¡°Never buy anything unless it is on sale!¡± ¡ª that¡¯s the first rule of an American shopper.
¡°Japan is an extremely expensive country. And Tokyo is especially expensive!¡± my friends told me when I was packing for my long stay here. Consulting firms ECA and Mercer agree with them, placing Tokyo among the world¡¯s most expensive cities for expatriates: 11th and 7th places in 2014, respectively. However, there are always ways to save a bit of money.
One way to reduce the cost of living in Tokyo, and Japan overall, is to shop online for certain goods ¡ª mainly clothes and electronics ¡ª outside of the country. The strategies described below are most useful for those who travel to the U.S. once or twice a year and have friends or relatives living there. For a couple of the ideas, you will need a Social Security number, which most former U.S. residents should have.
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