Japanese Man Saves RM3 Million In 21 Years To Retire Early From Miserable Job
He lived frugally, often eating only a bowl of rice soaked in cold water.
By Sukhbir Cheema — 23 Jul 2024, 02:16 PM
A Japanese man took the FIRE (financial independence, retire early) lifestyle to extremes, living frugally to escape his miserable job
According to the South China Morning Post, the 41-year-old man, whose name remains undisclosed, began saving in the early 2000s to retire early from his "stable but demanding job".
His job required him to work overtime, sometimes past midnight. For his hard work, he earned 5 million yen (RM150,000) annually.
To escape his miserable job, the man set a savings goal of 100 million yen (RM3 million).
He gave himself a moniker, "The Man Who Will Definitely Resign" as motivation.
For 20 years, he lived in his company's dormitory, paying 30,000 yen (RM896) a month for rent
He scavenged for furniture and appliances while leading a frugal lifestyle.
For dinner, he typically ate a sour plum, salted vegetables, and a bowl of rice. On some days, his dinner was an energy drink acquired with free points from convenience stores.
In the evenings, he drank cola and snacked on biscuits while watching prison-themed films, which he joked were reminiscent of his own life.
Once, when his microwave broke, he used the summer heat to cook sweet potatoes on his colleagues' car windscreen to save money.
He avoided using air conditioning or heating. To cool down, he wore a wet t-shirt, and in winter, he did squats to keep warm.
The man successfully saved 135 million yen (RM4 million) after working hard and enduring this lifestyle for 20 years and 10 months
He even wrote a book on tips to save money based on his experience. The sales from the book have become a source of income.
He now eats four boiled eggs for breakfast and has bought a microwave to enjoy hot meals.
However, he revealed that his two decades of hard work may have been in vain.
With the yen depreciating at the start of 2024, the man said that his savings have diminished
"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 reportedly said, according to South China Morning Post.
The report didn't specify the platform the Japanese man uses to share his story.
That said, the man's story shocked many Chinese social media users, with many empathising with the man.
