TtoE food budget in 2025

During the pandemic years, when I had a surplus of time at home, I got into cooking. The variety and quality of produce in Japan make cooking at home fun, satisfying, and healthful. You can find my recipes and reflections on food culture here by searching TtoE.

But I’m feeling the pinch of rising food prices and seeing an effect on my spending. Grocery runs are not as leisurely and fun as they used to be since grocery prices have risen dramatically. There are more price shocks to prepare for. In 2025, groceries are set to get more expensive, especially bread products. I’m researching how to bake bread at home to mitigate costs and maintain a good diet.

So, here’s my latest grocery run for a single to give a sense of grocery prices. The items are a bit of a hodge-podge, not for a particular meal, since I’ve got some stock in the fridge and pantry to make meals. In the next few weeks, I’ll document my grocery purchases and the costs.

How are you coping? Have you compromised on how you shop? How are you bracing yourself for yet higher costs in 2025?