Frugal grocery shopping?

[adamu]

I have a Costco membership, and no car. I go about 2-4 times a year and usually buy something that makes the membership fee worth it. For example a pair of Levis for less than 5000 yen (about 1/3 of retail price), or a Samsonite suitcase for less than 15k. They also sell Heinz baked-beans and cheese in decent portions, which satisfies by comfort food cravings. I live alone so most of the food portions they have are too large for me. I use car rental and usually invite a friend or two and combine it with something else like Ikea or an Onsen trip, then share the rental costs.

I'm moving to a more expensive city this month and my rent is more than doubling, so I'll be looking to cut back elsewhere. The easy win from looking at my expenses is less eating out and more home-cooking. While I don't have much to add, I hope more people post in this topic.

[Rezz]

I'm moving to a more expensive city this month and my rent is more than doubling, so I'll be looking to cut back elsewhere.

I'm moving next week, and my rent is increasing by 50% or so

As for frugal shopping, I do the same as fools_gold; for breakfast I now just buy 4.7kg of quaker porridge oats from Amazon for ~2000 yen which last a long time (the same ones they have at CostCo so I hear).

My local AEON does 5x points day on Sundays every week, which combined with the 3% from the investor card quickly adds up to some decent savings. Unfortunately, if you pay by card (I tried to use LINE card which has 5% cashback), the investor card points nullified. I only found this out after checking my receipts for a few weeks and asking at the service counter.

[adamu]

LINE card which has 5% cashback

Do you mean the prepaid Line Pay card? I use that too, but it's 2%, not 5. So not worth negating your 3% investor discount over.

[Rezz]

Oops, you're right! Not sure where I got 5% from. That would be nice

[DragonAsh]

I'm sure anyone that does shopping frequently (or has a significant other that shops a lot) knows or has heard how expensive vegetables are lately? Especially leafy vegetables. It was bad enough moving from London, where the equivalent of Y200 got you a 5lb bag of potatoes, to Japan, where that Y200 might get you three small potatoes....

[captainspoke]

True, broccoli and cauliflower are thru the roof, and broc on the small side besides. Tomatoes & spinach are also up. I can do without cauli but gotta have broc and tomatoes. (Avocado, tho, hasn't moved at all.)

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It doesn't affect prices right now, but the heavy snow collapsed rows upon rows of poly tunnel veggie houses over this way. They'll get rebuilt, but I'd guess any costs will get passed on.

[adamu]

I paid 213 yen for a single bulb of (Aomori, the only option available in Aeon) garlic yesterday.

[Rezz]

Yes, I've noticed too. Lettuce is usually 250 yen or more right now.

[DragonAsh]

We found big heads of cabbage for less than Y200 today! My wife was so happy she bought two LOL.

[vapid]

Supa Valu seems decent if you have one nearby - Mon/Tue are usually special for fruits & vegetables.
http://www.supervalue.jp/