Electricity, gasoline and many food and drink items now cost more in Japan. What are you doing in your daily life to cut back on costs?

Buy less, skip unnecessary outings and buy groceries when they price them 30/ 50 down later in the afternoons. But then again, dus it make a difference when the wifey comes home with sneakers for our daughter which cost almost 15.000 yen

Use car less,cut down on meat products,bought portable solar panels to charge devices,focus on quality not quantity in all purchases.

Get outside more and have fun!

Buy less, skip unnecessary outings and buy groceries when they price them 30/ 50 down later in the afternoons.

Same here. Add eating out less frequently to the list.

Buy cheaper brands of almost everything.

Use less water and electricity at home (as if we weren't already).

Also, drive the wife's car more often since it takes regular gas and fill up our cars only on discount days at the local gas station.

I'd like to know what PM Kishida and his buddies are doing to cut back on rising costs other than counting on everyone else to do something first?

Nothing, really new specific to this, but the price increases have been most notable at the grocery store the last 3 months or so. Everything seems 10-25% more expensive or they've decided to reduce the contents, but not the package size by 25-35% and keep the same price.

I buy more items in bulk now. Was already very frugal. But if I used to buy 5kg of something, now I buy 10kg. I cook more meals that get frozen too.

I watch for deals on different things and stock up. We have a year of paper towels, TP, some condiments, cleaning supplies, masks, and engine oil/filters for changes.

Drives Ms.Fu crazy, sometimes, until we go on a trip somewhere fantastic with the "savings."

Vehicle use hasn't changed too much since 2008. Just with the car insurance rates matched how little we actually drive. We're on the lowest plan already and we drive ¹/₁₀th that amount.

Can't say we're really feeling the pinch yet. Lots of home-grown veggies, stocked up on non-perishables, never did spend all that much on clothes, eating out, etc.

Biggest outlay so far this year is vet fees for the critters, two out of three have had major illnesses.

I stick to generic brands / local supermarket brands and buy stuff in the evening when it's priced down. Sometimes buy in bulk to stock up when something on my list goes on sale.

@Dave

Love hunting with my FIL and sons on weekends here in Miyazaki. Ebino is rich with wild boar and deer. Dove in the autumn.

Fishing in the Oyodou year round in Takaoka Cho. We are pretty much self supporting this way and the land we own we grow vegs, berries, melons, and fruit. My sons have learned the value of self support.

I'm not rich by any standards, but I haven't made any changes yet as a result of inflation.

In the UK shortages are more of a problem than cost for me. It's less of a problem for me if food goes up by 20% or 50% (and it is, here) as long as I can still get it. Food is still fairly cheap for the amount of work farmers put in and we should have been paying a greater % of our income for it for years. I eat a fairly simple vegan diet. I buy stuff wholesale as it might vanish from the shelves. I eat what I buy and buy what I eat, with no waste. I don't eat out or takeaways. I don't waste energy, so there isn't much to cut back on. I don't own a car.

I'm working longer hours, but that is because the pandemic lockdowns damaged my income.

Spring is expensive as I buy stuff for the garden. Mainly hardy perennials as they work out cheaper in the long run. Seeds are cheaper than plants. You can save money by turning your garden into an allotment/mini farm. Concentrate on reliable, resilient crops that produce well and are ones you actually eat. A decent sized back garden can save you hundreds of pounds a year in food bills for a bit of effort. Use every inch of space There are lots of guides online.

If you do want to save cash, buy wholesale with friends and neighbours. If you eat meat, buy it already cooked. Eat less processed food - you are paying extra for the packaging. Don't waste food. Sell stuff you don't need. Place 'collecting' hobbies on hold, slim down your collection and use your knowledge to trade collectibles online instead. Making money can be easier than saving it. Switch to a PAYG feature phone. Don't give up all treats - you will just make yourself miserable. Life is tough enough already.

If you are really struggling ask for help. There are one coin cafes and food banks. If you are so skint that you are skimping on food you will become ill. They are there for you, so please use them.

Nothing. Tokyo remains the most affordable mega city in the developed world, I believe. (I come from western Canada, where affordability of the basics like housing and food is in crisis -- unless you're a newly arrived foreign billionaire or a drug kingpin.)

The situation here, with relatively low inflation, is still better than lots of other places, especially when I draw from my Canadian and US dollar savings account to pay for my grocery bills in Japan.

Very interesting to read all of the above posts.

Everyone needs some energy, food and drinks, so I can’t do much even if I wanted , especially as I cut costs already before, but what remains is that I cut my sympathies for those who put the higher costs on me.

The same as The Nomad. Not planning any trips anywhere, or buying any non-essential stuff.

We're not denying our kids anything, but trying to economize on everything else.

no change at all.

no cigarettes drugs,no gambling,no visits in some "snacks" or some strange evening places.

since we still not allowed to travel abroad freely at this moment using money for domestic travel as Japan have many nice places to visit.

about food its simple-buying local veggies,fruits,rice.making bread at home.but in general no changes from past.avoid frozen,canned food.prefer fresh local one.hardly see any dramatic changes in water fees or electricity costs.

so here not big changes in habits or spending at all.east well,drink well,work enough,make enough,stay healthy and take care about family.when hungry eat well,when thirsty drink well.

its all about everyones preferences.

Thankfully I am able able to hunt deer and boar here for meat, so I always have a plentiful supply.

I also grow some vegetables, and I don't mind drinking cheaper fake beer most of the time.

I save on electricity by turning stuff off at the wall.

I shower mostly at the gym as opposed to at home.

I do 99% of house repairs by myself.

I drive a car that gets about 18km/l.

I cook more often and eat out less, that includes the occasional run to the konbini for a snack, just make it instead. I ride my bike more often now, even if it snows or rains. I get free exercise and tires are cheaper per kilometer compared to public transport. I also don't use my AC/ heater that much, blankets in the winter and fans in the summer.

My grand kids miss out on the odd treat. I don't seem to have much change in my pocket. But I put that down to prices being round off. I only notice at the pump and drive less but they also close down the road to town making the round trip into town 40km instead of 16 km. I book flight to Japan and it is the cheapest flight ( $950 return Sydney) I have ever paid in 15 years. So there are bargains to be had as well with price rises.

Seeds are cheaper than plants

If you save the seeds from the veggies you eat, they cost nothing! Some hybrids like paprika don’t always breed true, but I’ve had success with tomato, pumpkin, squash, melon, goya, dill. If something tastes good, save a seed and plant it!

@Cleo.

True. Real Seeds advocate seed saving and have some helpful information on their website. Scroll down and check the left hand side panel.

https://www.realseeds.co.uk/

Same thing as the start of the pandemic. Stay home unless I'm going to work or the supermarket

Thankfully I am able able to hunt deer and boar here for meat, so I always have a plentiful supply.

I envy you! those are my 2 favorite meats.

David BrentToday 10:51 am JST

Thankfully I am able able to hunt deer and boar here for meat, so I always have a plentiful supply.

///

naisu,give me a call and will come to help you with that meat... :)

Maybe one a week from now on till broccoli becomes cheaper

Maybe you all wouldn't have such a big appetite if you cooled it with the hand to ham combat with Rosie Palm and her 5 fingered friends..

just saying...

I buy fresh whole food from local farmers' market, cook at home, pack bento, eat more Japanese diet instead of western.

Simple. #StayHomeSaveLives