How My Household Finances Changed After Moving from Osaka to the Countryside [The Reality of a 300k Take-Home Pay]
Hello♪ I'm mon🌱
The first part of my countryside relocation series is about household finances.
When I lived in Osaka, after having a child, I started to think more and more,
"Country life sounds pretty good."
But at the same time,
"If my income drops, I'm done for..."
・Are there jobs? What happens to the budget?
・Is the environment okay for the kids?
・Is the house a rental? Should I buy?
・I want to invest, but is there any spare cash?
There were so many things I was worried about that I was searching the internet every day.
So, what happened after I actually moved to the countryside?
To give you the conclusion,
I'm living just fine, and in some ways, it's actually become easier.
Today, I'm going to write about the reality, including the numbers☺️
Conclusion: I'm living normally. But there are some unexpected things.
Starting with the conclusion,
・Even with a take-home pay of around 300,000 yen, I'm living normally.
・Fixed costs went up in some areas, but overall it's easier.
・Child-rearing has become easier in many ways.
However,
Honestly, there are things that were "unexpected."
If you keep eating out or getting takeout with an Osaka mindset while your salary has dropped, you'll definitely be in the red.
Cooking at home has become almost essential.
How did the household budget change?
Comparing my household budget now to when I lived in Osaka, it looks like this👇
・Housing: 26,000 yen → 45,000 yen
(Condo management fee + parking → Detached house rental)
・Food: 130,000 yen → around 80,000 yen
・Utilities: 20,000 yen → 35,000 yen
(City gas → Propane, so this honestly went up)
Looking only at this,
I think you might say, "The countryside is more expensive."
In fact, there are parts where fixed costs alone have gone up.
But when you look at life as a whole, the story changes.
When I was in Osaka,
・Just going somewhere with nature meant transportation costs + parking fees.
・Admission fees and other things cost money.
・There were too many shops, so I'd end up buying unnecessary things.
Honestly,
it was an environment where money disappeared even if I did nothing.
The reality of the countryside
As for now,
・There are places to play around here (almost free).
・Farms and parks are part of daily life.
・Since there are fewer shops, impulse buying has decreased significantly.
In other words,
I've reached a life where I can be satisfied without spending money.
Therefore,
when looking at "total cost of living," it's actually become easier.
How did child-rearing change?
Regarding the children, honestly, it has changed quite a bit.
・Since we can play in the yard, the hurdle for playing outside is low.
・They are more interested in living things like bugs and fish than toys.
・There are fewer people wherever we go, so stress has decreased.
・However, car transport is almost essential for lessons.
Whether "which is better" depends on the person, but
this suited me better.
Unexpected things/Demerits
I'll be honest about this.
・At first, I was confused by the communication.
・The dialect and intonation are completely different.
・Honestly, it's hard to understand what older people are saying (lol).
But,
・Younger people can converse normally.
・Once you get used to it, it's no problem.
By the way, for a while,
I was suffering from Kansai-dialect withdrawal and listened to the radio constantly😂
"peco and JESSICA" is seriously recommended (I want to talk about this in more detail later).
How did investing change?
I am able to invest.
Right now,
・Savings from my Osaka days
・Child allowance
I'm managing things using these.
NISA: 150,000 yen per month
Solar power: Selling electricity will start soon.
In the future, the amount of money I can invest is expected to increase.
Summary: Countryside living is a "viable option if you look at the reality"
Countryside living is neither "the best!" nor "impossible!".
If you choose it after properly looking at the reality,
it is a perfectly "viable option".
・People who find their current life tough
・People who are chased by fixed costs
・People who want to change their child-rearing environment
・People who want to refresh themselves in nature
I think it is worth considering for these people.
Conversely,
it might be tough for those who cannot let go of the convenience of the city.
I will also write about the reality regarding housing, work, and human relationships✍️
Finally
Thank you for reading this far☺️
For those who are like my past self,
"curious but too scared to make a move,"
I will continue to write about the reality📝
For those who want to know more deeply about moving to the countryside, check out this article too