The way we work, the way we love, the way we live, everything is different now in Reiwa. Experts in various fields will answer the "new money hacks" behind the countless changes. The respondent this time is FP (Financial Planner) Harumi Maruyama.
Self-catering mainly rice is recommended
Meals are something we do every day, so it is very important to be good at shopping for ingredients. In the first place, why the price of many ingredients is rising in the first place is because the price of wheat and oil is soaring .
In the first place, the market price is rising, but it can be said that the situation in Ukraine is also affecting. Wheat and oil, which are used in many processed products, currently depend on imports, and the weak yen has affected the prices of imports. In addition , as the price of energy is soaring, the price of processed products will inevitably rise due to the rise in manufacturing costs, which is a considerable blow.
So, first of all, by making rice the center of your life, you will be less likely to be affected by it . The domestic self-sufficiency rate of rice is almost 100%, so the price is relatively low.
It is also recommended to think about the menu using chicken breast, pork sesame meat, minced pork, minced meat, etc., which are called "saving meat" .
Whether or not you cook for yourself will make a difference of 3.6 million yen in 10 years
The difference in food expenses between those who cook for themselves and those who do not is said to be about 30,000 per month. Even if it's small when you think about it monthly, it's a difference of 360,000 yen in a year and 3.6 million yen in 10 years. It's a big deal when you think about it.
Currently, the prices of many processed foods, side dishes, and eating out are already rising, and further price increases are expected in the future. That's why the difference will be even bigger by increasing your self-cooking. And for self-cooking, you can make the effect even more by making a good shopping set. There is no harm in becoming a “good shopper” from now on.
``Whether you should buy in bulk'' depends on your cooking skills
One of the first questions people often ask when buying ingredients is whether or not they should buy in bulk .
However, the recommended method differs depending on the cooking skill. Therefore, this time, I will divide the answers into beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels.
Beginners: Avoid buying in bulk from the beginning
If you have just started living alone or are not confident in your cooking skills, it is best to avoid buying in bulk from the beginning . It would be nice to be able to go to the supermarket every day and check out the closeout products and use them to cook, but this also requires some skill, so it is recommended to decide what to make first before going shopping .
If you still have leftover ingredients, there are recipe apps that search for leftover ingredients and suggest menus, so make use of them.
For beginners, it is best to prepare carbohydrates and not run out. If you don't have rice, you'll end up thinking, "Let's buy a bento at a convenience store and go home." When you have time to spare, cook the rice in bulk and refrigerate or freeze it in individual servings.
Even if it's not rice, there are some handy items that you can use to make pasta in the microwave these days. Just adding the sauce to the lentil pasta is enough to cook for yourself, so we recommend starting with small things without raising the hurdles all at once.
For beginners, the first step is to buy only what you will use that day. If you want to work even harder, you can use leftovers from dinner and frozen food to make a lunch box for the next day.
Intermediate: Recommended to buy in bulk once every 3 days
For those with some cooking skills , we recommend buying in bulk once every three days . For most people, these skills are enough.
If you raise your cooking skill too much, you'll end up buying unnecessary things like "This is cheap" or "In addition, this too", so it's something to think about (laughs). Living alone limits the amount of food you can eat, so it is recommended that you shop while keeping track of that amount.
It's a good idea to buy meat that's on sale at a bargain price, divide it into portions, season it with yakiniku sauce or shio-koji, and then freeze it. Separate the mushrooms into individual portions and freeze them.
While thinking about my own schedule, I move the frozen ingredients from the freezer to the refrigerator in the morning. If you can just fry it in a frying pan after returning home and you can eat it, it will be easy on busy days at work. After that, if you make a salad and miso soup quickly, a simple meal will be completed. If it's miso soup for one person, instant miso soup that can be made by just pouring hot water into a bowl is fine.
Reduce costs by increasing the use of handmade ingredients for lunch boxes
As for lunch boxes, I said that it is OK to use frozen food for beginners who cook for themselves , but the point is to increase the amount of homemade ingredients to keep costs down for intermediate cooks.
If you prepare subdivided cups for lunch boxes and freeze prepared side dishes, just put them in the lunch box in the morning and they will be ready to eat by noon. Of course, even if you use frozen food, it will still be cheaper than eating out for lunch, but you can aim for further cost reduction by making homemade food while making it skillfully.
Advanced: Buy a week's worth in bulk and prepare in advance
If you can think of several menus by looking at the ingredients, you can say that you are an expert. It is recommended that you buy ingredients for the week on Saturdays and Sundays, freeze the seasonings, and prepare side dishes for the week to make ends meet .
That said, if you come this far, you will need a lot of cooking skills, so I have been familiar with cooking for a long time, such as helping my parents a lot since I was a child, or being in charge of cooking at my parents' house. It can be said that it is an area that people are aiming for.
Most people can call themselves “skilled shoppers” if they are able to do intermediate-level shopping and self-cooking without hesitation.
One way to use the net supermarket
There is also the idea that "If you want to save money, it is better to go to a supermarket than a convenience store ." Instead of going to the supermarket and buying unnecessary things, you can save money by buying only what you need at a convenience store.
Also, when you go shopping, be sure to make a note of what you want to buy before you go. Memo is essential so that you don't forget to buy what you should buy or buy unnecessary things.
It is also recommended to use an online supermarket once a month to buy daily necessities and rice in bulk . It's easy because you don't have to carry heavy items from the supermarket to your house, and you can save on shipping costs by buying in bulk. If you make use of it, the road to becoming a good shopper will open up.
It is important to eliminate “food loss” when living alone
While actively using things that save time and effort, choosing single-use sizes so as not to produce food loss is the key to becoming good at shopping for ingredients while living alone. There are cases where a large capacity is cheaper, but if you don't use it up, it will be food loss. It is best to buy the amount that fits you and can be used until the end.
It's hard to notice "waste" when it comes to ingredients, so I recommend that you have a conversation with yourself and try to calm yourself down before you buy it . Please aim to be a good shopper.