Frugal lifestyle gets Japanese man RM4mil savings, early retirement

TO what ends would you go to be able to retire early?

For some, it would mean taking double or even triple jobs.

But for this man in Japan, he went to the extent of living extremely frugally to be able to retire from his job.

According to the South China Morning Post, the 41-year-old who earned an annual salary of five million yen (RM150,000) wanted to retire early from his demanding job.

The company the man worked for would often preach to their employees that one can only achieve happiness by working hard and doing overtime.

So he attempted to do the impossible. He devised a plan to save 100 million yen (RM3 million) as fast as possible in order to retire early.

For 20 years, he:

- lived in his company’s dormitory, paying 30,000 yen (RM896) a month for rent

- ate a sour plum, salted vegetables, and a bowl of rice, dinner consisting of an energy drink

- drank fizzy drinks and ate biscuits for dinner

- ate sweet potatoes from winter to summer when his microwave broke, using the summer heat to cook them on the windscreen of his colleague’s car

- never used air conditioning or a heater, cooled down in the winter doing squats and kept cool in the summer by wearing a wet shirt

ALSO READ: M’sians urged to save up RM1mil in EPF savings by 60

The man’s efforts bore fruit when he successfully saved 135 million yen (RM4 million) after enduring this lifestyle for 20 years and 10 months.

He even wrote a book, imparting knowledge on his frugal lifestyle, which became a secondary source of income.

Goal achieved, the man now eats four boiled eggs for breakfast and has bought a microwave to enjoy hot meals.

Unfortunately for the man, he noted that his joy is short-lived as the Japanese yen has depreciated at the start of 2024, diminishing his savings.

“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,” lamented the man.

His tale has since gone viral on social media, with people sympathising with the man.

What do you think? Would you go to such lengths to achieve financial freedom?

READ MORE: 45-year-old M’sian successfully saves RM1 million in EPF