Convenience stores are places to buy 'convenience'; treat them as the enemy of saving money
Hello! This is Chaso-sensei🧑🏫!
Those few hundred yen you 'just happen to spend' are slowly whittling away your savings. More than just a place to sell products, a convenience store is a place that sells "the service of convenience". If you are aiming to save money, you must first be prepared not to open those doors.
I have organized the reasons why you should avoid convenience stores and the ironclad rules for doing so.
1. The inconvenient truth that you are 'imposing a tax on yourself'
Convenience store pricing is surprisingly expensive compared to supermarkets.
A 1.5x price difference is standard
A bottled drink that costs 80 to 100 yen at a supermarket costs 120 to 150 yen at a convenience store.
Awareness of the '20% or more markup'
Always buying things at a 20% to 50% markup is the same as imposing a heavy "convenience store tax" on yourself.
Don't be fooled by point rewards
Even if you get a few percent back in points, if the original price is 20% higher, you are ultimately losing a lot of money.
2. 'Shopping frequency' and 'wasteful spending' are proportional
Are you reaching for hot snacks by the register or new sweets even though you only went in to 'buy something cheap'?
I understand how delicious that chicken🍗 is! But... it is quite a waste!
Reduce the number of times you visit
The more often you enter the store, the higher the probability that you will give in to temptation.
Aren't you finding yourself saying 'just this once' more often?
The trap of 'impulse buying'
The mechanisms that make you buy things other than what you intended are condensed into convenience store shelves.
Sales professionals have condensed mechanisms that make it easy for customers to naturally pick up products in a compact space. Why do they sell enough to open so many stores even though they are so expensive?
Because there is a mechanism that makes you buy them even when you know they are expensive. Try to stay away😱
3. The golden rule of saving: Thoroughly cook at home and carry a water bottle
The most reliable way to cut daily fixed costs is to "not buy outside".
Reducing the number of shopping🛍️ trips saves both time and money💰
Bring your own drinks
If you buy a 160 yen drink for 20 days, that's 3,200 yen a month. With a water bottle, it's almost 0 yen.
The 2,000 yen cost of a water bottle will pay for itself quickly, so switch to a water bottle.
I only buy drinks at convenience stores when I don't have enough during summer practice for the sake of my life, or when I buy 2L of water on the day of a match😊 100 yen per time. Maybe not even 1,000 yen a year?
Cooking at home
With the cost of one convenience store bento (600 to 800 yen), you could make several luxurious meals if you cooked for yourself. Convenience store food is truly delicious, so I understand why you'd want to buy it, but... let's cook for ourselves.
I really love this quote from the frugal YouTuber Gamaguchi.
Cooking for yourself is the ultimate side hustle.
Establish 'personal rules' for convenience store usage
If it's difficult to cut off convenience stores completely, redefine them as tools for extraordinary situations. Convenience stores offer great services, so let's use them wisely.
Only allowed during travel or expeditions
Use them only for emergencies while traveling or when enjoying items exclusive to that region.
I only allow myself to use them on business trips, match days, or during travel. On days when I don't want to carry a lot of luggage, I make sure to pick things up at a convenience store.
This is unnecessary in my usual environment where I can cook and have little luggage, but when the circumstances change, I make use of them.😀
It happens maybe five times a year... at this rate, it doesn't affect my household budget, and I think I'm taking advantage of the benefits of saving time and local procurement.😀
Limit usage to infrastructure
Do not go near the product shelves except for government services like issuing resident records or paying utility bills, or for postal services. Go straight to the register.
I go there quite often for Mercari shipping or using online banking.
I don't go to the convenience store to pay money, but rather to withdraw or earn money.😀
Summary
Convenience store services are truly convenient and you'll want to use them, but try to think carefully about how you interact with them.
My relative also runs a convenience store, and their management efforts are wonderful.👍
It's always full of customers whenever I go.
As a frugal person, I get worried every time I see people using them.😱
When using a convenience store, ask yourself if there is a proper reason that leads to saving money or building assets, or if it's just self-indulgence. Let's think carefully before using them.😀
I admire the elite types who can earn more money in the time they save by using convenience stores.
Frugal YouTuber Fuyuko, who is a saving geek, also mentioned that as her speaking engagements increased and she traveled more, her convenience store usage increased as a necessary expense for earning money.
Thank you for watching.😊