I used to let my cellphone batteries drain completely before charging them. I was told the last time I bought a cellphone that that is not necessary anymore, but I continued to do it anyway, just to be safe. I figured it couldn’t hurt.

Well, apparently, it CAN hurt!

This source says that lithium-ion batteries should *not* be discharged fully on a regular basis.

Avoid frequent full discharges because this puts additional strain on the battery. Several partial discharges with frequent recharges are better for lithium-ion than one deep one. Recharging a partially charged lithium-ion does not cause harm because there is no memory. (In this respect, lithium-ion differs from nickel-based batteries.) Short battery life in a laptop is mainly cause by heat rather than charge/discharge patterns.

Source: http://www.batteryuniversity.com/parttwo-34.htm

So, it seems that I probably contributed to the short life of my last two batteries (not including the defective one) by following the same rules as for nickel-based batteries. From now on, I will not let the battery run out completely before charging it. Also, I will try not to leave my cellphone in a place where it will get too hot. Let’s hope that leads to a more reasonable lifespan for my cellphone
batteries from now on!

What you need to do to accomplish this goal is to head down to Akihabara and find yourself an old IBM Thinkpad laptop with no operating system. I was able to find one the other day for about 22,000 yen. Mine is an X31 and it has 512MB of RAM and a 40GB hard drive. Since I am using it as a second computer, not my main beast, I don’t mind slightly low specs. I also had to pony up 8000 yen for the base so I could have a DVD drive. Other kinds of computers may work, but I have been told that IBM Thinkpads interface well with the kind of operating system we are going to use here (Ubuntu, based on Debian GNU/Linux, a popular Linux distribution), so if you aren’t sure what kind of computer to buy, go with the Thinkpad.

(Linux is a free Unix-type operating system originally created by Linus Torvalds. There are many different flavours of Linux, but if you are not already familiar with Linux/Unix, you should probably stick with Ubuntu for now. You can always try other distributions later.)

Once you have your new-used computer, go to the Ubuntu website, download the latest stable version of Ubuntu and follow the instructions for burning an ISO image onto the disk.

You can also get a free Ubuntu disk sent to you, but that will take quite a few weeks, so if you have a decently fast connection to the internet and you are able to burn a CD, it will be faster just to make one yourself.

At this stage, if you have not done an Ubuntu installation before, I would recommend that you order some pizza and invite your geekiest friend over to walk you through the installation and basic setup. It is quite an easy process, but you will appreciate having a helping hand to walk you through some of the options if you don’t know your bits from your bytes. That said, since you are dealing with a computer with no operating system installed, if you want to give it a try by yourself, you can’t really do much harm. Then you can resort to the pizza bait trick if you find yourself in trouble. Just stick the installation disk in and start answering the questions. The whole installation will probably take less than half an hour.

Once you have your operating system up and running, and you have hopefully managed to connect your new-used computer to the internet without any problems (and have downloaded and installed all the updates), you can go online to find out how to make your DVD player spin disks from any region or how to input Japanese characters, amongst a myriad of other things. You will probably find free open-source software that will allow you to do everything on your Ubuntu machine that you are about to do on your main machine. Just remember to install the Linux version of the software on your Ubuntu system, not the Windows or Mac version!

This solution works well if you already have one computer that has a Windows or Mac operating system and you just need another computer for odd jobs (like watching DVDs from other regions or checking email in the morning before work). You can use proprietary software like MS Office on your main computer and then put Open Office on your secondary computer for when you just need a quick and dirty word processor to get the job done.

If and when you find yourself in trouble, just do a search for whatever ails you and you will be sure to find that someone else has dealt with the problem and was kind enough to write up instructions for how to fix it. I have found that sometimes the first few hits in the search engines show me really complicated ways to fix the problem, but that if I dig a bit deeper, I can usually find a simpler answer. Don’t despair if you find some answer that doesn’t even seem like English because of all the computer jargon. Go back to your search results and see if someone else was kind enough to give it to you in language you can understand.

(If you have never worked with Unix/Linux/Ubuntu or anything similar before, you may find the
Ubuntu Pocket Guide useful.)

This has happened to me a few times now so I generally just put up with it. However, I found out today that I probably shouldn’t have been quite so stoic this time. I brought my cellphone to the au shop to find out whether it would be cheaper to change the battery or change phones, but when I showed my cellphone (41SA) to the clerk, she told me that it might be possible to have my battery replaced for free. She gave me a number to call, and lo and behold, a new battery will be sent to me next week for free.

This probably won’t work for everyone, but I just thought I would write about it in case anyone else is being unnecessarily stoic with a defective battery. It seems that the battery in my cellphone was recalled at some point. I received my current phone from a friend who was leaving Japan, so it is possible that she got a notice about the recall but didn’t bother doing anything about it because she wasn’t staying for very long.

So, if your cellphone battery seems not to be able to hold a charge even though the phone/battery is quite new, it might be worth asking your cellphone provider if you qualify for a new battery. It’s a long-shot, but you might just luck out.

