Where to spend and where to cut down.

日本文はこちらをクリック！

There may be sometimes snobbish tone in my blog,
though I myself think I am a quite ordinary guy.
My family is not related to royal or famous people.
It's not a big poor family with lots of children nor with new moneye.
I guess my snobbism reveals when I talk from Westerner's view.

I wish I had more income, to tell the truth.
There are so many things I want to buy and I want to do.
Aren't you the same?

When I was a student in New York,
I learned what poor was after spending all my savings.
So I had to be careful about when and on what to spend my money.
I mean very careful.
When I wanted to have an icecream, no.
When I wanted to join my friends for drink, no.
When I wanted to go to gym, I couldn't afford to membership fee.
Yen vanished for tuitions and tools and textbooks and rent.

For having good friends and fun in studying,
I didn't feel I was unhappy.
From this experience, even though I have stable income now,
I can't help being severe about how to spend my money.

One of the reasons may have come from the rich people in NY.
Unlike people in west coast and south,
it seems rich ones in east coast are influenced by English.
Their taste is expected as more modest and reserved.
Showing off the mansion and cars are out of question.
Their residence is found in somewhere quiet, with rather practical cars.
They donate money for cultural organizations
and possess membership of their society.
You may find the sticker on their car and budges on their jackets.

Interior of the house has a certain quality but least flashy taste.
They spend a lot to hide home appliances.
It's not easy to find where the TV set and microwave oven are in many of their houses.

They may look extravagant at a glance,
pricing and negotiation will be done severely.
If they should hire attorney or accountant,
or if they should try to bargain or not,
they seem to know the effective way to spend their money.

I guess I learned a lot by observing them.
First, the place to live, the house to rent or buy with a loan.
Checking its installations and base and structure,
and also the potential of the town rather than convenience for now.
Then its interior and furniture.
Cinsidering whether it fits the way of my life
before its color, material, design and brand name.
It's also important to see how long it's going to be used,
for deciding the budget.
Could be 10 years for sofa and bed, 3 years for the fabrics like cartains?
The budget will come out automatically.
Another stuff I value is cooking utensil.
I cook frequently and it's a very important part of my life,
so I need some quality in them to prevent my short temper while cooking.
Ingredients, too. Better be ones in season for they are reasonably priced.
Some are available only by import which come more pricy,
but it matters for some cooking in a great deal so I can't miss it.
Appliances are also critical when it comes to a choice.
You can't trust them when it moves a lot, or thinks itself,
because it also means to become a fragile part easily.
Simple is the best, and make sure the warranty and extending it.

Amazing Japanese 99 cents store offers sometimes useful stuff too.
I found a nice coffee cup the other day, also melamine resin spoon and siliicon one.
but if you really like them and wish to keep using them,
go find something of a kind in better stores right away.
The same theory for clothing.
If you found something fit on you and lovable in fast fashion stores,
replace it in quality store or by better brands.
Cheap to try and wear it for long.
Saving expense on everything sometimes leads to buying more stuff.

The things I feel the price and the quality proportionally go up are
shoes, audio equipment, and dining out in hotel restaurants in Tokyo.
On the other hand, disappointment comes in expensive drinks,
foods including other dining out, and fashion brands.
When the image comes first there are some caution needed,
or when there are more part timers involved in distribution,
things tend to lower the quality.

In Japan, there are some women living in a small room
filled with famous brand clothings (= fashion victim),
or containers of half used lotions and creams everywhere,
or cheap products from 99 cents store.
I shouldn't blame them,
but they make me feel sorry for both people and their belongings.
It's a differnt story if they are shoppaholic
or aware of it as the stress solving.

One spot luxury goes well sometimes.
Even all other things are inexpensive, one quality stuff often gives a great effect,
while a small mistake spoil the whole, too.
Again I hope saving money does not lead to wasting money in a bigger view.

日本文はこちらをクリック！v