[Nyororin]

Here in Nagoya, we have yurika, which are like the same thing... And yes, they are a bit cheaper. I think a single 5000yen card gives you 5600 yen worth of travel? If you go around a lot, it can add up. But the main thing is convenience.

In our case, we had actual teikiken, which are the flat fee for 3 or 6 months. You pay the fee and can basically ride the train as much as you like between the two stations on the card. It can SERIOUSLY save you money if you travel regularly between the same two stations (like to work, or school and then back home). For example, if you do a roundtrip everyday, you`ll end up paying less than half price.

When we were living on 120,000/month, it was when my husband was in school. His parents paid for the schooling. His part time job earned between 60,000 and 80,000 a month and he received a 50,000 "allowance" from his parents, with which we paid the rent. (This was before we were married and just after, so I didn`t have a job yet.)

And yes, it was completely possible. I don`t know what it is about us, but we seem to manage to do an incredible amount with our money.

I mean, we were able to buy a 290,000,000yen condo and a brand new car (2,500,000yen), and continue paying for it on a salary that averages around 280,000/month. All while buying all sorts of stuff, traveling all over the place, and seriously enjoying our lives.

Where everyone else`s money is going is a complete and total mystery to me.