10 money-saving tricks from Japan's "savings master"

Appearing on the Japanese news program "Mezamashi 8", Yoko Ogasawara, 71, attracted much attention for her frugal lifestyle. However, this woman is still admired by many people and asked for advice on how to spend money in the family.

Yoko Ogasawara has been interviewed by many magazines and is also the author of a book on the art of saving. By spending an average of 1,000 yen (165,000 VND) equivalent to 31,000 yen (more than 5 million VND) a month on clothes, food and transportation. Meanwhile, a bowl of donburi rice costs 700 yen, a simple bowl of noodles costs 600 yen, a regular movie ticket costs 1,800 yen, the average person living in Tokyo needs 73,705 yen per month. Ogasawara has proven his "austere" lifestyle.

The Japanese woman admits that saving is her innate nature and her top hobby. Divorced at the age of 30, Yoko Ogasawara lives alone in a small house in Tokyo when she retires at the age of 60.

On the show "Mezamashi 8", this woman talked about her 10 spending habits.

Use a cup to make tea

As a tea lover, Ogasawara reuses used tea bags to soak with rice. According to her, this method not only adds nutrition to the rice but also reduces the need for daily tea consumption.

In addition, this woman did not use a teapot to make tea and then pour it into a cup to drink as usual, but directly poured the tea into the cup to make tea, in order to save water.

Use paper rolls for daily life

Ogasawara claims she hasn't used tissue paper or packing paper for decades, instead using toilet paper rolls.

According to her, a roll of toilet paper costs about 25 yen and can be used 300 times by tearing off 20 centimeters at a time. Meanwhile, a box of tissues in Japan contains 200 sheets and costs 60 yen. Ogasawara's view is that using toilet paper rolls is more cost-effective.

Replace sticky notes with waste paper

For Yoko, looking back is the most important thing when it comes to saving money. To get a handle on your spending, she says you need to figure out what you don't need. For example, she collects shopping receipts and turns them into a small notebook with a blank page on the back for writing.

In addition, this woman diligently organizes her wallet, takes out receipts and stores them by month. She records her daily expenses, and at the end of the month, summarizes her income and expenses. If it is more than expected, she must adjust it for the following month.

Make use of cream tubes and facial cleansers

Ogasawara makes sure to get every last drop out of her lipsticks, toothpastes, lotions, and similar products. Whenever she runs out of products and can’t squeeze them out anymore, she cuts them open so they can be easily retrieved and used again instead of being thrown away.

However, she still recommends that if you apply this saving method, you should use up the product as soon as possible and not leave it too long after cutting.

Recycle waste

Ogasawara uses advertising flyers she receives on the street or in supermarkets as placemats to save money on tablecloths and reduce the cost of dishwashing liquid. After cleaning out her closet, she recycles many old clothes into new outfits, scarves, or cuts them into rags.

Yoko Ogasawara also loves cleaning because she believes it helps to make her living space cleaner. Instead of throwing away orange peels, she dries them and turns them into aromatic spices. She puts the dried orange peels in small cloth bags and stores them in drawers, creating a pleasant scent in the kitchen.

Limited spending

When she goes shopping, Yoko Ogasawara sets a daily budget of 1,000 yen ($7.60) for food and necessities. If she goes over her budget, she limits her spending the next day by deducting the amount she spent the previous day.

Now, she sometimes pays with a credit card because of the rewards points, but she keeps all her cash in her wallet. However, her secret is to not overspend and to check her wallet regularly. She also puts unused money in another account to remind herself not to spend recklessly.

Make a list before shopping

Before going out to buy things, Mrs. Ogasawara always makes a shopping list. She will not buy anything that is not on the list, even if she suddenly feels like it.

This way, the 71-year-old woman cuts down on unnecessary purchases. Ogasawara also doesn't often buy discounted items because they often have a short shelf life. She believes that saving money means spending money on essentials and giving up on some unnecessary things.

Walk fast when going to the supermarket

Every time she goes to the supermarket, Ogasawara walks very quickly when passing through the area of ​​goods she does not intend to buy. According to her, this is a way to prevent herself from having the opportunity to linger or be attracted to unnecessary items.

Return an item before payment

Before checking out, Ogasawara, as a habit, forces herself to return an item in her cart so she can save more money. It also makes her think carefully again about whether it is necessary or not.

This woman also never buys drinks in plastic bottles, but often prepares purified water in small glass bottles, easy to carry in her handbag. According to her, this method both saves money and protects the environment.

No need to spend money on spices

Ogasawara is always proud that he has never spent a penny on spices, but often uses spices from instant noodles or collects them for free from restaurants to use when cooking.

This woman also often uses fruits or foods that do not need to be peeled such as apples, strawberries or well-cooked fish and meat, so she hardly wastes food and does not release much waste into the environment.