A 37-year-old Japanese woman earned the title of “the most frugal girl in the country” by spending approximately RM6 daily on food, which helped her buy three houses and open her dream cat café by the age of 34.
Saki Tamogami’s disciplined savings approach allowed her to achieve these milestones in under 15 years.
Her journey to financial independence was highlighted on the Japanese TV show Happy! Bomby Girl in 2019, which showcased her remarkable lifestyle, South China Morning Post reported.
ALSO READ: Frugal lifestyle gets Japanese man RM4mil savings, early retirement
To keep expenses low, she prepared all her meals at home, mainly eating simple dishes like toast, udon noodles, and discounted radishes, with each meal costing no more than 50 yen (approx. RM1.50).
Occasionally, she varied her meals with additions like jam on bread or a piece of salmon with rice, but rarely spent more than 200 yen or around RM6 daily on food.
To further save money, she also ate directly from the pot and avoided buying anything that wasn’t on sale.
Beginning her journey at 19, she set a goal to own three houses by 34.
She worked for a property agency after graduating from university, carefully managing her salary and living expenses.
Her frugality extended beyond food; she wore hand-me-down clothes and repurposed discarded furniture.
She even sold her long hair for extra cash which fetched her 3,100 yen (approx. RM93), covering half of her living expenses for the month.
By 27, she had purchased her first house in Saitama for 10 million yen (approx. RM300,227), using rental income to pay the mortgage.
She acquired her second property for 18 million yen (approx. RM541,529) two years later and reached her goal with a third house costing 37 million yen (approx. RM1.11 million) in 2019.
Her commitment to saving was driven by her love for animals, particularly stray cats.
Her childhood experience of adopting a stray cat that provided comfort during tough times inspired her to open a cat café, Café Yuunagi, on the ground floor of her third house.
The café supports and shelters stray cats while attracting cat enthusiasts.
She continues to live modestly and plans to further expand her property portfolio using rental income and her salary.
Her story, widely shared on China’s social media, has captivated audiences and sparked discussions about her extraordinary self-discipline.
Comments on her frugality include, “She should be added to the list of the world’s eight wonders, even more impressive than the Terracotta Army,” and “I’m speechless; I admire her self-discipline. Sticking to a goal for decades is no small achievement.”
