Shock for ‘miserable’ Japan man who lives on simple meals for 21 years to save for retirement
- Man unhappy in demanding but secure job, devises meticulous plan to save US$640,000 and retire as soon as possible
A Japanese man who lived an extremely frugal life for 21 years because he wanted to save 100 million yen (US$640,000) to retire early has shocked internet users in China.
The unidentified man, 45, began his savings plan in the early 2000s after securing a stable but demanding job.
The company he worked for required employees to work overtime – sometimes past midnight – and constantly preached: “Only by working hard and doing overtime can you achieve future happiness.”
In an effort to live the FIRE (financial independence, retire early) lifestyle, the man, who earned an annual salary of about five million yen (US$32,000), devised a meticulous plan to save 100 million yen as early as possible.
He began by giving himself the online alias “The Man Who Will Definitely Resign” as motivation.
For more than two decades, he lived in a company dormitory, paying 30,000 yen (US$190) a month for rent and scavenging for all his appliances and furniture.