Quote:
Originally Posted by GregX999
James:"If you got a 4 year degree of next to any kind then getting a job teaching English is a walk in the park unless you're disfigured or dumber than Bush, in those cases it's mildly difficult.
The further you live from a city core the less frugal you gotta be to get by on English teachers salary. If you land a decent gig then it's a cake walk wherever you are."
On another board there are a few people that are constantly mentioning the glut of ESL teachers in Japan and how hard it is to find a job and how low the pay is.
You can imagine my confusion.
So, I'm just wondering if your view is based mostly from the Kobe area? Or do you think their view is based mostly on Tokyo/Kyoto/Osaka (the well-known cities)? Or do you think they're just being pessimistic?
Thanks for any advice! I really appreciate it!
Greg
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Well first off, Osaka/Kobe can practically be considered the same area, it's a 20 minute train ride from Umeda to Sannomiya so living and working in either place is quite feasible.
I'll give you the numbers so you have an idea of what I meant, and what these other people might also have meant:
When I first arrived, I was making 250,000y at my old job working 30 hours a week. I supplemented that with 4 or 5 private students (cafes and at their house) which gave me an extra 50,000y after transportation and drink fees (at the cafe, you buy a drink each lesson, 500y ish)
So that left me with 300,000y
I lived in a small apartment, and it was cheap 50,000y a month, utilities and everything were another 15,000y or so.
(If you were in a city center, that rent would be doubled or tripled)
We're down to 235,000y.
I spent about 50,000y a week on food, but I ate out nearly every day, now a days it's more like 20,000y a week (for two people), and I cook my meals (well my gf mostly does lol).
If you eat in we're down to 155,000y.
Phone 10,000y a month.
Internet 5,000y a month for the uber fast one.
We're down to 140,000y
Transportation is a killer, easily 20,000y a month.
I was saving about 120,000y a month back then so seems about right.
Am I missing something?
I can spend less on food because I'm in Kobe, and 10 minutes away from downtown lands you in cheaper areas that have cheap shopping arcades. Rent is cheaper also.