A: Hey there! Heard any news lately?
B: Not really, what's up?

A: Well, it seems like Japanese households are cutting back on their spending!
B: Oh really? What's causing this?

A: It's probably due to rising prices. People are feeling the pinch and they're trying to save more.
B: I see. And what about food?

A: Yup, that's taking a hit too. The average household spent 306,872 yen in October, which is around $1980, but down 3% from last year.
B: Wow, that's quite a drop! What about spending on food specifically?

A: Food expenditures dropped by 1.1%. People have been responding to price hikes by reducing their outlays for beverages and alcohol.
B: Interesting. What about communication costs?

A: Communications expenses fell 14.5%. More consumers are switching to cheaper mobile phone plans, it seems.
B: That makes sense. And transportation costs too?

A: Yes, spending on private transportation dropped by 9.3%. This is the first decline in nine months. People seem to be cutting back on auto purchases, with mini vehicles and used cars seeing more demand instead.