Quote:
Originally Posted by kirota
I'm going to be going to a university in Osaka coming September, and was wondering how expensive/how much money one could expect to spend on groceries in a month there. I'm not looking to eat in the western way, I realize cereal and a lot of things that are staples in Canada are just too expensive to eat in Japan. I'm trying to figure out a good budget for money, but it's difficult to know without having ever gone there.
Unlike many other people, I don't really want to work as an english teacher... but, I think I might have to get a job. Being an exchange student will be difficult, and it makes me nervous. I don't know anyone in Osaka! It will certainly be an experience of a lifetime though, and I'm looking forward to it.  |
It's really not that bad, especially if you look for sales. Learn when to shop... in Japan, stores usuially mark down perishable goods at the end of the day in hopes of selling it before closing time. Go to the store about 1 hour before it closes and many things like meat, breads/baked goods, milk, etc will be marked off. This is especially true if the supermarket is closed 1 day a week (all 3 markets in my town closed 1 day each week, and the mark downs the day before they were to close were extra big).
You can find cereal, though they will be smaller boxes at about the same price you're used to. Still, cereal with milk is a fast, cheap, easy, and relatively cheap breakfast and I had it most weekdays. Eggs and bacon are about the same price as here, so a dozen eggs is a good food bargain. Chicken is usually cheaper than pork, which in turn is less expensive than beef. There are large selections of fish and seafood.
Overall, you will usually save money cooking and eating at home instead of in restaurants, if you watch what you buy, and when you buy it.