ECONOMY & WORK
MONEY 101
NEWS
PERSONAL FINANCE
NET WORTH
About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use DMCA Opt-out of personalized ads
© Copyright 2023 Market Realist. Market Realist is a registered trademark. All Rights Reserved. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.
MARKETREALIST.COM / PERSONAL FINANCE

Frugal girl who spent $1.40 a day on her food saved enough to buy 3 houses and a cat cafe by 34

Her motivation for living frugally, she explained, was to help stray cats.
PUBLISHED SEP 6, 2024
Cover Image Source: Representative (L) Getty Images | Toshiro Shimada | (R) Getty Images | Benjamin Torode
Cover Image Source: Representative (L) Getty Images | Toshiro Shimada | (R) Getty Images | Benjamin Torode

In today's challenging housing market, buying a home might seem out of reach for many. But many across the world have shown that investing in real estate doesn’t have to be costly. A thrifty, animal-loving woman from Japan recently earned the title of the “most frugal girl in the country” after buying three houses in less than 15 years.

In 2019, Saki Tamogami appeared on the Japanese television program, "Happy! Bomby Girl", and detailed her lifestyle that enabled her to buy three houses. She talked about spending just 200 yen ($1.4) a day on food. She said that she was just 19 when she set the goal of owning three houses by the time she hit 34.



 

She said she found comfort in saving money. After graduating from university, she worked for a property agent. In order to save money, she decided to always eat at home, and stick to simple dishes like toast, udon noodles, and discounted radishes, spending no more than 50 yen (35 US cents) per meal, via South China Morning Post.

Representative Image Source: Pexels | Cats Coming
Representative Image: Pexels | Cats Coming

Sometimes she would add jam or maybe salmon to her meals, which would cost her a bit extra on some days. She spoke about not buying any bowls and mostly ate directly from the pot to save every penny. She also believed in "never buy anything without a discount." She never bought new clothes and relied on hand-me-downs from her family. She picked her furniture from rubbish and discards. She cut her long hair and sold it for 3,100 yen, which covered her expenses for over a month.

Representative Image Source: Pexels | Ketut Subiyanto
Representative Image: Pexels | Ketut Subiyanto

Eventually, she was able to buy her first home in Saitama in the Kanto region, north of Tokyo, for 10 million yen ($69,000) at the age of 27. She then used the rent from the home to cover the mortgage and bought another home for 18 million yen two years later. After a few years, she was again able to buy a home, her third home, for 37 million yen.

Representative Image Source: Pexels | Mikhail Nilov
Representative Image: Pexels | Mikhail Nilov

Her motivation for living frugally, she explained, was to help stray cats. She fulfilled this dream by opening Café Yuunagi on the ground floor of her third house, providing shelter and support for many strays.

Despite being an owner of three houses, she continues to live a simple life. Her story melted a lot of hearts, especially after she talked about her dreams on national TV. Many recently took to social media platforms to talk about her achievements.

"She should be added to the list of the world’s eight wonders, even more impressive than the Terracotta Army," read one comment, while another wrote, "Many people born in the 1970s in China have a similar lifestyle. It seems buying houses has become like an addiction for them."

MORE ON MARKET REALIST
The student also began flashing the cash to her closest friends and began drinking expensive whisky with them.
6 hours ago
The TikTok content creator and her friend guessed that the price would be higher than average but still got it wrong.
18 hours ago
Costco has introduced the measures along with the first increase in its membership fees since 2017.
2 days ago
The Maserati driving kid has shared several videos on TikTok showing off her money collections.
Oct 2, 2024
There are several reasons why it only costs $10,000 to open a Chick-fil-A location. Keep reading to learn about all the details.
Sep 29, 2024
Here are three key learnings from the radio host, bestselling author, and personal finance expert's money secrets.
Sep 26, 2024
Buying a car is a major financial investment and that's why you should know how to negotiate a car loan before you go to the dealership.
Sep 23, 2024
If you've invested in rental property, you should consider multiple factors when deciding whether it's the best time to sell.
Sep 22, 2024
The real estate market may have cooled a little, but if you received a text message asking to buy your house, you may want to investigate.
Sep 21, 2024
The man dressed in a cartoon costume during the cheque presentation ceremony to protect his identity.
Sep 20, 2024
You can block fraudsters from using your child’s SSN and other personal information by freezing their credit file.
Sep 20, 2024
An obvious perk of having a home with a driveway is the extra space. If you want to make some extra cash, here's how to rent out your driveway.
Sep 19, 2024
TikTok creator Lindsay wasn't happy with Cuban asking the working class to cut down on happiness.
Sep 17, 2024
The bill with a printing error could multiply in value if it grabs collectors' attention.
Sep 17, 2024
While some celebrities are infamous for being stingy, Derulo is known to be a generous tipper.
Sep 16, 2024
"They say money can't buy happiness, but Maybank knows how to buy frustration," she said.
Sep 14, 2024
While there could be millions of such pairs out there, only nine sets have been found so far.
Sep 14, 2024
Social media users suggest that this habit is a clear giveaway of someone's age.
Sep 13, 2024