- Japanese man wanted to retire early from an early age so saved whatever he could
- In 21 years, he saved hundreds of thousands of dollars to achieve his ambition
- But he is now questioning whether the sacrifice was worth it
Early retirement is a dream for many of us, but one Japanese man decided he wanted to retire early – and then committed to a strict saving regime for more than two decades to achieve this.
Cut back on everything
The unnamed man wanted to save 100 million yen – about $640,000 – to retire and, to do this, he cut back on everything he possibly could in his life.
He worked a regular job that paid about $32,000 per year but ensured as much of that stayed in his bank account. For instance, he lived in a dorm, which meant he only paid $190 per month in rent. He also ate a very simple diet, often having sour plums, salted vegetables and rice as an evening meal, while subsisting on biscuits, cola and energy drinks for the rest of the day, according to the South China Morning Post.
He also scrimped on heating – doing exercises such as squats to stay warm in the winter – and air conditioning, instead opting to wear a wet t-shirt in the summer to keep cool.
Depreciation worries
The man – known online as ‘the man who will definitely resign’ – recently announced he had built up a nest egg of $860,000 after 21 years of living frugally.
But now he has the money, he is worried that the value of it might depreciate. The yen has recently fallen in value, meaning his savings are relatively worth less. If it keeps falling, it means he won’t have the financial freedom he has craved for so long. “What have I been working for these 21 years [if the value decreases]? It’s all so meaningless, so tragic,” he told the newspaper.
