What would you give up to quit your job and enjoy the freedom of early retirement?
This Japanese man, who recently took the internet by storm, was willing to sacrifice most of life's pleasures for the sake of saving money over 21 years.
The 45-year-old man, who remains unnamed, announced on social media that he had achieved FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) after spending the last twenty years and ten months working towards this goal.
In the early 2000s, he secured a stable yet demanding job that often required him to work overtime, sometimes until midnight.
Despite a decent annual salary of around five million yen ($32,000), he chose to endure the hardships and save as much money as possible rather than seeking a less stressful job.
His extreme frugality left many wondering if his efforts were worth it.
Photo: MaqwgNaJKDOnxGb on X
Radical Lifestyle Changes
To save up 100 million yen quickly, the man drastically changed his lifestyle.
He moved out of his rented apartment and into a basic company dormitory, reducing his rent to 30,000 yen ($190) per month.
Instead of buying appliances and furniture, he scavenged for items discarded by others. He avoided using air conditioning in the summer and relied on exercises and blankets to stay warm in the winter.
His diet saw the most significant changes.
On social media, where he posted under the alias “The Man Who Will Definitely Resign,” he shared photos of his meals, which mostly consisted of boiled rice and small pieces of fruits or vegetables.
On particularly rough days, his dinner was a simple energy drink.
Like other frugal individuals in Japan, he used discount coupons to buy the cheapest products possible. To entertain himself, he spent evenings in his dormitory watching prison-themed movies, joking that his life resembled that of a prisoner.
Earlier this year, after more than two decades of extreme frugality, he announced that he had achieved his revised savings target of 132 million yen ($640,000), allowing him to retire early. His unique experience also inspired him to write a book on achieving FIRE, which proved profitable and helped him retire even earlier than planned.
Despite his best efforts, the man’s dream of early retirement might be short-lived due to the yen’s drastic depreciation since the beginning of the year.
“If the yen keeps depreciating, I’ll never achieve financial freedom,” he said. “What have I been working for these 21 years? It’s all meaningless, so tragic.”
Online Reactions
His story went viral in Japan and China, receiving mixed reactions.
Some praised his determination and endurance, while others were shocked by his austere lifestyle, noting it was a miracle he didn’t fall ill due to his poor diet.
“His life is truly miserable,” one person commented. “His income isn’t low in Japan. If he had invested in gold rather than just saving, he wouldn’t have lost so much.”