Ted Talks: Benjamin Zander

However, I watched the video a few weeks ago and I have found that his words have resonated with me in a number of different contexts. In particular, I like how he described the progression of a person learning to play the piano. The difference between a beginner and a virtuoso is practice, of course, but also learning not to give in to every urge.

Frugalites, too, need to learn the art of resisting impulses in order to progress into advanced frugalosity. One way to train yourself to reflect on rather than react to your impulses is to implement a rule of waiting a certain number of days before buying something, depending on the price of the purchase. For example, if you want to buy something that is 3000 yen, you should think about it for three days before handing over the cash. If you want to buy something that is 7000 yen, you should wait for seven days. A computer worth 200,000 yen, therefore, would entail a 20 day wait. If you want to be even stricter with yourself, you could multiply by a factor of two (a 3000 yen purchase would require 6 days) or even change the “days” to “weeks” if you really want to stave off any potentially impulsive purchases that won’t stand the test of time.

The “Waiting Game” could be applied to all purchases, or you could just enforce it in areas where you tend to buy stuff that you later end up not using (I bet a few of you have some exercise equipment in this category).

You may find that after waiting for a certain amount of time, your urge to buy a particular item gets overshadowed by something else that you have decided you can’t live without, or you just lose the initial excitement and decide that you can, after all, live without the item in question. If, on the contrary, you find that you still want the item after the requisite time has passed, then perhaps it is something that you really need and you can, therefore, justify the expense of purchasing it. If so, go ahead and do it with the knowledge that you are now spending your money like a virtuoso instead of a beginner.

The website is:
http://www.coldwatercreek.com/

Use offer code: WXH6419 when prompted at checkout to get the 50% off your total. The sale is until 12/28.

Happy shopping!

Recommended by SS on the Frugal Japan mailing list.

The website is http://www.toner.jp.

Recommended by SY on the Frugal Japan mailing list.

While turned off by typically overboard, American application of an otherwise worthy ideal, I was set to thinking by a quote from Bob Torress, a US sociology professor, who thinks that environmentalism “is becoming this issue of, consume the right set of green goods and you’re green, regardless of how many resources are used to distribute and manufacture the goods.” He also added that “If you ask the average person what can you do to reduce global warming, they’d say buy a Prius.”

With the recent spike in oil prices driving American retailers like Home Depot to offer environmentally-friendly products like a so-called “green chainsaw,” one has to wonder if Japan will not be far behind. I do think Japan is seeing a more determined shift to greener policies. A new law enacted in April mandates reduced packaging on consumer goods and offers retailers incentives for cutting the use of plastic bags. But at the same time, we also see greater media attention devoted to the logical backlash of somewhat misguided environmental policies.

Take Kunihiko Takeda, a professor at Nagoya University who made a big splash with his recent best-seller “The Lie of An Environmental Problem” (Kankyo Mondai wa Naze Uso Ga Makari Tooru no Ka, Senyosha). Takeda makes some startling claims – for example, that recycling certain products (such as PET bottles) actually generates more energy waste than it saves due to high costs and limited uses for the recycled plastic. He also states that reducing the use of plastic bags for packaging will actually hurt the environment, as purchases of new “reusable” cloth, plastic, and other bags will consume more resources than would have been spared. While controversial, Takeda agrees with the freegans in one aspect — that the most responsible thing for a consumer to do is to use what s/he already has for as long as possible, without buying new.

After much consideration, I think I agree. Forgoing the purchase of a canned drink from a vending machine and having a cup of barley tea at home is certainly cheaper, and more environmentally friendly, than buying that drink and recycling the can. Finding ways to reuse or redistribute items already in the “consumer food chain” is better than buying something new, even if it is cheap. In fact, one could contend that while the advent of a global manufacturing and distribution networks has cut prices and brought material prosperity, it has also cheapened goods to a dangerous level.

I remember being so happy when Uniqlo and Daiso brought cheap, quality items to consumers in Japan, but now I wonder if we haven’t gone too far. Maybe we should pay a little more for a little less, and use it longer. I’ll focus on more specific ways we can do this in a future issue, but for now, I challenge you to give this philosophy a try. While you certainly don’t have to go around foraging like a fanatical Freegan, try and think of ways you can simply ‘buy’ or ‘consume’ less. Any great suggestions? Contact us!

© 2007 Wendy J. Imura.

Did you know that:

1) Large-scale supermarkets discount their produce and other fresh food items sharply on weekday evenings?

While full on the weekends, many larger suburban stores are empty on the weekdays, yet must still stock enough items to fill their aisles. Fresh vegetables, fruits, fish, and meat (essentially, items with a short expiration date) tend to get cheaper as the evening wears on. You can typically find sushi, prepared dishes (’sozai’), and other foods reduced by 50%, 70%, or more past 5 or 6 PM, while many supermarkets run special limited-time deals after 4 PM.

