japanese shop assuming that because the customer is a foreigner he can't understand the instructions to touch the 確認 button on the touch screen.

 

[ismail]

I've never had that happen and I would express my displeasure about it if it did happen.

happened to me many times, I guess they assumed I didn't understand what it was for.
didn't bother me though.

 

[Seiko]

My question is, I haven't seen him asking how much he is looking to spend on this trip or ask how much would it be. you gotta have a starting budget.

 

[ismail]

how long are you planning to stay ?

 

[kurapan]

I was referring specifically to the clerk in a Japanese shop assuming that because the customer is a foreigner he can't understand the instructions to touch the 確認 button on the touch screen.

I've seen conbini staff touch the button even for Japanese people, as well as had the button touched for myself. I'm under the impression that while some people might assume that a foreigner can't understand it, most people who touch the button for you do it to speed up the process and they do it at the speed of light. They just twist their arm and hand to the screen like a snake attacking its prey; it's done before you can even flinch.

 

[Th3Arb1tur]

My question is, I haven't seen him asking how much he is looking to spend on this trip or ask how much would it be. you gotta have a starting budget.

My parents are paying for the flight but I have about 1,700 CAD$ saved up

how long are you planning to stay ?

three weeks maybe a month

I've seen conbini staff touch the button even for Japanese people, as well as had the button touched for myself. I'm under the impression that while some people might assume that a foreigner can't understand it, most people who touch the button for you do it to speed up the process and they do it at the speed of light. They just twist their arm and hand to the screen like a snake attacking its prey; it's done before you can even flinch.

god damn I wish the 7/11 nearby my house was that fast. Takes the guy at the counter like 2 minutes to ring up a slurpee

 

[ismail]

yeah you can spend a month in Japan with 1700 CAD
it's about 137000 yen.
in the backpacker guest house I showed you you'll have to pay 32000 for your first month (including the cleaning fee when you leave). that leaves you with more than 100000 yen for everything else.

 

[WonkoTheSane]

I've never had that happen and I would express my displeasure about it if it did happen.

Happened to me a few times, but always when I was too inebriated to register displeasure since otherwise I'd have pressed the button. Usually, I'm staring at the little hot box of snacks thinking about what I want to eat. I just mumble sorry and go on about my evening.

 

[Th3Arb1tur]

Happened to me a few times, but always when I was too inebriated to register displeasure since otherwise I'd have pressed the button. Usually, I'm staring at the little hot box of snacks thinking about what I want to eat. I just mumble sorry and go on about my evening.

Sounds like me trying to order something at mcdonalds while I'm high.

 

[Th3Arb1tur]

yeah you can spend a month in Japan with 1700 CAD
it's about 137000 yen.
in the backpacker guest house I showed you you'll have to pay 32000 for your first month (including the cleaning fee when you leave). that leaves you with more than 100000 yen for everything else.

I do have a question about that. I was looking into pricing of meals and such and I it would be very expensive to eat wvery meal out. Here in canada we have hotels that rent rooms one week at a time and include a full kitchen so you can cook your own food. Does anything like that exist over there?

 

[kurapan]

I do have a question about that. I was looking into pricing of meals and such and I it would be very expensive to eat wvery meal out. Here in canada we have hotels that rent rooms one week at a time and include a full kitchen so you can cook your own food. Does anything like that exist over there?

I don't know about any place that would include a kitchen, but a lot of places have a communal kitchen. However, the rent at such regular places (guesthouses, hostels) would be likely higher than the place mentioned above. It might not pay off if you paid more for a room with a kitchen instead of eating out.

I spend probably something between 30 and 40 thousands yen a month for food. I don't cook. The only thing I do that is somewhat close to cooking is pouring hot water into a cup ramen. Just wondering, what prices did you find when you searched? Then we can tell if that sounds right or if it's overblown and you can eat cheaper.

 

[ismail]

I do have a question about that. I was looking into pricing of meals and such and I it would be very expensive to eat wvery meal out. Here in canada we have hotels that rent rooms one week at a time and include a full kitchen so you can cook your own food. Does anything like that exist over there?

this exists also in Japan but it's more expensive than the backpacker link I gave. I know Sakura house and bamboo house have those kind of rooms with kitchen inside but they have also private rooms in shared apartments with all you need to cook. you can cook in the backpacker guesthouse I mentioned too, I stayed there for a month and you have all you need to cook there too. that's what people do.

it's always cheaper to cook your own food whatever the country. but actually eating outside in Japan isn't as expensive as one would expect. I dunno about Canada but you can have decent meals in Japan for less than 10 CAD. they have also lunch boxes in the super markets and the convenient stores so you can try many things at a reasonable price.

 

[nice gaijin]

If you're really looking to save, plan ahead a little and do your shopping at the super markets, as the convenience stores have much higher mark-ups. You can get by for relatively cheap, but don't be afraid to splurge a little; what good is a vacation if you can't enjoy it much? Sometimes the pricier experiences may be worth it.

Thank you for the guest house link, @ismail, looks like a good way to do extended travel there on the cheap

 

[mdchachi]

I asked my father who did a lot of traveling in his youth and was told that splitting a middle end hotel room or staying at a hostel would be best for us.

Be aware that in Japan sharing a hotel room may not keep costs down as much as you think because they usually charge by the person and not by the room. (Which is basically why I'm going to try AirBnB in July when I'm there with four of us.)

 

[Th3Arb1tur]

Be aware that in Japan sharing a hotel room may not keep costs down as much as you think because they usually charge by the person and not by the room. (Which is basically why I'm going to try AirBnB in July when I'm there with four of us.)

I wasn't aware of that, thanks.

on another note a YouTuber I follow got a full trip to japan for free from a sponsor and man am I jealous.

 

[PatrickNZ]

A couple of comments:
There are some good/cheap hotels around, just stay out of the central Tokyo area. I had two weeks for Y112,000 a couple of years ago in a 30m2 room at a MyStays. Another option is to rent a semi-furnished apartment for a month - you can do that for under Y100,000. Most places I find charge per room, rather than by person, but it depends on your booking site.
Unless you have money for a safety net, don't book an illegal AirBnb - nothing "quasi-legal" about it.

 

[Th3Arb1tur]

A couple of comments:
There are some good/cheap hotels around, just stay out of the central Tokyo area. I had two weeks for Y112,000 a couple of years ago in a 30m2 room at a MyStays. Another option is to rent a semi-furnished apartment for a month - you can do that for under Y100,000. Most places I find charge per room, rather than by person, but it depends on your booking site.
Unless you have money for a safety net, don't book an illegal AirBnb - nothing "quasi-legal" about it.

Yea I assumed that, I wasn't planning on using airbnb anyways.