Won't Miss #121 - worrying about exchange rates

The flip-side to gaining advantage from exchange rates is that you have to always concern yourself with when to send money back. You gamble every time you decide to trek off to the bank and exchange currency that this is as low as it might go for the foreseeable future. Sometimes you find that you hit a sweet spot, and at others you find that if you had just waited a day or so longer, you'd have benefited greatly. What is more, sometimes you have no choice about the timing, and get royally shafted by a dip in the value of the yen.

I won't miss having to fret over when to send money back or regret that I can't wait for the rates to change to wire money home.

Will Miss #120 - benefitting from exchange rates

My husband and I earned less money last year than the year before that, yet we were able to send more money home to place in our long-term savings than in more profitable years. If you work in Japan, but plan to return home, favorable exchange rates can really boost your ability to save whether you make more money or not. At 87 yen to the dollar, a million yen means $11,435 dollars to send back. At 120 yen to the dollar, that's $8,333. Sending money back at the right time can make a substantial difference.

I'll miss making less money, but actually saving more simply because the winds of the exchange rate are blowing favorably.