Mar 12, 2025
What are you doing without?
Ever heard of the saying "Use it up, wear it out, make do, or do without"? I feel like it's ever-appropriate these days. Are there things that you're trying (or having) to do without, given the cost of living increases? I haven't bought new clothes in quite a while, and I feel like when we first moved here that was something I often did, almost like a hobby. These days I might not be the trendiest, but I use the clothes I have, and I guess I'm more comfortable in my style.
Best Answer
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on Mar 16
@genkidesu I rarely eat out except for spots that are highly recommended and en route to my appointments. Alas, also major trips are off the itinerary. Mostly I'm relishing places close to home and doing infrequent overnight trips. The rising cost of accommodation hems me in.
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on Mar 12
I would definitely say sweets and snacks! Our whole family loves them, and we always had tons of it, way too many to ever eat and some often expired before we ate them. Now we have the rule not to buy anything new, before all old ones are eaten. For clothes, I always buy second hand since living here, which also saves a lot of money. Especially, I have to buy new ones like every 4 month for our kid, since he is growing always so fast.
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on Mar 13
I had never heard that expression before! Very good. I can't remember the last time I bought myself new clothes! But I really do need to buy new sneakers, the ones I have now fall into the "wear it out" part of the rhyme! The biggest change is we are not eating out as much as we used too. Which means that I have less places to review too! I'm always in awe of the amount of cafes / restaurants you review... is that changing for you too? Thankfully Kawagoe has a great selection of street food, which costs less than a sit down meal so I can still get a treat every now and then and write about it!
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on Mar 13
@BigfamJapan Sometimes I get to eat at restaurants for work, so that's a big thing that offsets the cost a bit. It's probably the one area we spend too much on as a family, though. It's a hard balance between spending on the things we enjoy and trying to maintain a budget. In terms of activities we've cut down on our travel a lot. We used to do things like big road trips or go away to a nice ryokan for anniversaries or special occasions, and those have taken a back seat.
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on Mar 14
Thanks to the pandemic, I got in the habit of cooking nearly every meal I eat. I don't buy vending machine drinks unless they're novelties worth telling you about in reviews. And clothes... I used to buy work wear at name brand shops. These days, I have a half-dozen durable pieces, some from recycle shops.
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on Mar 16
@TonetoEdo Yes, I think accommodation has really skyrocketed. Not sure if you saw this article earlier in the year, but it basically covered the surge in tourism outpricing local business travelers: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/01/15/economy/business-travelers-japan/
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on Mar 16
@genkidesu Yes, I read that article and it's alarming for businesss and pleasure travelers. For my recent vacation I opted for the cheapest accommodation at a "micro hotel", providing cheap and clean digs for vistitors (Tateyama City, Chiba Pref.) The off-season rate was reasonable. More in-demand locations in peak seasons have rates outside my budget tolerance. FWIW, if you're visiting the Boso Peninsula, a cheap and homey place to stay - https://www.city-cost.com/reviews/GLyE4-Micro_Hotel_tu_ne_HIGORO_tu_ne_HIGORO_Lifestyle_Hobbies_Tateyama_shi?vid=1
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on Mar 16
@genkidesu sounds like a dream job, what a great perk to have. We don't travel as much now either. However, its more due to the kids schedule though, but it is definitely helping with the finances too! Good timing, as its a particularly expensive period for us right now with my eldest entering senior high school. :-o
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on Mar 17
@BigfamJapan From perusing travel websites, I can see that accommodations for familes have skyrocketed in price! I'm an occasional solo traveler, getting away for holidays that I tell you about in my travelogues. But I must admit, I stick close to home and scour websites for budget stays. Travel isn't as carefree as it was before the pandemic.
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on May 3
Here's an update in May, two months later. Prices have risen dramatically on food. When I get through the stock of white rice, I'll turn to brown rice, which is marginally cheaper, soba noodles, and other cheap carbs. I'm going through my stash of worn-out clothing and linens, and plastic bags. This Golden Week, I'll repurpose a lot of the stuff as cleaning cloths, patchwork, and shopping bags. I stopped buying towels, cleaning cloths, plastic wrap, and freezer bags. Many products come in zip-top bags, which I save and reuse as freezer bags.
10 Answers