A thrifty, animal-loving Japanese woman has been dubbed “the most frugal girl in the country” after she was able to buy three houses in less than 15 years, and realise her dream of opening a cat café.
In 2019, Saki Tamogami, 37, appeared on the Japanese television programme Happy! Bomby Girl about young women who change their lives through hard work and perseverance.
The show detailed the extremely economical lifestyle that enabled her to save so much money, revealing that she spends just 200 yen (US$1.4 - RM6.10) a day on food.
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When she was 19 years old Tamogami set herself the goal of owning three houses by the time she reached 34.
She said she found comfort and security in saving money, taking pleasure in watching her savings grow.
After graduating from university she worked for a property agent and was careful with her salary.
To minimise costs she cooked all her meals at home, usually sticking to simple dishes like toast, udon noodles and discounted radishes, spending no more than 50 yen (35 US cents) per meal.
Occasionally, she would add a little variety, such as jam on bread or a piece of salmon with rice, but seldom exceed 200 yen a day for food.
Remarkably, she did not buy bowls, but ate directly from the pot to save more money.
For many years, she stuck to her motto, “Never buy anything without a discount.”
From the age of 19, she stopped buying new clothes, instead relying on hand-me-downs from relatives, and her furniture was salvaged from rubbish.
Her hair, which she never dyed or permed, was in such good condition that she could sell it for 3,100 yen (US$20) when it grew long enough, covering her living expenses for half a month.
Through diligent saving, she bought her first house in Saitama in the Kanto region, north of Tokyo, for 10 million yen (US$69,000) at the age of 27.
She used the rental income to cover the mortgage, which enabled her to purchase a second house for 18 million yen two years later.
In 2019, she successfully achieved her goal of owning a third house, that cost her 37 million yen.
Tamogami said her motivation for living such a frugal life stemmed from her desire to rescue stray cats after adopting one when she was a child that was a comfort to her in low times.
She realised her dream and opened a cat cafe she called Cafe Yuunagi on the ground floor of her third house, offering shelter and support to many strays.
The cafe attracts cat lovers and its earnings help provide care for more animals.
Despite her financial freedom, Tamogami continues to live sparsely and plans to use the income from the rents and her salary to further expand her property portfolio.
This story, reposted on mainland social media, has captivated and sparked extensive discussions among netizens.
“She should be added to the list of the world’s eight wonders, even more impressive than the Terracotta Army,” one person wrote.
“Many people born in the 1970s in China have a similar lifestyle. It seems buying houses has become like an addiction for them,” another said.
A third person expressed admiration, saying: “I’m speechless; I admire her self-discipline. Sticking to a goal for decades is no small achievement.”
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