Saki, from Tokorozawa city in Saitama prefecture, is known as “Japan’s thriftiest woman.” At 18, while her friends were still asking their parents for money to shop, she set a bold goal: to own three homes and retire by 34.
That dream came true in May 2019 when 33-year-old Saki bought her third house for 27 million yen (about 5.6 billion VND).
According to Japanese media, she bought her first home in Saitama at 27 for 10 million yen (around 2.1 billion VND). Her second home, worth 18 million yen (about 3.7 billion VND), was purchased when she was 29. She rents out these two properties for extra income.
Saki says she spends no more than 200 yen (about 42,000 VND) daily on food. To survive on such a tight budget, she often cooks udon noodles with vegetables, spending roughly 50 yen (10,500 VND) on ingredients.
Specifically, she splits a 97-yen (20,000 VND) pack of udon into three meals. The carrots she uses are half-priced at 39 yen (8,000 VND) and also divided across several meals.
She says, “It doesn’t matter what I eat, as long as I’m full.” Her fridge mostly holds heavily discounted items, often more than half off. Saki admits she never buys anything unless it’s on sale.
She wears shoes left by her mother and clothes passed down from friends and acquaintances. Her household items are mostly gifts or things she picked up when others no longer needed them. At 29, she even cut and sold her hair for 3,100 yen (about 650,000 VND).
For nearly 20 years, Saki has barely bought new clothes, shoes, or cosmetics. She doesn’t even own bowls or chopsticks, eating directly from pots to save on buying dishes and water.
When it comes to entertainment, unlike most people, Saki says her happiest moments are watching real estate ads and comparing the pros and cons of different houses.
Thanks to strict saving without relying on parents, lottery wins, or luck, after 15 years, Saki went from a regular real estate worker to the owner of three luxury homes.
Renting out her first two houses brings in 226,000 yen (about 47.5 million VND) monthly. Her third home is a favorite style among wealthy Japanese, with a large yard and three floors. She lives in one room and rents out the other two for 40,000 yen each per month. Combined with her salary, her income hits around 400,000 yen (84 million VND), and she saves up to 380,000 yen every month!
Saki’s secret to buying multiple homes is working hard, saving as much as possible, and using rental income to fund the next purchase. Currently, besides renting, she runs a cat cafe in her third house where all the cats are rescues.
Source: Mashable, Says
