Saki (from Tokorozawa City, Saitama Prefecture) is dubbed “the most frugal girl in Japan.” Since she was 18, while her peers carefree asked their parents for money to shop, Saki set an ambitious goal: to own 3 houses and retire by the age of 34.
And that dream became a reality when in May 2019, Saki (then 33 years old) purchased her third house for 27 million yen (approximately 5.6 billion VND).
According to Japanese media, at 27 years old, she bought her first house in Saitama Prefecture for 10 million yen (approximately 2.1 billion VND). The second house, worth 18 million yen (approximately 3.7 billion VND), was acquired by Saki at 29. She rents out these two houses for additional income.
Saki shares that she spends no more than 200 yen (equivalent to 42,000 VND) daily on food. To “survive” on a tight budget, she often cooks udon noodles with vegetables, costing about 50 yen (approximately 10,500 VND) for ingredients.
Specifically, a bag of udon noodles priced at 97 yen (approximately 20,000 VND) is divided by Saki into 3 meals. The carrots she cooks with, which are half-priced at 39 yen (approximately 8,000 VND), are also shared among several meals.
She says: “It doesn’t matter what I eat, as long as I’m full.” Most of the items in her refrigerator are discounted, sometimes more than half off. Saki stated that if it wasn’t on sale, she would never buy it.
Saki wears shoes left by her mother, and her clothes are second-hand items from friends and acquaintances. Naturally, the furniture in her home is either given to her or collected when others no longer need them. At 29, Saki even cut and sold her hair for 3,100 yen (approximately 650,000 VND).
For almost 20 years, Saki has hardly bought new clothes, shoes, or cosmetics. She also doesn’t buy dishes but eats directly from the pot to save on shopping costs and conserve water.
Regarding entertainment, unlike most people, Saki says her greatest joy comes from watching real estate ads and comparing the pros and cons of each house.
Thanks to her serious savings without relying on her parents, winning the lottery, or any luck, after 15 years, from being an ordinary real estate employee, Saki has become the owner of 3 luxurious houses.
By renting out the first two houses, Saki earns 226,000 yen (approximately 47.5 million VND) each month. Saki’s third house is the type favored by wealthy people in Japan, featuring a spacious yard and three stories. She lives in one room while renting out the other two for 40,000 yen per room per month. Adding her salary, her income is around 400,000 yen (equivalent to 84 million VND), and she saves up to 380,000 yen from that!
Saki’s secret to acquiring multiple houses is working hard, saving as much as possible, and using other people’s money (rental income) to purchase the next house. Currently, in addition to renting houses, Saki has opened a cat cafe in her third house. All the cats there are rescued.
Source: Mashable, Says