Breakdown of costs for a working holiday agent. No language school included.

The first thing I worried about when I decided to go on a working holiday was,

"In the end, which agent should I choose?"

That was the question.

When I searched online,

• Free support

• How to choose an agent without failing

• The cheapest working holiday agent

• Local support available

These kinds of phrases kept popping up.

And there were so many that I couldn't decide which one was actually good.

Moreover, the more I looked into it,

"12 weeks of language school + 12 weeks of homestay, totaling around 1.2 to 1.3 million yen"
"About 500,000 to 700,000 yen just for 3 months of language school"
"You should expect to have nearly 1 million yen for the initial costs of a working holiday"

Information like this kept appearing, and my anxiety doubled.

It seemed like I wouldn't be able to go unless I had at least 1 million yen for initial costs.

At the time, there were periods when I wasn't working,

I didn't have that much in savings,

and yet I was 29 years old.

It was my last chance to go on a working holiday, and I didn't have the energy to work extra jobs just to save up for it.

So,
I spent every day searching for information
to see if there was a way to do it without spending as much money.

But the more I searched, the more confused I became.

Moreover, I was full of anxiety at the beginning.

• Anxious about English

• Anxious about living abroad

• Anxious about finding a job

• Anxious about after arriving in the country

The more you feel this way, the more a 'plan with lots of support' seems reassuring.

My English ability at the time was below junior high school level.

Even when I tried to have a conversation, my mind would go blank as soon as I tried to speak, and I couldn't get any English out at all.

Because of that, I started to think that maybe I had to enroll in a language school.

Although it was written online that it was expensive,
at this time it still felt like someone else's problem, or rather,

'Maybe I can still go for a bit cheaper somehow'

was what I also thought.

However, when I actually had an agent provide a quote, it suddenly became very real.

If I added 12 weeks of language school, the initial cost would be around 700,000 yen.

Moreover, since I would naturally need a place to live at the start, adding 12 weeks of homestay on top of that would bring it to over 1 million yen.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with language schools themselves.

There are benefits like getting used to an English environment,
making friends,
and feeling more secure in your initial life there.

However, I at the time

'I don't have that kind of money, is there some way to go cheaply
without a language school?'

was what I was thinking.

The reason is that,
when watching videos and reading blogs of people who actually went on a working holiday,

• people who found jobs without going to language school

• people who became able to speak English locally

• people who were anxious at first but managed to make it work

there were many of them as well.

Therefore,
just because you go to a language school,
it doesn't necessarily mean you will have a fulfilling working holiday life.

But at first, I had no idea what the criteria for that judgment were.

That is precisely why,
"maybe I can feel at ease if I pay a lot of money"
is a feeling that ends up taking hold.

However, in the end, I did not go to a language school, and I was able to successfully find a job on my own within the first three weeks.

Next, I will disclose the actual costs of the working holiday agent I used,
and how much I was able to save on initial costs by not going to a language school,
using realistic figures.

Disclosing the actual initial working holiday costs I paid.

As I mentioned earlier, I did not attend a language school.

The reason is simple,
because it was quite difficult for me at the time to come up with over 1 million yen.

Moreover, this is

• airfare

• working holiday visa

• overseas insurance

and so on are separate.

In other words,
it meant that if I included all the travel preparations,
I would need even more money.

Honestly, I didn't have that kind of savings at the time, and to be frank, I didn't really have much desire to go to a language school either.

So,

"Spend money only on what is truly necessary"

was the mindset I used to proceed with my preparations.

That is why I chose

an "agent that doesn't have a language school, but provides support for working holiday preparations."

It was.

I will write about the details in the second half, but

• Working holiday preparation

• English learning

• Job hunting

• Mental aspects

and so on, it included classes held once a week for 2 to 3 hours.

Even without a language school,

it wasn't like I was going

completely by self-study,

so it suited me quite well at the time.

The breakdown of the initial costs I actually incurred is as follows.

Compared to the
"1 million to 1.3 million yen"
figures I was initially researching, this total includes airfare and overseas insurance, so I think I was able to keep costs quite low.
I think I was able to keep it quite low.

Of course, I think the amount of money needed and the style that suits you will differ from person to person.

For those who are anxious about their English, it might be more reassuring to attend a local language school at first, and some people might feel more secure having a homestay so they don't have to worry about where to live.

However, at least in my case,

• no language school

• no homestay

• receiving only the necessary support

I was able to get off to a solid start with this approach.

If anything, I'm glad I didn't choose to "give up on a working holiday because I didn't have the money."

Especially back then, my English ability was quite low.

I was at a level where I felt nervous even in cafes or supermarkets, and my mind would often go blank whenever I tried to have a conversation.

Even so, I gradually got used to it while living there.

That is exactly why I think now,

because I was able to acquire the minimum preparation and knowledge before traveling,

I believe that even someone like me, who was very anxious, was able to have a fulfilling working holiday life.

Of course, I had worries about finding a job and the money needed to live.

But precisely because I didn't have much money to spare,

"What do I really need?"

I was able to think about that.

As a result, for me,

an "environment where I could consult before traveling"

was a better fit than a "language school."

