RetireJapan

So far the best way I found to reduce my grocery bill, was to shop in the supermarket "The Big" (ザ・ビッグ). The groceries are already pretty cheap (usually spend around 23,000 yen per month for 2 people), but there are ways to make it even cheaper:
1) If you pay with the Waon Card you will get double points, and it works in the AEON supermarkets too (you buy the card for around 300 yen if I remember correctly, and then top it up with cash);
2) Every 20th and 30th they offer a 5% discount on all items if you pay with the Waon Card;
3) They also have the "Meat day" and "Fish day", offering a 10% discount.

For the toiletries (shampoo, body wash, etc), hand soap, liquid dish wash, etc, I buy in bulk (2/3L or 5L when available) at Amazon or at a Home center.

If you have a Costco subscription they sometimes have some good prices on the toiletries too. And if you live close to one, they usually have the cheapest gas/diesel available, and Kerosene if you live in a cold region. For example, comparing with the cheapest gas station close to me, I save around 500 yen every time I fill up my tank at Costco. So if you usually fill up the tank 2 times per month, you could save around 12,000 yen per year.

Any other tips?

The biggest and most obvious (but hard) one is to avoid convenience stores. Buy your drinks through Amazon. If you need snacks, supermarket or Amazon too.

If you do the Rakuten ecosystem thing, you can time purchases with their super sale and buy soap, toothpaste, toilet paper, etc in bulk. Rakuten 24 is their version of the household items store and the prices are similar to Amazon (sometimes cheaper). You get a ton of points this way.

zeroshiki wrote: ↑Tue Aug 17, 2021 6:56 am buy soap, toothpaste, toilet paper, etc in bulk.

Costco is good for that too. It's definitely bulk, I'm not sure it's cheaper though. But still, 180 yen hotdogs.

There's a costco in town, but we've never been there (joined). We also have three supermarkets nearby, with a fourth only a little farther (aeon max value). I can get to any of these, shop, and get home in the time it'd take to get to the costco, park, and get inside.

Most of our groceries are items not suited to bulk--fish, produce, milk, yoghurt--and one of the supermarkets is outstanding for fresh fish (several steps above anywhere else). Only two of us, and we kind of lunch on our own (leftovers), so it's really only breakfast and dinner.

Looking at our Jan-June budget sheets, we average ¥100k/month at supermarkets. Since a lot of that is fresh, non-bulk items, I don't think we could save much by ordering online or visiting costco. (And Seikyo/Coop with their deliveries would be another alternative.) Maybe about a year ago, the local Yamaya shops were out of a couple things, and we did use amazon. But those supply chain issues seem to have disappeared.

I know it’s probably super obvious, but supermarkets and grocery stores here reduce the prices on premade food near the end of the day. It seems to go 10-20% off, then 50% off the second time. If you can time it right (and can battle with the other people there), you can get some good deals.

Also I’ve noticed a huge difference in price at each supermarket. Personally I don’t mind cycling an extra 20-30 minutes to get to the cheaper place.

A third thing I’d recommend is getting an extra freezer to go along with the fridge. I picked mine up at Costco, and it’s one of my best purchases. The freezer space on most fridges is pretty pathetic, so having that extra space is a huge benefit. And I haven’t noticed an increase in my electricity bill at all.

JimNasium wrote: ↑Tue Aug 17, 2021 2:22 pm I know it’s probably super obvious, but supermarkets and grocery stores here reduce the prices on premade food near the end of the day. It seems to go 10-20% off, then 50% off the second time. If you can time it right (and can battle with the other people there), you can get some good deals.

Also I’ve noticed a huge difference in price at each supermarket. Personally I don’t mind cycling an extra 20-30 minutes to get to the cheaper place.

A third thing I’d recommend is getting an extra freezer to go along with the fridge. I picked mine up at Costco, and it’s one of my best purchases. The freezer space on most fridges is pretty pathetic, so having that extra space is a huge benefit. And I haven’t noticed an increase in my electricity bill at all.

My wife has been complaining about lack of freezer space for some time now. Can I ask about your freezer purchase at Costco? What size was it and what did you pay for it?

runmanTX wrote: ↑Fri Aug 20, 2021 5:33 am My wife has been complaining about lack of freezer space for some time now. Can I ask about your freezer purchase at Costco? What size was it and what did you pay for it?

We got ours about 10 years ago (Haier). I think 100L/¥50,000 but I am not sure. It is usually packed with stuff. Costco purchases get divided and frozen, as does discounted supermarket food (meats and bread).

runmanTX wrote: ↑Fri Aug 20, 2021 5:33 am
My wife has been complaining about lack of freezer space for some time now. Can I ask about your freezer purchase at Costco? What size was it and what did you pay for it?

Ahh, this was almost ten years ago, so I can’t remember exactly what I paid, but I think it was about ¥30,000 plus I had to pay for delivery. Mine is the upright kind with drawers which I personally prefer. No having to dig through a deep freezer. Haier jf‑nuf138a

JimNasium wrote: ↑Fri Aug 20, 2021 4:12 pm

runmanTX wrote: ↑Fri Aug 20, 2021 5:33 am
My wife has been complaining about lack of freezer space for some time now. Can I ask about your freezer purchase at Costco? What size was it and what did you pay for it?

Ahh, this was almost ten years ago, so I can’t remember exactly what I paid, but I think it was about ¥30,000 plus I had to pay for delivery. Mine is the upright kind with drawers which I personally prefer. No having to dig through a deep freezer. Haier jf‑nuf138a

Many thanks. This model looks like a decent one. Rakuten and Yodobashi seem to have the same Haier model. Now it looks like I'll be pouring money into a freezer instead of my investments.
But as the saying goes, "happy wife is a happy life".

TJKansai wrote: ↑Fri Aug 20, 2021 6:49 am

runmanTX wrote: ↑Fri Aug 20, 2021 5:33 am My wife has been complaining about lack of freezer space for some time now. Can I ask about your freezer purchase at Costco? What size was it and what did you pay for it?

We got ours about 10 years ago (Haier). I think 100L/¥50,000 but I am not sure. It is usually packed with stuff. Costco purchases get divided and frozen, as does discounted supermarket food (meats and bread).

Thanks! Now I just have to find more kitchen space.