What lengths would you go to retire early? For some, it might mean taking on extra jobs. But for one man in Japan, it meant living extremely frugally to escape the grind of his demanding job.
According to the South China Morning Post, the 41-year-old man, who earned an annual salary of five million yen (about R 605 761), wanted to retire early.
The company he worked for often preached that happiness could only be achieved through hard work and overtime. Determined to break free, he devised a plan to save 100 million yen (Just over R12 million) as quickly as possible.
His lifestyle was the epitome of frugality. A typical dinner might consist of a sour plum, some salted vegetables, and a bowl of rice. Sometimes, his meal was just an energy drink, which he acquired using free points from convenience stores.
He also survived on cola and biscuits while joking that his life in the company felt like serving a 20-year jail sentence.
When his microwave broke, he resorted to cooking sweet potatoes on the windscreen of his colleague’s car using the summer heat.
He never used air conditioning or a heater, opting instead to cool down with a wet T-shirt in the summer and warmed up by doing squats in the winter.
After 20 years and 10 months of this Spartan lifestyle, his efforts paid off. He announced on social media that he had saved 135 million yen (about R16 523 541).
His frugal living even inspired him to write a book on money-saving tips, providing another source of income. He now treats himself to four boiled eggs for breakfast and has bought a microwave for hot meals.
However, his joy was short-lived. He recently disclosed that his savings had shrunk dramatically due to the yen’s depreciation at the beginning of 2024.
“If the yen keeps depreciating, I’ll never achieve financial freedom. What have I been working for these 21 years? It’s all meaningless, so tragic,” he lamented.
People on social media empathised with him over his plight.
One person commented: “His meals really shocked me. Were they even edible? It’s a miracle he has not fallen ill after eating so poorly for so many years.”
Another noted: “His life is truly miserable. His income isn’t low in Japan. If he had invested in gold rather than just saving, he wouldn’t have lost so much.”
For 20 years, he lived in his company’s dormitory, paying only 30,000 yen (about R 3 672) a month for rent.
Despite achieving his savings goal, the depreciation of the yen has cast a shadow over his accomplishments. His story has gone viral, sparking sympathy and discussion on social media.
Would you go to such lengths to achieve financial freedom?