2) Stores have a ‘cycle’ on which their run their specials and sales?

Most supermarkets put their best deals in their newspaper inserts, known in Japanese as ‘chirashi’. Stores typically run chirashi on certain days, and saving one week’s worth of chirashi from each store can give you a good idea of their sale cycle. Dividing your shopping among several stores based on their sale days (i.e. eggs at Aeon on Thursday, frozen foods at Ito Yokado on Tuesday, meats on 10% off days at Nissho) can save you money.

3) Reading chirashi is an art unto itself?

For example, did you know that the best deals are reserved not for the full-color inserts with lovely pictures, but the boring one-color chirashi? Hand written inserts might have particularly good prices. Also, the upper left hand corner of a chirashi for national chains typically has the best deals! (Hint: it’s where local stores can advertise their own special low prices.)

4) Rainy days are often great steals?

A sudden rain shower can often result in a dramatic drop in customer traffic at stores. For the truly frugal, grab your umbrella and head out to find some great steals in the fresh foods department.

5) The last day before a multi-day sale or the day before the store’s holiday is the time to shop?

In both cases, you’re likely to find good deals on fresh foods as supermarkets have to drastically reduce their inventories. Also, the last day of a sale is a great time to find ‘leftover’ bargains.

6) The best place to look for bargains is the bottom of the shelf?

It’s true. Some of the cheaper products can be found lurking on the bottom rack of grocery isle shelves – where they think you’ll least notice it!

There you are! So get started shopping – and saving – right away!

© 2007 Wendy J. Imura.

Well, while your mileage will vary substantially depending on the type of school, location, and other factors, here are a two tips to help you weather the start of the school year with less of a deficit.

Save Ahead for Tuition Payments

First, let’s look at the big one: tuition. Most everyone realizes that education costs money. Even Japanese public schools have various fees (lunch, books, school uniforms, trips), and any schooling before first grade (age 7) or after junior high school (about age 13/14) is not part of gimukyoiku, or compulsory schooling, and requires even greater expense. Saving ahead is of course the best way to minimize the one-time impact on your budget.

If you’re a long term resident and plan to educate your children in Japan, there a few handy savings plans available through both the Post Office and private insurance companies. The Post Office offers ‘gakushi hoken’ or a combination savings and insurance plan with pre-determined payouts to coincide with your child’s entrance into elementary, JHS, SHS, or college. Essentially, you take out a ‘policy’ in your child’s name, preferably when they are very young. Your monthly payments for the plan are determined by the total amount of money you want paid out over the life of the plan. The policy automatically includes a small life insurance benefit for the child in question, and can also include a ’scholarship (ikueikin)’ component (payment of school fees if one or both of the parents pass away). There are of course a variety of options in terms of life of plan (ending at age 15, 18, or 22) and savings amounts. To research more, visit the Japan Post website.

Warning! It’s all in rather complicated Japanese. The best way to get details on these plans is to go to your local post office insurance (Kanpo) window during a slow period, and ask about gakushi hoken. It will take some time, but as other foreign residents have successfully managed to purchase a plan – I’m sure you can too!

If you would rather not use the post office, AFLAC also offers gakushi hoken plans through a mail order service. The plans are called Kawaii Kodomo Hoken and operate on essentially the same principles. The website is much easier to navigate than the Post Office’s. The ‘Simulation’ button found at the button of the page in katakana will automatically calculate a sample monthly payment based on the applicant’s age, their child’s age, and the desired plan amount. Note that the insurance rider (in case of death of the parent) adds extra cost.

Shop Early, and at a Variety of Places, for School Supplies

In Japan, preparing for school (especially for kindergarden, day care, or elementary school) can take a kind of Orwellian twist. Complicated requirements for homemade bags of a certain size, math manipulatibles kits with 20-30 small pieces that must be labeled with names individually, and ridiculously expensive uniforms sold through a single supplier are just some of the challenges foreign mums and dads face.

As dictated by the laws of supply and demand, prices on school supplies such as lunch boxes, nap futon, indoor shoes (uwabaki), and bags rise the closer to the end of March you approach. Conversely, mid-April is probably an excellent time to purchase these items if you know what type you’ll need and where your child will go to school next year. Besides large supermarkets or other retail outlets, there are two frugal alternatives worth mentioning. The first is the annual school bazaar at the school you plan to attend. Here, gently used uniforms and school supplies (such as required hats, smocks, recorders, painting kits, and other items) may available for a great discount. Online auctions are another good source for more general school supplies, particularly ‘handmade’ items for those of us not so talented in the sewing arena. Try typing in the name of the items from your required supplies list into Yahoo Auctions, Rakuten, or http://www.bidders.co.jp. You might find a bargain, particularly if you are shopping early.

Finally, it always pays to utilize local foreign networks. FreeStuffJapan, TellandSell Japan, and other lists are excellent places to locate free or cheap items.

© 2007 Wendy J. Imura.