new year, new me: roasted pumpkin seeds



happy new year!

Is it a bit redundant to claim that with the start of a new year, I’m going to keep a more steady schedule with blogging given that it’s already the 15th January and this is my first post?  I’m not sure.

Well, to start us off, let’s not have a blog post about what I’ve been up to, I’m going to keep you on tenterhooks for that.  No, let’s go right in with a post on pumpkin seeds and eating them.

Kabotcha or a pumpkin/squash type thing is very popular in Japan.  In fact, I hadn’t eaten ...

the budget: how’d november go?

The answer is, not too well.  Or, not as well as I wanted it to?  We weren’t well for some of the month and that just leads to spending more on convenience foods.

So, we have the categories as follows:

rent ¥125,000

bills – electric, water, gas, mobiles and internet ¥50,000
–> Actually spent: ¥28,363 

supermarket ¥30,000
–> Actually spent: ¥34,903 (this is the one!!)

eating out/leisure ¥40,000
–> Actually spent: ¥26,864 (we did all right, still a lot of money if you consider it.  I’d ideally like it around the ¥20,000 mark)

husband ¥40,000
–> Actually spent: ¥50,000 (he ...

new budget: tokyo 2017


There is a new budget, it is being conducted whilst we’re living in Tokyo and it is 2017.
As such the title of this blog post is, ‘new budget: tokyo 2017’. Very snappy!

So, we have the categories as follows:

  • rent ¥125,000
  • savings
  • bills – electric, water, gas, mobiles and internet ¥50,000
  • supermarket ¥30,000
  • eating out/leisure ¥40,000
  • husband ¥40,000
  • emily (that’s me) ¥70,000
  • travel ¥10,000
  • miscellaneous ¥20,000

Savings separates into a few different categories:

  • christmas – presents we buy ¥10,000
  • christmas – to my mum for family ¥3,000
  • unexpected ¥5,000
  • travel ¥25,000
  • savings – not to be spent

I want ...

five frugal things – 140717

This week I’m going to write about frugal things I do to stay cool. It’s gotten so hot here in Tokyo this last week, in the 30’s pretty much every day. I am definitely not made for such weather – I hate it in fact, so let’s go with the theme of cooling down on these hot days.

number 1


Get a fan and use that fan. Of course I mean an electrical one but I also use the handheld one above when I’m out and about.  I use my electric one in the day and we also ...

five frugal things – 020617


number 1


I cleaned and sorted the kitchen cupboards and this brought to light that I have a fair bit of tea stashed away. Now, contrary to popular belief, not all British people go through gallons of tea a day.  I will drink it and do like it but it’s definitely something I can live without, especially in this warmer weather but then, genius struck.  I can brew the tea, leave it to cool and make ‘ice’ tea.  I love drinking it this way, particularly when it’s my favourite tipple of Lady Grey or peppermint.  (I don’t normally put the ...