Financing the Trip
When I started planning my vacation to Japan I made it a priority to not use a credit card for payments. I had roughly $9,000 in credit card debt at the time and I was determined to not add to it.
I did what any millennial would do, went to the internet to research ways to save and make money. What I found was very startling, at least to me. I didn't realize just how bad everybody was struggling until I did this and found out that I didn't have all that much debt compared to the average person.
In a later post I will go into more detail about this but in the meantime, the main advice I found was to get a separate source of income. Getting a separate source of income is a lot harder to do that you would think and I tried a few different options, one of which was my website http://www.internetotaku.com.
In the end, I ended up funding my trip by using my body, aka I donated plasma at BioLife for close to a year, netting about $2,000 into my vacation fund. The rest was paid for with my tax return and saving around $50-$100 a month.
Speaking of vacation fund my best advice for someone who wants to travel is open up a CapitalOne 360 account for you vacation fund, no ATM fees, and no foreign transaction fee.
By the end of the trip, I had only used my credit card once, when I bought my iWatch Series 2 Nike Edition duty-free at Yodobaishi Camera Akiba. Saved over $100+taxes. Side Note: I find it hilarious that my watch does kilometers/meters while my phone does miles/feet.
What to bring with you when going to Japan.
Some people may wonder what I brought with me to Japan. Well, it kinda spawned a shopping addiction.
I was researching a decent spinner to hold my clothes and my loot from Japan when I found a great deal on this spinner, got it on sale for $87.
One of the big recommendations was to buy a power bank for electronics over there since they would be a lifesaver. I got a great deal on this Anker for $39. I love it and it has worked flawlessly while testing it.
I started researching shoes because I wanted a comfortable slip on shoes for walking and this Sketchers Go Walks 3 on sale for $29 was one of the recommended, the other one is next on this list. That's right, my shopping addiction led me into buying both of them!! ARGH!!
Welcome to the 2nd pair of shoes I bought the trip to Japan. I managed to get these excellent shoes on sale for $69. At the end of this shopping list, I will have to espouse my opinion on which shoes I will be wearing in Japan and why I made the decision I did.
5)eBags Professional Weekender
So I bought my check-in but now I needed my carry on. I was just going bring my old gym bag for that when my research into them led me to discover the world of awesome travel convertible backpacks. My inner Gollum activated when it went on sale and the "I wantzz it, I needzz it" took over. $149 gone in a flash. It is an excellent backpack and was well worth the price.
6)SwissGear 1900 Scansmart TSA Laptop Backpack
This backpack was a birthday gift for my brother. My brother is going to Japan with me and was looking for a new backpack since his had ripped, so I figured this would be the perfect gift for him. It was on sale for $59 and my brother really likes it.
7)Samsung NX2000 Mirrorless Camera
Once upon a time, I was just going to use the camera on my phone for photos but then I realized that certain pictures would be better to take with an actual camera. My research into the camera's led my down Alice's Rabbit Hole and I somehow became a camera snob. That was when I spotted a Black Friday sale. $150 for a mirror less camera was a steal.(I believe it was because Samsung is dropping out of the camera market.)
8)Samsung 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 Power Zoom ED OIS Lens
Since I had bought the camera, I was now going to need the best lens for my purpose. The reviews for this lens was stellar and I got it for a mere $189 at the time. PS: By now you should be seeing a pattern and the problem! DAMN SHOPPING ADDICTION!! ARGH!!!
Why would I be buying a yet another camera you may ask? Funny that you should ask that, one of the people coming on my trip didn't want to use a separate camera and instead wanted a camera attachment for his phone and while looking into camera's I ran into a good deal for this smartphone camera attachment($125) and I bought it for him. Sigh...
Verdict
The Samsung Camera worked very well, so I consider worth the cost. The eBags Professional Weekender was perfect, it was my main workhorse bag in Japan with only one problem. The Weekender needed a waist strap to bring its weight closer to the body because after a few hours of its weight shifting with your movements caused shoulder strain. The Delsey sailed through the trip like a champ and looks like new.
The Anker Power Bank was a life saver. I can't emphasize this enough, you need this, especially after 12 hours of exploring and needed your portable wifi + phone charged for the directions back to your Airbnb.
The Sketchers Go Walk 3 was an utter failure for me, the soles were very comfortable but for some reason, my right foot couldn't fit into them properly so its a no go. Merrell Jungle Mocs worked great and I would highly reccomend them.
My brothers Swiss backpack worked very well for him, he did say it was a little bulky though making it awkward when moving through the small market stall spaces in Japan.
My next post in the Japan Trip series is going to be on my actual Japan vacation, it will include some pictures I have taken while there.