I live in Tokyo and usually cook my own food (since it’s somewhat cheaper than eating out) but the cost start going up as I starts cooking more and more complex meals. Is there’s any tip or trick to keep the cost down. For both meat and vegetable.
Right now I always buy 2-3 days worth of ingredient at the nearby supermarket.
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Cabbages, daikon and beansprouts are cheapest for vegetables. Other than that, potatoes, carrots, onions and burdock roots are also generally cheap. The cheapest fruit are bananas. Incorporate more natto and tofu into your diet too.
Besides that, adapt to buying only what’s in season and become familiar with what’s available in the fresh fish section.
Also look for the local farmers mart.
Look around your neighborhood for farm shops. Except in the very center of Tokyo there are such shops tucked away far from stations. Also shop at the supermarket either very late or very early and pick up older fruits and vegetables that have been marked down.
Ask around your neighborhood, too: some supermarkets are substantially less expensive than others.
Cook Japanese home-style food. That doesn’t necessarily mean only traditionally Japanese dishes, but things that Japanese housewives cook (which includes “western-Japanese” style items)
Trying to cook the types of things you might be used to from your home country will generally lead you to buying expensive ingredients like beef, cheese, fruits or non native vegetables, etc.
Also try to find some local greengrocer (八百屋) or shops like that. Generally their produce is cheaper.
Meat is often marked down near the end of the day.
If you can get to a michi no eki, outside Tokyo, you will find farm fresh meats, produce and vegetables for much less than in the city.
not really. vegs and fruit are expensive here compared to many other countries.
and no, just limiting yourself to cabbage and bean sprouts isn’t healthy for your body and emotional well-being
Find out which supermarkets are usually cheaper for certain items. Around where I live one is known to usually have the best produce at the same price as other places, while another has meat for much cheaper than the others.
Nabe. Every day for dinner, no exceptions. Put cheap pork, cheap vegetables and finish off with cheap udon in the nabe.
Look for 八百屋 shops. They sell the ugly fruits and vegetables for cheaper than supermarkets that only sell the pretty ones.
Definitely find your local greengrocers/farm shops/ yaoyasan (八百屋). Some are fancy and expensive but most are going to be cheaper than supermarkets with equal or better quality vegetables (if less pretty).
For meat, find the discount supermarkets near you. Gyomu Super and OK are two chains with a lot of shops in Tokyo. I think the quality and selection of meat at OK is better but Gyomu is a bit cheaper. If you go to OK, sign up for the member card and pay on cash to get a 5% discount (maybe more on some things).
Buy in season veggies. You will have to learn what the general prices are, but over time you do. It also means that some times of the year, it can get a bit boring with the same veggies but it’s then really nice when the next veggies come into season.
Portion control, which begins with dividing up your meats into proper portion sizes. A 250 gram chicken thigh is not one serving, but actually more than 2. Unless you are taking the same thing for lunch tomorrow, cut that thigh in half and only cook what you are going to use. Same goes with pork and beef. I’m always dividing up our sliced pork into smaller quantities for my lunch since I am on my own for lunch.
Fish is always going to be more expensive than an equal amount of pork or chicken. We eat Japanese style, but not much fish because of the cost. There is a lot of Japanese food out there that is not fish.
No bull, check out the depa-chikas for vegetables. I’m in Osaka so I can’t say for Tokyo but the Takashimaya nearest me regularly has 10 radishes/salad spinach for ¥50 and vegetables like broccoli/cauliflower/zucchini/paprika for half the price as my local. And you might find cheaper/more harder to find stuff like radicchio, beets and fennel.
Stop buying meat if your goal is true frugality. Meat is incredibly expensive, especially beef and pork. Buy supplements for heme iron.
Tofu and/or natto.
Buy a pressure cooker. Halal stores sell 1kg dried beans for 400 yen – 600 yen. Extremely filling and nutrition. Wonderful meat substitute.
Frozen vegetables can sometimes be less expensive than fresh, depending on the season.
Potatoes are your friend. Highest food on the satiation index and absolutely packed with vitamins and minerals. Can be baked without oil. Add salt, herbs, cheese or butter, etc.
Check out 料理研究家リュウジ on YouTube. He has many affordable and easy recipes.