7 Tips to Keep Your Monthly Food Budget Under 20,000 Yen While Living Alone

Living alone, does your food budget creep past 40,000 yen a month before you know it? Here are 7 money-saving tips from people who actually live on 20,000 yen a month.

1. Do one big grocery run per week to prevent impulse buys
The more often you visit the supermarket, the more extras end up in your basket. Buy everything on the weekend and avoid shopping on weekdays.

2. Shop at Gyomu Super (wholesale supermarket)
Frozen vegetables, frozen meat, and pasta are shockingly cheap. In particular, the 1 kg bag of frozen broccoli (158 yen) and frozen udon noodles (5 servings for 198 yen) are must-haves.

3. Build meals around bean sprouts, tofu, and eggs
Bean sprouts: 20 yen per bag. Tofu: 30 yen per block. Eggs: 200 yen for 10. Plan your meals around these three staples and you can eat for under 100 yen per meal.

4. Buy rice in 10 kg bulk bags
Look for 10 kg bags around the 3,000-yen range at drugstores or online. That works out to roughly 50 yen per meal for your main carb.

5. Carry a reusable water bottle
Buying a plastic bottle every day adds up to over 3,000 yen a month. Simply filling a bottle with barley tea saves you 36,000 yen a year.

6. Limit eating out to ultra-cheap chains
When you do eat out, search for nearby budget spots on KetchUP. Scout out restaurants where you can eat for under 500 yen ahead of time.

7. Meal-prep on weekends to eliminate food waste
Prepare about 5 side dishes on the weekend and just reheat them on weekdays. You will use up all your ingredients with zero waste.

Follow all 7 tips and keeping your food budget at 20,000 yen a month is absolutely achievable.

* Listed prices are as of 2025. Prices may vary by location and season. Please check the latest prices at each restaurant.