Next, I will write about why I actually chose not to go to a language school, and what kind of support I received while preparing for my trip.

What kind of support I actually received

The agent I used was

"a support-based agent with the ultimate goal of enabling me to live my working holiday life on my own."

was a support-based agent.

To that end, a curriculum was set up for about a year before departure, covering

• English learning

• knowledge of life abroad

• how to find a job

• how to find a place to live

• how to maintain mental health

and other things necessary for working holiday life were taught extensively.

In that course, even when it came to learning English,

I did learn basic junior high school level grammar, but

English is ultimately just a tool for communication.

They focused on things like how to "be able to communicate with my current level of English," similar to Degawa English.

Because I hadn't studied English from that perspective until now,

it felt very fresh, and I feel like I was taught something like the "meaning of learning English" for the first time.

Of course, that alone won't improve my English, so I started taking online English conversation lessons about six months before my departure, and I personally continued to study English by taking at least one lesson (25 minutes) almost every day to get used to "conversation."

My past self, whom I hated. Even someone like that was able to go on a working holiday.

Please, let me tell you a little about myself.

Originally, I,

"wanted to go on a working holiday as much as possible on my own"

thought.

The reason for that wasn't just because I simply wanted to go abroad.

It was because I wanted to go abroad and change myself.

I have experienced adjustment disorder in the past.

At that time, I started to properly face myself for the first time.

Looking back on my life so far,

"what I really want to do"

rather than,

"fitting in with those around me"

I have lived my life prioritizing that.

I was indecisive and a worrier.

I was always walking on eggshells around others,

and whenever I had to make a decision,
I would always consult someone else,

waiting for them to say, "Doesn't that sound fine?"

so that I could finally feel at ease.

That was the kind of person I was.

I lived trying not to make anyone angry,
trying not to stray from the beaten path,

living as safely as possible.

But after developing an adjustment disorder, I realized something for the first time.

It was that I hadn't been taking care of myself.

Until then,
I had been suppressing my own feelings.

Going along with those around me,
choosing the safe option,
living so as not to fail.

I thought that was the easier way to live.

But I hated that version of myself so much I couldn't stand it.

I constantly felt like a bundle of self-loathing.

Then, I found something that I actually wanted to do.

I don't know what the future holds.

I don't have a noble reason for going.

If asked why I'm going, I can't answer.

If asked what I'll do when I get back, I can't answer.

I just felt like I wanted to go.

That was the answer for me, and the purpose of going on a working holiday.

That is why, for the first time, I ignored what others thought.

Honestly, I was scared when people asked me, "What are you going for?"

But that was okay.

Because I was that kind of person,

I thought, "If I can go abroad alone, live there for a year, and come back, maybe I can have a little more confidence in myself."

That is what I thought.

If I go abroad,
there will surely be many situations where I have to make decisions on my own.

Looking for a job,
looking for a place to live,
and daily life,

I have to do everything myself.

That was scary, but
at the same time, I also had a desire to put myself in such an environment.

That is why, from the beginning,

I thought, "I want to avoid relying too much on environments with many Japanese people."

That is what I thought.

I wanted to put myself in an environment where I had to think and act for myself, even if just a little.

Even so, I didn't have the courage to go completely alone.

I was the type of person who looks before they leap.

I didn't have the initiative to jump in without knowing anything,
nor was I an optimist.

I can't move unless I've researched properly
and prepared.

That is exactly why,

"Acquiring the ability to go on a working holiday on your own"

This agent, with that philosophy, was perfect for me.

It wasn't about relying on someone completely.

But I was able to acquire the necessary preparation and knowledge.

I think that balance suited me very well at the time.

I'm not sure what I was trying to say anymore, but

anyway, for me, the choice not to go to a language school was the best fit.

Final summary

To you, who are about to go on a working holiday.

You must be incredibly anxious, right?

For the month before I left, I was so anxious that there were many days I couldn't even sleep.

Will I be able to find a job on my own?

Will I be able to adapt to the environment abroad?

Will I be able to communicate?

Will I be able to survive and come back?

I spent my last month in bed at night, being attacked by vague anxieties like that 😂

Even someone like me was able to find a job, become able to communicate in English, make best friends, and in the end, have such a fun working holiday life that I didn't want to come home.
Even someone like me was able to find a job, become able to communicate in English, make best friends, and in the end, have such a fun working holiday life that I didn't want to come home.
Even someone like me was able to find a job, become able to communicate in English, make best friends, and in the end, have such a fun working holiday life that I didn't want to come home.
Even someone like me was able to find a job, become able to communicate in English, make best friends, and in the end, have such a fun working holiday life that I didn't want to come home.

How you spend your time locally is up to you.

To be honest, there are many Japanese people there, and once you get used to life, you can get by without using English.

Even so, I recommend that you have a clear image of what you want to do and who you want to become before you go.
That is the one thing you should firmly visualize before leaving.

A year really goes by in the blink of an eye.

I hope you have a fulfilling working holiday life.

I have also written articles on tips for finding a job during your working holiday and how to do a homestay without spending any living expenses, so please take a look if you are interested.

If you have any questions about local life or any concerns, I am always waiting for your messages and comments.