Reading this thread is like an alcoholic casually browsing a liquor store.
You guys, I'm trying to quit this stuff!
For me it's more of a list of things I still don't want. But most mustachians seem to have a weakness for cars and tech that I do not share. My lust lies elsewhere.... [still sushi]
Great. Now I need sushi.
I share this weakness. If you love sushi enough that you're spending more than $50 a month on sushi, I'd recommend considering just learning how to do it yourself.
It was a little pricey to get into, but after buying a good sushi cooker (Zojirushi), a good sushi knife, rolling mat and some ingredients (I spent like $350 to get started), I began to make my own sushi. In lieu of raw fish, I used whatever frozen fish I had in my freezer and cooked that up as a substitute.
My rolls were pretty terrible at first , but I've gotten very good at it. What once was $50-75 Friday night outs of sushi turned into very cheap date nights. For $20 I can make enough sushi to feed 4-5 people. Plus there are a ton of recipes and different things to try.
After I gained some confidence, I started to order some frozen sushi grade tuna online.
$350 to start!?!
A bamboo sheet is <$5, some sushi rice and seaweed is <$10. Why do you need a sushi cooker? Legitimate question, because my rice in a pot doesn't really taste much different from the restaurant sushi rice...
Even a sushi knife isn't really necessary as long as you have a sharp knife and don't mind your sushi not looking 100% perfect.
It was before I became frugal, but I don't completely regret the purchase. It's my hobby, and it was a one time purchase. I didn't mean to suggest you should pay that much if you want to get started. It's just a matter of honesty on my part of what I did.
Also, a good rice cooker compliments the Instant Pot nicely. I have rice ready 24/7 on stand by. I eat lots of rice and beans (almost every meal), and prepare sushi every week (though not exclusively with raw fish).
When I got started, I basically had nothing as I just moved out on my own so maybe the $350 isn't correct, but :
I bought the Zojirushi for $150 as a recommendation from my friend who eats tons of rice. (no regrets)
I bought a chef's knife for $100 (which now in hindsight I see this may have been stupid).
Then I bought a bamboo bowl that was recommend for making the sushi rice for $50. (It's a bit silly - you could just use any bowl really - but it helps with not having soggy rice when you make the sushi rice).
I then ordered the frozen sushi fish because I was excited though I waited like 3 months before I used any. I still ate it eventually though! I spent like $40 on frozen sushi grade fish.
Then I bought avocados, canned tuna, and tilapia - but I tend to buy things in bulk.
In hindsight, I probably would have forgone the bamboo bowl and gone with a cheaper knife. I use my rice cooker constantly to have rice on stand by and it compliments my Instant-Pot that I use almost exclusively for chili and beans.
After the initial cost and a few years of practice, I can punch out 10 sushi rolls in less than 2 hours with little notice, and I'd say my rolls are on par (if not better) than my local sushi restaurant.
This has been a very long winded defense of my purchase, and I do feel shame; however, I don't go out for sushi! So I consider that a win.